ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing Exam FAQs

1. What is ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam?

The ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing qualification exam is for people involved in software testing, who wish to broaden their knowledge and skills of usability testing and aspire to start a specialist career in usability testing. Hence, this exam validates the candidate’s abilities and understanding of usability testing and is really beneficial for professionals involved in usability engineering.

2. What are the main objectives of ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam?

The Foundation Model-Based Testing-FMBT-ISTQB exam has the following learning objectives-

• Understanding the concepts of usability, user experience, and accessibility.
• Understanding the objectives of usability, user experience, and accessibility evaluation.
• Comparing usability, user experience, and accessibility evaluation.
• Knowing about the three approaches to usability, user experience, and accessibility evaluation: Usability review, usability testing, and quantitative user surveys for satisfaction measurement.
• Understanding the differences between formative (qualitative) and summative (quantitative) usability evaluation.
• Knowing about the key elements of human-centered evaluation.
• Understanding the human-centered design process.
• Knowing the usability evaluation approaches that work well in agile software development lifecycles.
• Understanding typical usability, user experience, and accessibility risks
• Analyzing a given project at the design or evaluation stage, and identify the types of usability risks that are likely to occur
• Understanding the usability aspects of a software application using the usability review method “heuristic evaluation” according to a checklist provided in the syllabus
• Analyzing the principal steps in the usability testing approach
• Understanding the content of a usability test plan
• Understanding the content of a usability test script
• Defining a simple usability test task for a given project
• Understanding the general content and applicability of ISO usability standards and manufacturer guidelines to particular types of project
• Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of a usability test lab
• Studying the key activities in a usability test session
• Understanding the procedure to apply for analyzing findings from a usability test
• Studying considerations to be applied when deciding on a location for usability tests
• Understanding the principal tasks and responsibilities of the Usability Tester
• Understanding the principal tasks and responsibilities of the Moderator and the Note-Taker

3. Which type of questions come in this exam?

40 Multiple choice questions come in the exam.

4. How much time will be allotted for the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam?

60 minutes are allotted for the completion of exam but the candidate’s who do not take the exam in their spoken language are given 75 minutes for the same.

5. Why should I get a ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing certification?

Well, passing the Foundation Model-Based Testing-FMBT-ISTQB exam enables the candidate in-

• Understanding the basic concepts of usability and usability testing.
• Setting up processes so that stated usability, user experience, and accessibility goals may be verified in practice for a given product.
• Designing and monitoring the implementation of test plans for achieving stated usability, accessibility goals, and user experience.
• Identifying and classifying the severity of usability risks and potential accessibility violations in a product at any stage of a development cycle.
• Citing relevant standards for usability, user experience, and accessibility and verifying their implementation in a product.
• Describing the rationale, process, and results of usability, user experience, and accessibility evaluations to non-specialist stakeholders.

6. What are the necessary requirements for the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam?

To be eligible to take the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam, it’s recommended for you to have achieved a foundation point in your career in software testing and must have passed the ISTQB Foundation Level certificate exam.

7. Are there any books to follow for preparation of the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam?

If you wish to study from books then you should go for:

• Lorin W. Anderson, David R. Krathwohl (eds.) (2001) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Allyn & Bacon
• Jakob Nielsen, Heuristic Evaluation, in Jakob Nielsen, Robert L. Mack (eds.) (1994), Usability Inspection Methods, John Wiley & Sons

8. What is the syllabus for this exam?

Further, the syllabus for the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Usability Testing exam has been divided into sections and subsections, given as follows-

• Basic Concepts
  • Fundamentals
  • Evaluating Usability, User Experience, and Accessibility
  • Usability Evaluation in Human-Centered Design
• Risks in Usability, User Experience and Accessibility
  • Introduction
  • Typical Risks
• Usability and Accessibility Standards
  • Usability Standards and Manufacturer Guidelines
  • Accessibility Standards
• Usability Reviews
  • Introduction and Approach
  • Types of Usability Review
• Usability Testing
  • Introduction
  • Step-By-Step Approach to Usability Testing
  • Prepare Usability Test
  • Conduct Usability Test Sessions
  • Analysis of Findings
  • Communicate Results and Findings
  • Quality Control of a Usability Test
  • Challenges and Frequent Mistakes
• User Surveys
  • Introduction
  • Step-By-Step Approach to User Surveys
  • Standardized Questionnaires
• Selecting Appropriate Methods
  • Criteria for Selecting a Method
• Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
  • Usability Tester
  • Moderator and Note-Taker

9. What are the reliable study resources for the exam?

Some reliable study resources are as follows-

• If you wish to study from books then this reading is highly recommended: Lorin W. Anderson, David R. Krathwohl (eds.) (2001) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Allyn & Bacon
• Jakob Nielsen, Heuristic Evaluation, in Jakob Nielsen, Robert L. Mack (eds.) (1994), Usability Inspection Methods, John Wiley & Sons
• Also, ISTQB provides the following study material in their downloads section-White papers(to access Click here)
• Syllabus related articles(to access Click here)
• You can also check out these model papers for a better understanding of the pattern of the exam and the type of questions asked.
• 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.

10. How should one prepare for the exam?

In order to prepare for the exam you should-

• Go through the syllabus of exam
• Review the important details
• Make wise use of the study resources
• Join study groups
• Stay updated by visiting the website regularly
• Give practice tests

11. Where to get the sample practice tests for the exam?

Internet is flooded with a variety of practice tests for the exam but it’s important to go for the most reliable ones. Testpreptraining.com provides unique sets of professionally designed questions in their practice tests that are of great help in polishing knowledge. These practice tests help the candidate in evaluating their preparation and building confidence such that the actual exam seems no different but like any other practice test.