Transcript ISEB and Software Testing - BCS Nottingham & Derby Branch

Software Testing: An ISEB
Foundation
A Presentation to the Nottingham
Branch of the BCS
by
Brian Hambling
The Agenda
• A little bit of testing
• Certification and how it works
• Tester certification and how it has
developed
• Where we are now
• Where we plan to go
A Little Test
Which of the following is true of
software testing?
a) It reduces risk and adds quality to
software products
b) It should happen between
development and release
c) It is expensive and adds little value
d) It requires extensive domain
knowledge
Risk Based Testing
Testing Strategy
Priority 1
Priority 2
Priority 3
Probability
of
Failure
Priority 4
Cost of failure/value of requirement
Whole Life Cycle Testing
Requirements
Testing here
defines the
product quality
Testing here ensures the
product will be what we wanted
System Specification
System Design
Testing here
directly affects
the product quality
Unit Design
Acceptance Test
System Test
Integration Test
Unit Test
Testing here
confirms the
product quality
Cost Effective Testing
Highest risk/highest value
Each test adds maximum value by:
• confirming high value requirements are met
• identifying problems in high risk areas
Risk is reduced/value is assured
Threshold
Completion criteria
Lowest risk/lowest value
Acceptable quality outcome
Any uncompleted tests add less value than
those already completed. Testing is always
the best that could be achieved in the time
Structured Testing
Requirements are prioritised and completion criteria set
Static testing identifies specification issues
Systematic ‘black box’ techniques explore functionality
Systematic ‘white box’ techniques explore structure
Review
Achievement of completion criteria is evaluated
Release
Why Certification?
• Business needs to know why and how
software testing can help them
• Users pressed into user acceptance
testing need to know how to add value
• Professional testers need to understand
how to be more effective
• Potential entrants to testing need to have
a sound basic understanding
ISEB
Information Systems Examination Board
Projects and Business
Change
Solution Development and
Delivery
• Project management
• Software testing
• Business analysis
• Systems development and
architecture
Infrastructure Assets and
Service Management
Legal, Compliance and
Security
• IT service management
• IT legal compliance
• Assets and infrastructure
management
• IT security
155, 000+ certificates issued to date
Tester Certification
• Foundation as an entry point with no
barriers to entry
• Practitioner for testers with some
experience
• Specialist for experienced testers
who want to demonstrate their
advanced knowledge and skills
All underpinned by accredited training
to ISEB approved syllabuses
Progress so far
• Foundation – 39,000 certificates
issued
• Practitioner – 2,500 certificates
issued
• Specialist – still to be defined
The Foundation Dilemma
BENEFITS
• Vocabulary
• Common understanding
• Shared values
BUT
• Most developers not included
• Managers do not understand what testers can do
RESULT
• Frustration
Reaching for the sky
Practitioner
Foundation
Exam Quality
• Questions and exam papers set and/or
reviewed by a selected panel
• Markers approved and trained
• Moderation by sample papers (and
possibly by seeded papers)
• Final exam moderation before results are
released
• Feedback to unsuccessful candidates
Internationalisation
• ISTQB formed in 2002 to foster international cooperation
• ISTQB Foundation syllabus launched in 2005 and
adopted by ISEB to replace the ISEB syllabus
• ISTQB has attracted a large number of countries
and continues to expand but most have no
experience of certification schemes
A Brief History of Testing:
The Special Interest Group
2002
BCS SIGIST
ISTQB
1998
BS 7925
ISEB
Foundation
2002
ISEB
Practitioner
A Brief History of Testing:
The International Dimension
2002
BCS SIGIST
ISTQB
1998
BS 7925
ISEB
Foundation
2002
ISEB
Practitioner
2005
ISTQB
Foundation
A Brief History of Testing:
Where we are today
BCS SIGIST
ISTQB
1998
BS 7925
ISEB
Foundation
2005
ISTQB
Foundation
2007
General
Analyst
Manager
2002
2007?
ISEB
Practitioner
2006
ISTQB
Advanced
ISEB Portfolio Alignment
The Portfolio Idea
• An opportunity to
– Align levels of certificate across
specialist areas
– Share certificates between specialist
areas
– Define new specialist levels with direct
relevance to BCS Membership
qualification
The New Practitioner
• Align Practitioner with the ISTQB
Foundation
• Split the two key disciplines of test
management and test analysis
• Ease the transition from Foundation
to Practitioner
Practitioner Structure
Testing Specialist
Certificate
Practitioner Certificate
In Test Management
18 hours tuition
2 hour exam
6 essay questions
Answer any 4
Practitioner
General Examination
Foundation
Practitioner Certificate
in Test Analysis
18 hours tuition
1 hour exam
25 scenario based
multiple choice questions
A Brief History of Testing:
Glimpsing a bright future
2002
BCS SIGIST
ISTQB
1998
BS 7925
ISEB
Foundation
2005
ISTQB
Foundation
2007
General
Analyst
Manager
2002
2007?
ISEB
Practitioner
2008/9?
ISEB
Specialist
ISTQB
Advanced
ISTQB
Expert
2006
Supporting the Learner
• Accredited training providers
– Foundation 38 (19 International in 10
countries)
– Practitioner 17 (5 International in 4
countries)
• Sample examination papers
• Feedback from examinations
– Reasons for failure
– General weaknesses via training
providers
• Books
The Testing Specialist:
An initial proposal
1 point
SWT Foundation
Another Foundation
‘Broad’ Practitioner
2 points SWT Practitioner
3 points
Dissertation
‘Specialist’ Practitioner
e.g. requirements,
business analysis
e.g. software
development
e.g. performance
testing
Total required – 10 points
At least 2 from Foundation
At least 4 from Practitioner
At least 3 from Specialist
Where next?
• Greater international co-operation
• Seamless qualifications around the
world
• More testers qualified at the highest
levels
• But the real prize is……
IT professionals from every specialist area working
together to achieve better systems
Foundation Certificate
• Foundation Certificate
– 14 hours tuition over 3 days
– Broad syllabus
– Exam at the end of the course or via
Prometric
– 1 hour multiple choice exam
• 40 questions
• Pass mark 60%
– Pass rate 80%+
Foundation Syllabus
• Fundamentals of testing (155 mins)
• Testing throughout the software life
cycle (135 mins)
• Static techniques (60 mins)
• Test design techniques (255 mins)
• Test management (180 mins)
• Tool support for testing(80 mins).
Practitioner Certificate
• Practitioner
– 57 hours tuition over 8 – 10 days
– 3 hour essay style exam
• 1 compulsory question (40 marks)
• 3 from 5 optional questions (20 marks
each)
• Too broad for many, covering both
technical and management aspects
Practitioner Syllabus
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Testing in the life cycle review (1.5 hours)
Test process (3.5 hours)
Test management (6.5 hours)
Testing and risk (4 hours)
Test techniques (20 hours)
Reviews (7 hours)
Incident management (1.5 hours)
Test process improvement (3 hours)
Test tools (6 hours)
People skills (3 hours) .