For those interested in certification, here's a collection of information about some of the more popular Software QA Certifications.
Certified Software Tester - CSTE
- Administered by the Quality Assurance Institute (QAI)
- Prerequisites:
- Must already be working in the QA field
- Must have significant experience
- Must have reviewed the appropriate Common Body of Knowledge
- Must have one of the following
- A 4 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 2 years experience in the Information Technology field, or
- A 3 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 3 years experience in the Information Technology field, or
- A 2 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 4 years experience in the Information Technology field
- AND
- Must have worked in the information services field within the prior 18 months
- Must pass a 4 1/2 hour, four-part written examination
- Examination fee - $350
- Recertification required every three years
- For more information see http://www.softwarecertifications.org/
Certified Software Quality Analyst - CSQA Administered by the Quality Assurance Institute (QAI)
- Prerequisites:
- Must already be working in the QA field
- Must have significant experience
- Must have reviewed the appropriate Common Body of Knowledge
- Must have one of the following
- A 4 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 2 years experience in the Information Technology field, or
- A 3 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 3 years experience in the Information Technology field, or
- A 2 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 4 years experience in the Information Technology field
- AND
- Must have worked in the information services field within the prior 18 months
- Must pass a 4 1/2 hour, four-part written examination
- Examination fee - $350
- Recertification required every three years
- For more information see http://www.softwarecertifications.org/
Certified Software Test Professional - CSTP
- Administered by the International Institute for Software Testing (IIST)
- Prerequisites:
- Must complete at least 10 days of formal study in each of the seven areas of the CSTP Body of Knowledge
- Must already have been working in the testing field for at least one year
- Must have had the opportunity to apply formal CSTP training to their job
- Must pass a written examination for each course taken
- Course fee - $495 (online) to $695 per course day
- Recertification required every three years
- For more information see http://www.testinginstitute.com/cstp.php
Certified Test Manager - CTM
- Administered by the International Institute for Software Testing (IIST)
- Prerequisites:
- Must complete at least 10 days of formal study in each of the seven areas of the CTM Body of Knowledge
- Must already have been working in the testing field for at least three years
- Must have been in a lead or management position for at least one year
- Must pass a written examination for each course taken
- Course fee - $495 (online) to $695 per course day
- Recertification required every three years
- For more information see http://www.testinginstitute.com/ctm.php
ISTQB Certified Tester, Foundation Level
- Administered by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)
- Prerequisites:
- None
- Must pass a 1-hour, 40-question written examination
- Examination fee - $250
- Recertification requirements not yet developed
- For more information see http://www.astqb.org/
ISTQB Certified Tester, Advanced Level
- Administered by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)
- Prerequisites:
- Must have five years of full-time work experience in a related field
- A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in Computer Science or a related field may substitute for up to two years of work experience
- Must already hold an ISTQB Certified Tester - Foundation Level certificate
- Must pass three 90-minute, 40-question written examinations
- Examination fee - $100 for qualification, $200 for each exam
- Recertification requirements not yet developed
- For more information see http://www.astqb.org/
Brainbench Software Quality Analyst Certification
- Administered by Brainbench.com
- Prerequisites:
- None
- Must pass a 6 required online tests and 5 elective online tests
- Examination fee - $49.95 per test (or $99 per month or $199 per year)
- For more information see: http://www.brainbench.com/xml/bb/skillscenter/jobroleresults.xml?jobRoleId=450
Brainbench Software Tester Certification
- Administered by Brainbench.com
- Prerequisites:
- None
- Must pass a 5 required online tests and 2 elective online tests
- Examination fee - $49.95 per test (or $99 per month or $199 per year)
- For more information see: http://www.brainbench.com/xml/bb/skillscenter/jobroleresults.xml?jobRoleId=145
IBM Rational Certifications
- Vendor-specific certifications administered by IBM Rational
- For more information see http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/certs/rl_index.shtml
HP Mercury Certifications
- Vendor-specific certifications administered by HP Mercury
- For more information see http://www.merc-training.com/main/US/certification/index.cfm?sitepick=US
Borland Certifications
- Vendor-specific certifications administered by Borland
- For more information see http://borland.learn.com/learncenter.asp?id=178419&sessionid=3-612645F5-F190-46B1-8E5C-10ACDAF02271&page=71
A comparison of several of the certifications (from the IIST web site):
http://www.testinginstitute.com/CSTPCertificationCompare.pdf
