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ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst

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ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst Online Tutorial

The ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst exam has been specially designed for candidates who are involved in software testing and wish to broaden their knowledge and enhance their skills in test analysis or the ones who wish to start a specialist career in this field. This certification exam is a global exam for test analysts which are offered by ISTQB. Moreover, this exam verifies your skills in test management, test technique selection, documentation, risk assessment, test scheduling, and team management.

Prerequisites

In order to get the Advanced Level certification, you are required to hold the Foundation certificate along with sufficient practical experience.

Target Audience

The ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst exam is aimed at people who have already reached an advanced point in their careers in software testing and further wish to develop their expertise and skills in test analysis and design.

Learning Outcomes

Consequently, passing the ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst exam enables the candidate in-

  • performing relevant testing activities on the basis of software development lifecycle.
  • determining proper prioritization of the testing activities on the basis of information provided by the risk analysis.
  • determining relevant types of functional testing to be performed.
  • working effectively in a usability testing team.
  • selecting and applying proper test methods to ensure an adequate level of confidence.
  • providing the proper level of documentation relevant to their testing activities.
  • participating effectively in user story reviews with stakeholders, applying knowledge of typical mistakes made in work products.
  • improving the efficiency of the test process with the use of tools.

Exam Details

Module ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst
Exam Duration 60 minutes/ 75 minutes(for those who are not taking exams in their spoken language)
Passing Score 65%
Number of Questions 40
Type of Questions Multiple-choice type

For more details and any other queries, visit the ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst exam FAQs

ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst FAQs

ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst exam Course Outline

Further, the syllabus for the ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst exam has been divided into sections and subsections, given as follows-

1. The Test Analyst’s Tasks in the Test Process 

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Testing in the Software Development Lifecycle

  • TA-1.2.1 (K2) Explain how and why the timing and level of involvement for the Test Analyst varies
  • when working with different software development lifecycle models

1.3 Test Analysis

  • TA-1.3.1 (K2) Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting analysis activities

1.4 Test Design

  • TA-1.4.1 (K2) Explain why test conditions should be understood by the stakeholders
  • TA-1.4.2 (K4) For a given project scenario, select the appropriate design level for test cases (highlevel or low-level)
  • TA-1.4.3 (K2) Explain the issues to be considered in test case design

1.5 Test Implementation

  • TA-1.5.1 (K2) Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting test implementation activities

1.6 Test Execution

  • TA-1.6.1 (K2) Summarize the appropriate tasks for the Test Analyst when conducting test execution activities
2. The Test Analyst’s Tasks in Risk-Based Testing 

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Risk Identification

  • Conducting expert interviews with the domain experts and users
  • Conducting independent assessments
  • Using risk templates
  • Participating in risk workshops
  • Participating in brainstorming sessions with potential and current users
  • Defining testing checklists
  • Calling on past experience with similar systems or projects

2.3 Risk Assessment

  • Frequency of use of the affected feature
  • Business loss
  • Financial damage
  • Ecological or social losses or liability
  • Civil or criminal legal sanctions
  • Safety concerns
  • Fines, loss of license
  • Lack of reasonable workarounds if people cannot work any more
  • Visibility of the feature
  • Visibility of failure leading to negative publicity and potential image damage
  • Loss of customers

2.4 Risk Mitigation

  • Reduce product risk by designing effective test cases that demonstrate unambiguously whether
    tests pass or fail, and by participating in reviews of software work products such as
    requirements, designs, and user documentation
  • Implement appropriate risk mitigation activities identified in the test strategy and test plan (e.g.,
    test a particularly high risk business process using particular test techniques)
  • Re-evaluate known risks based on additional information gathered as the project unfolds,
    adjusting risk likelihood, risk impact, or both, as appropriate
  • Identify new risks from information obtained during testing
3. Test Techniques 

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Black-Box Test Techniques

  • TA-3.2.1 (K4) Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying equivalence partitioning
  • TA-3.2.2 (K4) Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying boundary value analysis
  • TA-3.2.3 (K4) Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying decision table testing
  • TA-3.2.4 (K4) Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying state transition testing
  • TA-3.2.5 (K2) Explain how classification tree diagrams support test techniques
  • TA-3.2.6 (K4) Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying pairwise testing
  • TA-3.2.7 (K4) Analyze a given specification item(s) and design test cases by applying use case testing
  • TA-3.2.8 (K4) Analyze a system, or its requirement specification, in order to determine likely types of defects to be found and select the appropriate black-box test technique(s)

3.3 Experience-Based Test Techniques

  • TA-3.3.1 (K2) Explain the principles of experience-based test techniques and the benefits and drawbacks compared to black-box and defect-based test techniques
  • TA-3.3.2 (K3) Identify exploratory tests from a given scenario
  • TA-3.3.3 (K2) Describe the application of defect-based test techniques and differentiate their use from black-box test techniques

