12 Useful Tips to Pass the ISTQB Certification Examination Successfully

What is ISTQB? Why there is a need to be ISTQB certified in software testing profession? To increase your knowledge and help you in becoming a qualified tester, I am sharing some important points on software testing as a career option with you. First of all, you should know that the International Software Testing Qualification Board or ISTQB is an international software testing qualification certification organization and a non-profit association, which is legally registered in Belgium. Founded in November 2002 in Edinburgh, it gives certified training in testing to students who want to build their career in the IT sector.

It is the most widely used qualification scheme in the world that give candidates a platform to shape their career in testing. It provides the comprehensive syllabi glossary and contents on different testing technologies that have become the de fact industry reference for the software testing profession. There are many trusted institutes like QACampus that provide enhanced training for cracking the ISTQB examination.

By pursuing ISTQB certification you:

• gain independently assessed skills and knowledge
• boost your marketability and testing capabilities throughout the industry
• get greater career opportunities
• gain increased earning potential
• add the logo of “ISTQB Certified Tester” to your resume and welcome the best job opportunities

Now let's focus on our main subject, which is how to pass the ISTQB certification foundation examination successfully! Here are the 12 useful tips!

1. Initially, get complete information on the latest foundation level syllabus from the ISTQB official website

2. Get the ISTQB book for learning all the concepts of testing and join the best institute for having ISTQB certification training

3. Once you have completed your syllabus, test your knowledge by attempting some mock tests and sample papers on ISTQB available over the Internet

4. Go through your book again and clear out your doubts and recall all the basic and important concepts of testing

5. Give more time on tricky questions on wide concepts like statement coverage, path and branch so that you can easily be able to attempt these questions correctly

6. Make a list of important glossary and frequent used definitions  and keep them handy for frequent reading

7. Give some time on resolving your week points and always recall your positive points

8. Gather some questions or get practice sample papers and try to solve them within stipulated time

9. For example, try to do 40 questions in 90 minutes for each ISTQB mock test

10. Find out how many questions you have attempted correctly – you need to score more than 26 questions correctly out of 40 questions

11. Get the study materials from a trusted platform at the lowest prices

12. Just before the ISTQB examination, go over the important topics once again and recall everything that you studied

I believe that this will be your complete package on how to pass the ISTQB certification examination! With these useful tips, I hope you will be able to accomplish your career goal! All the best for your exam!

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Database Testing – Practical Tips on How to Test Database

Among other tools of software testing, database is one of the inevitable parts of a software system nowadays in which many people want to learn it and build their career successfully. If you are also among them and want to start your profession in this area then proper database testing training is required for you through which you would be able to get the complete knowledge of all concepts related to database testing. And there are many leading institutes like QACampus that would provide you both basic and advanced training in not only database but also other technologies of testing such as QC, QTP, selenium and so on. Coming back on to the subject of this blog, I would be discussing one of the key concepts of database testing, which is how to test database. So, get through it seriously and obtain the required knowledge of it in order to boost your career in this area of specialization.

What to Test in Database Testing?

Here are some key areas that is to be tested in database testing:

• Make Sure of Data Mapping: You should make sure that mapping between difference screens or forms of AUT and the Relations of its DB is not only error-free but also according to the test design documents.
• Ensure Data Integrity: Always consider that different modules that is, forms or screens of an application system use the same data in different ways. With this, forms should also perform all the CRUD operations on the data. In such case, it should be noted that you should make sure that the latest state of data is reflected everywhere.
• Make Sure of ACID Properties of Transactions: DB transactions have the ACID properties namely Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability. It is to make sure that proper testing of these four properties is done during the DB testing activity. This area of database testing needs more thorough, rigorous and keen testing when the database is distributed.
• Ensure Accuracy of Implemented Business Rules: The last thing to test in database testing is accuracy of an application. As the databases are not meant for storing records, Dbs have been evolved into extremely powerful tools that can provide enough support to the developers in order to put business logic at DB level in function.

How to Test Database?

Following are steps that are involved in the process of testing database:

• Create Your Own Queries: In order to test database in the most accurate and proper way, you as a tester should have a complete understanding of SQL specially DML (Data Manipulation Language) statements. After this, you should obtain the good knowledge of internal DB structure of AUT. If these two pre-requisites are fulfilled by you then you would be able to test DB with full confidence.
• Have an Observation of Data Table by Table: In case, you are not good in SQL, then you may verify the result of CRUD operation, performed by using GUI of software by viewing the tables of DB. As this way may be a bit cumbersome and tedious especially when the DB and tables have large amount of data.
• Get Query from Developer: This can be a simplest way for you as a tester to test the DB. You need to perform any CRUD operation from GUI and verify its impacts by executing the respective SQL query obtained from the developer.

As the matter of the fact is that database is termed to be the core and critical part of almost every software system, so DB testing of an application demands good SQL skills, keen attention and proper understanding of database structure of AUT along with proper training in every database technology. Then only, you would be able to do database testing perfectly and refine your skills in order to successfully build your career in this important type of testing.

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How to Build & Boost Software Testing Career?

How to build a successful career? You might be among those new passouts who's mind get reflected into this question and who are worried about their career growth. But before finding its answer, you should be clear that on which profession, you want to go with. Every career has its own posititves and negatives but ultimately you have to choose one for succeeding in your career and life as well. If you want to build up your career in software testing then definitely you need to work hard due to increasing competition level in the IT industry. And of course, you need to join the best software testing certification course through which can be able to learn all the key concepts of testing both theoriticaly and as well as practicaly. Like in your school, there are also faculty members available to trained you in every testing type. Through this write-up, I would be listing out some valuable points on how to boost software testing career. So take it seriously and carefully as your ultimate result is my achievement!

Now before going towards the main goal of this write-up, there is need to define software testing first and why this profession is beneficial. Basically, software testing is a technology-based activity that is performed to detect errors or problems from an application in order to make it running or functioning perfectly. As we have created a large number of cutting-edge applications and we often find problems in them, so the role of testers now start. They identify the problem in software and inform it to the software developer for rectifying it so that the system can function easily. Whether small, middle or large sized companies, every organization experience this kind of troubles. This is the reason that they are forced to hire a good tester. As a result, the demand of testers is on the rise and thus, the software testing profession has become a beneficial profession as a career choice for a large number of people all over the world.

Let's now try to list down some valuable points for building successful career in software testing...

• Proper Education & Training in Software Testing is Required: The first and foremost thing is to get the proper education and training in software testing profession when your career building scenario get started. For this, you have to choose a reliable institute such as QACampus from where you can learn all the concepts of testing and get the practical training as well. Doing so will certainly help you in giving a shpae to your career after contributing your skills and knowledge of testing in the industry.

• Self-Confidence and Self-Learning: It is fine that you are taking training from the trustworthy institute but at the same time, it is important for you give time to self-learning. You should recall all the major points that you read in your course time to time. This will absolutely help you in keeping all the major points of testing all the time. Also, you will be easily answer the questions at the time of interview. Self-confidence is the key to success in every period of your life. While studying, giving interview or even talking to someone in a casual scenario, you must be confident through your communication skills.

• Interview Preparation: Always before going for an interview, you should be well prepared. You should know all the key concepts of testing that can be questioned at the time of interview. For getting prepared for an interview, you can join some reputative institute like QACampus.

• Go for Higher Studies: After completing the basic course of software testing and while working in a company, you can go for advanced learning. This will help you in keeping update with all the latest technologies and concepts of software testing.

• Get Experience as a Fresher: Once you are done with the basic education of software testing, you should join some company no matter if it is small sized. Atleast, you will get experience in this field and you will be able to sharp up your technical skills. As a result, you will be able to boost your career in future.

I hope that this post will help you in taking your software testing career level to the new heights! So All The Best!

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Test Automation : How testing tool selection can help improve testing efficiency

This blog is written on software test automation with an objective to make readers understand about automation testing. Through this, one can also get knowledge on how the selection of tools is important for improving efficiency of testing process.

Importance of selecting the right testing tool :

For any software test automation process, the success depends on identifying and selecting the right and best suited automation tool. The best method to achieve the expected target in software testing is to make correct selection of automation testing tool. This will improve the testing productivity and reducing the  project cost of a test project.

Type of test automation tools :

There are many automation tools available for testing software. These tools are categorized into three different categories. of automation tools. Test manager can make use of these tools for testing application according to the requirement and testing scenarios. The three categories are :

1. Open Source Tools
2. Commercial Tools
3. Custom Tools

1. Open Source Tools :

As name defines 'Open Source Tools' are the freely available software program for application testing. Herein the source code is freely available for use that can easily be modified as per requirements. These tools are available for performing all type of testing activities, from test cases management to application defect tracking. Open source tools constitutes less features as compared with commercial tools.

