ISTQB Foundations

The ISTQB Certified Tester Foundational Level (CTFL) exam is a certification that I've meant to grab for literally years. It's the first software testing exam in the ISTBQ pipeline.

The certification isn't required by my employer, or most of the job opportunities that I've had over the years. It's mainly beneficial for folks looking to enter the industry, testers outside of the US, or government contracts. 

I've been looking for ways to expand my knowledge and teach myself to study though, and it seemed like a great choice to begin with. I'm a sucker for certifications and semi-pointless digital badges.

I've worked in software testing for six years as an automation engineer, testing lead, and manager, so I had plenty of previous exposure to the concepts and vocabulary. So, I decided to pick up a few books and schedule my exam four days away. 

(If you're reading this and considering taking the exam, I would suggest taking more than four days unless you're able to hyperfocus.)

What I Used to Study

I used three sources for studying:

• Foundations of Software Testing ISTQB Certification, 4th edition
• A Self-Study Guide For The ISTQB Foundation Exam Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) 2018 Syllabus
• The official ISTQB syllabus for the CTFL

I read Foundations of Software Testing cover-to-cover first, highlighting vocabulary and concepts and completing the questions at the end of each chapter. After I finished the book, I took one of the official practice exams.

Then I read A Self-Study Guide for ISTQB Foundation Exam, focusing on the areas that I missed on the practice exam. I spent time memorizing the different types of testing, and the documents associated with each part of the testing cycle. 

(Honestly, you could easily skip this second book. The majority of the information in it, is just the official syllabus reworded.)

Then I took another practice exam, and read through the ninety-something page syllabus twice, highlighting terms and information that I missed on previous practice tests.

I then took the third practice exam. I studied the questions of all three practice exams, paying attention to how the questions were worded.

(The official practice exams can be downloaded from the right bar on the CTFL information page.)

How Hard Was the ISTQB CTFL?

The ISTQB CTFL took me 15 minutes to complete I received an 80 on the test. I took the exam at my house, however when I scheduled the test I forgot that my son's school released early that day. So I had a hard time limit.

The test is 40 questions long. Since I took the time to memorize the testing activities and associated documents, the most difficult questions were related to state transitions and decision tables. These aren't tools that I've relied upon in the past, so they were brand-new concepts for me. 

The test was described to me as vocabulary heavy, which is true, however a large number of the questions are long word problems that require you to use the information, not just repeat a vocabulary term.

All in all, the ISTQB CTFL was easier than the COMPTIA Project+ exam, and I'd take the exam again if needed. I'd suggest the exam to folks who have the extra $229 or if you can get your employer to reimburse you. It's a fairly easy certification to add to your resume that can help you stand out as an expert. (This certification does not make you an expert, but it can be a helpful variable to strengthen your expertise.)