3.4 Applying the Most Appropriate Test Techniques

  • TA-3.4.1 (K4) For a given project situation, determine which black-box or experience-based test techniques should be applied to achieve specific goals
4. Testing Software Quality Characteristics 

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Quality Characteristics for Business Domain Testing

  • TA-4.2.1 (K2) Explain what test techniques are appropriate to test the functional completeness, functional correctness and functional appropriateness
  • TA-4.2.2 (K2) Define the typical defects to be targeted for the functional completeness, functional correctness and functional appropriateness characteristics
  • TA-4.2.3 (K2) Define when the functional completeness, correctness and appropriateness characteristics should be tested in the software development lifecycle
  • TA-4.2.4 (K2) Explain the approaches that would be suitable to verify and validate both the implementation of the usability requirements and the fulfillment of the user’s expectations
  • TA-4.2.5 (K2) Explain the role of the Test Analyst in interoperability testing including identification of the defects to be targeted
  • TA-4.2.6 (K2) Explain the role of the Test Analyst in portability testing including identification of the defects to be targeted
  • TA-4.2.7 (K4) For a given set of requirements, determine the test conditions required to verify the functional and/or non-functional quality characteristics within the scope of the Test Analyst
5. Reviews 

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Using Checklists in Reviews

  • TA-5.2.1 (K3) Identify problems in a requirements specification according to checklist information provided in the syllabus
  • TA-5.2.2 (K3) Identify problems in a user story according to checklist information provided in the syllabus
6. Test Tools and Automation 

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Keyword-Driven Automation

  • TA-6.2.1 (K3) For a given scenario determine the appropriate activities for a Test Analyst in a keyword-driven testing project

6.3 Types of Test Tools

  • TA-6.3.1 (K2) Explain the usage and types of test tools applied in test design, test data preparation and test execution

ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst Exam Study Guide

Firstly, you should familiarize yourself with all the topics and subtopics that are there in the exam syllabus. So, this will help you gather a fair idea about required learning and will help you distribute your learning preparation. Also, the practical application of what you learn is really important so keep that in mind while studying. So, start your preparation by going through the syllabus well.

ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst preparation guide

Go through the details of exam

Consequently, the next step towards preparing for the exam is to thoroughly go through the details of the exam including details about the type and number of questions and also the time allotted. Accordingly, this helps you give a direction to your learning and analyze the time allotted to manage time well during the exam. So, check the model papers and analyze them well and thus, make sure that you are aware of the pattern of the exam.

Study Resources

Consequently, for your convenience, we have compiled the best study resources for your preparation

  • If you wish to study from books then these readings are highly recommended:
    • [Bath14] Graham Bath, Judy McKay, “The Software Test Engineer’s Handbook (2nd Edition)”, Rocky Nook, 2014, ISBN 978-1-933952-24-6
    • [Black07] Rex Black, “Pragmatic software testing: Becoming an effective and efficient test professional”, John Wiley and Sons, 2007, ISBN 978-0-470-12790-2
    • [Beizer95] Boris Beizer, “Black-box Testing”, John Wiley & Sons, 1995, ISBN 0-471-12094-4 Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst (CTAL-TA)
    • [Black02] Rex Black, “Managing the Testing Process (2nd edition)”, John Wiley & Sons: New York, 2002, ISBN 0-471-22398-0
    • [Black09] Rex Black, “Advanced Software Testing, Volume 1”, Rocky Nook, 2009, ISBN 978-1- 933-952-19-2
  • Glossary
  • Sample questions
  • You can also check out these ISTQB® and IREB Documents for a better understanding of the exam.
  • One can further look for training in the ISTQB accredited training providers in one’s local area. You can check the list of training providers from the website of ISTQB.

Join study groups

Moreover, joining study groups and communities can also prove to be of great help. Thus, this acts as a platform that connects professionals and beginners which in a way helps you get your queries solved and alongside, allows you to have healthy discussions with peers from the same background. Therefore, joining these groups helps to keep you updated.

Practice tests

At last, the most crucial step of preparation is practicing questions. This helps in refining the knowledge that you have gathered from different study resources. Therefore, this helps in evaluating your current preparation and helps boost your confidence and hence the actual exam feels like just another practice test. Moreover, there are various practice tests available online, but the reliability of the practice tests we offer is really high. Here, we provide-

  • unique sets of professionally designed questions that make it easier for the candidate to give the actual exam.
  • mock tests
  • allow you to create your own practice tests.
  • a pool of experts to address your queries.
ISTQB® Certified Tester – Advanced Level Test Analyst practice tests
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