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Software Testing: An ISTQB-BCS Certified Tester Foundation guide
The best-selling software testing title is the only official textbook of the ISTQB-BCS Certified Tester Foundation Level. This third edition includes examples and exercises reflecting current technology and applications, such as the use of open source software, component-based and agile development and application building for mobile devices. It is ideal for those with a little experience of software testing who wish to cement their knowledge with industry-recognised techniques and theory.
415 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 21, 2018
I used this book as main resource to prepare for the ISTQB Foundation Level exam and found it very helpful as such. It provides basic knowledge of software testing, which is useful for anyone involved in software development. The book is based on the official Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus published by the ISTQB, but provides a little more context around the facts that you have to learn for the exam.
The book does a good job in guiding you towards the exam. It stays close to the syllabus. Each chapter lists the learning objective from the syllabus and has a few sample exam questions. There are also blocks with open questions to check your understanding after each section, but they do not always optimally cover the content. There is a mock exam plus answers in the appendix.
If you use this book to prepare for the ISTQB exam, be aware that this edition covers the old syllabus from 2011, not the updated syllabus from 2018. Tip: you can download a detailed table with the changes between the old and the new syllabus from the ISTQB website in case you want to know the differences exactly. This book should still be useful for the 2018 exam, although I would recommend to double-check with the syllabus.
Compared to the syllabus, the book provides more context, explanations and examples. Still, there are many dry summations of facts and terms which are hard to learn. To some extent, these are inevitable because they are just what ISTQB exam requires. Readers who have experience in software development might associate the content with real work situations and make the facts come alive a bit more in this way. The book would have been better if the storyline in the information was stronger.
There is a lot of emphasis on test documentation, such as requirements, test plans and test reports. Although documentation can be undervalued in an organization, it is questionable if all the documents described in the book are actually used in real-life situations where there is time pressure, except maybe for large organizations working on safety-critical systems.
All in all, this book is a valuable addition to the syllabus for those who are preparing the exam. It explains the basic concepts and terminology of software testing, but not much more.
The book does a good job in guiding you towards the exam. It stays close to the syllabus. Each chapter lists the learning objective from the syllabus and has a few sample exam questions. There are also blocks with open questions to check your understanding after each section, but they do not always optimally cover the content. There is a mock exam plus answers in the appendix.
If you use this book to prepare for the ISTQB exam, be aware that this edition covers the old syllabus from 2011, not the updated syllabus from 2018. Tip: you can download a detailed table with the changes between the old and the new syllabus from the ISTQB website in case you want to know the differences exactly. This book should still be useful for the 2018 exam, although I would recommend to double-check with the syllabus.
Compared to the syllabus, the book provides more context, explanations and examples. Still, there are many dry summations of facts and terms which are hard to learn. To some extent, these are inevitable because they are just what ISTQB exam requires. Readers who have experience in software development might associate the content with real work situations and make the facts come alive a bit more in this way. The book would have been better if the storyline in the information was stronger.
There is a lot of emphasis on test documentation, such as requirements, test plans and test reports. Although documentation can be undervalued in an organization, it is questionable if all the documents described in the book are actually used in real-life situations where there is time pressure, except maybe for large organizations working on safety-critical systems.
All in all, this book is a valuable addition to the syllabus for those who are preparing the exam. It explains the basic concepts and terminology of software testing, but not much more.
August 26, 2019
A great and easy to understand book, covering all the needed topics for ISTQB Foundation level certificate exam. It could be read by a nearly new-to-the-topic person and still be the only source of learning for the certificate. Every chapter has exam questions' samples, and a full mock exam at the end.
March 17, 2017
The best piece of ressource on ISTQB I had in hand. In English but way better than the syllabus and a French book I own. Unlike that other book this one takes the time to explain things in pretty simple language.
October 12, 2020
Well-described guide for manual testing - only using this book I got 82% on the exam (if your country has live courses, that would probably be better, you get what you pay for).
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews