subject: The History Of The Istqb [print this page] In Edinburgh, in 2002 the ISTQB was foundedIn Edinburgh, in 2002 the ISTQB was founded. This was four years after the first software testing qualifications were awarded by the Information Systems Examination Board (part of the British Computer Society). The ISTQB is formally known as the International Software Testing Qualification Board. It is legally registered in Belgium and has many members boards across the globe (47 to be precise). Since its creation, the ISTQB has certified more than 135,000 professionals in the software testing field.
Since it's inception the ISTQB has worked to support a universally accepted qualification scheme. It aims to provide software testing professionals with thorough syllabi. It also sets strict guidelines and accreditations for the national examination boards.
It was in 2003 that the syllabus for the Advanced software testing qualification from the ISTQB was released. This advanced scheme worked to educate software testing professionals in Test management, analysis and technical test analysis. The first exams for the ISTQB Advance level programme were sat in 2004. In 2006, after release of the ISTQB Foundation Level course, the ISTQB aligned with the ISEB Foundation Exam.
Currently, in 2010, there are 3 ISTQB qualifications, each with a separate syllabus and certification. The 3 courses are; Foundation, Advanced and Expert levels. Every ISTQB candidate must have obtained a certain prerequisite before sitting for one of these certificates. They are as follows; For foundation level - 6 months of practical experience as a tester or developer is required, For advanced level - 'sufficient' practical experience is required and for the expert level - 7 years total experience in software testing is required.
If you are thinking of taking an ISTQB certificate there are several benefits. ISTQB qualifications are great for achieving recognition of your software testing skills. They will provide a structure to your software testing career and will help you to achieve a consistent software testing approach within all aspects of the field.
