What is the ISTQB Certification?

ISTQB stands for the International Software Testing Qualifications Board and it is the worldwide leader in the certification of software testing. ISTQB certifications are considered in more than 100 countries. The syllabus for the certification is developed and reviewed by the team of leading testing professionals

The main goal of ISTQB is to focus on practical applications that the testers need in their day-to-day testing. It covers everything from Agile Testing to Security Testing and Risk-based Testing.

How many levels are there for ISTQB certification?

There are 3 levels of certification

1. Foundation level.
2. Advanced level.
3. Expert level.

Foundation Level – The Foundation Level exam comprises 40 multiple-choice questions, with a scoring of 1 point for each correct answer, passing mark of 65% (26 or more points), and duration of an hour (or 75 minutes for candidates taking exams that aren’t in their native or local language).

Advanced Level – The Advanced Level exams comprise 65 multiple-choice questions, with different scoring (from 1 to 3 points) for the correct answer according to the question’s level of difficulty, passing marks will be of 65% (65 or more points), and a duration of 180 minutes (or 225 minutes for candidates taking exams that are not in their native or local language).

Expert Level – The Expert Level extends the knowledge and experience obtained at the Advanced Level by providing in-depth, practically-oriented certifications in a range of different testing subjects. ISTQB offers career paths for software testers with clearly defined business outcomes.

The cost of ISTQB certification in India?
The fees for the foundation level exam are currently Rs. 4,580 for the public exam and Rs. 4,000 for the corporate exam (if there are more than 10 candidates from a similar company for the exam, then the exam may be conducted within the company by ITB – this is called a corporate exam.

Best Practice to Pass Foundation in First attempt?
Read the most recent ISTQB Foundation Level Syllabus from ISTQB official site. After reading the syllabus and the recommended book, attempt some ISTQB mock exams to test your knowledge. Refer to updated and premium content for your preparation.

Is there a negative marking in the ISTQB foundation level?
There is no negative marking in the exam. Scoring of one point for every correct answer.

Tips to clear the ISTQB Certification

1. Read the most recent ISTQB Foundation Level Syllabus from ISTQB official site.
2. Test your knowledge by attempting a few ISTQB mock exams after reading the syllabus and the recommended books or study material,
3. Refer to updated and premium content for your preparation.
4. Try to understand the concept, make notes and prepare the mind for revision.
5. Make a list of useful and frequently used definitions.
6. Gather some actual questions, practice sample papers, and take a look at them to resolve them within the exam stipulated time; for eg – 40 questions in 90 minutes for every ISTQB Foundation exam.
7. Try to find out how many questions you attempted correctly within the mock tests. For example – you have to get the score over 26 questions correctly out of 40 questions (Passing marks will be 65%)
8. Acknowledge the distribution of questions per logical level; K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K6.
9. You can focus your efforts on more important chapters and not waste your time on the chapters from which you might get only a couple of questions. You should not skip any of the chapters, even you should concentrate on the chapters with greater weightage first
10. After solving a number of the sample question papers, go through the complete syllabus all over again. This helps in understanding the topics and also the concepts in a very better way.
11. The questions asked within the ISTQB certification are presented in such a simple way that everyone’s choices look almost similar. Hence, it’s important to read the question and its options very carefully.
12. If you find more than one correct answer, then start removing the obvious ones. After eliminating them, focus on the most appropriate terminology or definition or the solution to be selected for the question asked and then make the right selection.
13. Read the question twice or thrice and take a look to understand it. There are few words in the questions which need more attention like NOT, NEVER, ALL, EVERY, etc.
14. Remember that every question carries only one mark (for the ISTQB foundation). Do not waste an excessive amount of time to figure out a solution to a difficult question. You can keep that question aside and take a look at it to resolve it after completing more straightforward and simple questions.
15. There is absolutely no reason to answer the questions in the order they’re printed in the exam. I would recommend going to sure ones first.

Different components of computers such as Hardware, Software, Installation, etc. are the core, and having a certification about these is quite helpful. The Computer Certification Exam test by StudySection focuses mainly surrounding these areas.