2. Commercial Tools :

Commercial tools are software automation tools which are not freely available in market. To use these tools one needs to purchase license from the producer of that tool. These tools are designed for commercial purpose only. One can get proper and reliable support for such automation testing tools from its producer as compared to open-source tools.

3. Custom Tools :

In some software testing project, there is requirement of some special features for testing process and testing environment which cannot be supported by either open source and commercial tools. Therefore, the test team have to choose building their own testing tool that can fulfil their testing requirements. These types of developed tools are known as custom tools.

To save project testing cost one should understand that not all the the application parts are featured to automation testing. Only the areas where frequent changes can be seen, and where regression tests are required will be subjected to automation.

Before test tool selection, the tester must need to analyse the test cases, which needs to be automated. This activity is known as Automation Feasibility Analysis.

Factors which needs to consider before automation testing :

• Testing feasibility
• Complexity
• Application stability
• Test data
• Application size
• Automated scripts reusability
• Execution environment

Steps followed to select right test automation tool :

• Identify the test requirement for tools :

For proper and right selection of tool one should have knowledge about the requirement for automation testing. All the identified requirements are documented and analysed by the test management team.

• Decide the tools & vendors :

After documenting the tools requirement, the project test manager needs to follow some steps :

Identify the best available open source and commercial automation tools as per the project requirement.
Create a list of tools which best meets the testing criteria.
Before short-listing the tool, the reputation of vendor, its support and reviews are checked properly.
Check the quality of the automation tool through trial license usage.

• Estimation of benefits and cost of tool :

As per the benefits of test, the test manager needs to estimate about cost and benefits of the test tool. The value and benefits must be balanced with cost of the identified tool.

• Make final decision for tool selection :

For final decision on tool selection, the project test manager should require to have good understanding of the tool including its advantages and disadvantages. Also cost and tool benefits must be balanced.

Conclusion :

The above details are enough to understand the importance of automation tools selection and the steps which test manager needs to follow for selecting an efficient tool. The selection criteria help improving the testing efficiency which in-turn save time and cost of the testing process.

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Software Testing Institute – What to Consider while Opting an Institute?

Software testing has now become a demanded profession as many corporates are hiring testers for making their applications to run in a smooth way. That is why individuals are getting into this profession. And rising career opportunities in the testing industry has lead to opening of many institutes all over the world that help aspirants to achieve their goals by providing them required training and academic sessions. For instance, QACampus is an institute in Noida that run classes on different kinds of software testing like mobile, automation, manual and security testing and provide various courses related to them. Getting proper guidance from the best institutes will be truly helpful for you to stand on the front with confidence in the software testing profession line.

If you are looking for the best software testing institute; I will help as I will be discussing some vital points to consider while choosing an institute. So follow them below in a careful manner!

• Know the Background of an Institute: To know the past scenario of an institute is important to have a clear idea whether it has never been involved in unfavorable situations like doing fraud. However, you would not be able to get the full information of the background of the institute. But you can still go through the provided details on the experience it has.   
• Look the Environment: As far as environment is concerned, you should meet the people of institute and take a glimpse of the environment of teaching. Again, you will not be able to judge anything completely but you can get something important from this conception.
• Select the Best Course: Apart from providing the various courses to the students by different institutes, they also attract students by providing same courses in different packages at high cost. So you have to be little careful in selecting a course even if you have interest in a particular course.
• Ask for All Information: If you are considering 2-3 institutes and choosing the best one then you should be knowing all the information related to the courses, infrastructure, fees, placements, training sessions and so on. You have to clear out all the possible confusions so that you can select the best institute.
• Feel Confident & Not Be Over Confident; Then Go Ahead: When you feel that your selected institute can be trusted after considering all the key points of the institute then you can move ahead and take the admission. However, you should never feel over confident on anything related to institute and have misconceptions on courses and other things.
• Try to Contact Ex-Students: You can also try to get feedback of existing or ex-students of a particular institute. This will certainly help you in knowing the positive and negative points of an institute. As a result, you will be able to make a decision of selecting the right institute in an appropriate and a perfect way.

I hope that now you have get the knowledge of what things to keep in mind while selecting a software testing training institute. All these points are important in every aspect and will help you in making the right decision. So follow them, select the best institute and get the best software testing training to accomplish your career goal!

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