Certification

Several certification programs exist to support the professional aspirations of software testers and quality assurance specialists. No certification currently offered actually requires the applicant to demonstrate the ability to test software. No certification is based on a widely accepted body of knowledge. No certification board decertifies individuals. This has led some to declare that the testing field is not ready for certification. Certification itself cannot measure an individual's productivity, their skill, or practical knowledge, and cannot guarantee their competence, or professionalism as a tester.

Certifications can be grouped into: exam-based and education-based. Exam-based certifications: For these there is the need to pass an exam, which can also be learned by self-study: e.g. for ISTQB or QAI. Education-based certifications are instructor-led sessions, where each course has to be passed, e.g. IIST (International Institute for Software Testing).

Testing certifications

• CSTE offered by the Quality Assurance Institute (QAI)
• CSTP offered by the International Institute for Software Testing
• ISEB offered by the Information Systems Examinations Board
• ISTQB offered by the International Software Testing Qualification Board

Quality assurance certifications

• CSQE offered by the American Society for Quality (ASQ)
• CSQA offered by the Quality Assurance Institute (QAI)

Who watches the watchmen?

One principle in software testing is summed up by the classical Latin question posed by Juvenal: Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes (Who watches the watchmen?), or is alternatively referred informally, as the "Heisenbug" concept (a common misconception that confuses Heisenberg's uncertainty principle with observer effect). The idea is that any form of observation is also an interaction, that the act of testing can also affect that which is being tested.

In practical terms the test engineer is testing software (and sometimes hardware or firmware) with other software (and hardware and firmware). The process can fail in ways that are not the result of defects in the target but rather result from defects in (or indeed intended features of) the testing tool.

There are metrics being developed to measure the effectiveness of testing. One method is by analyzing code coverage (this is highly controversial) - where every one can agree what areas are not at all being covered and try to improve coverage on these areas.

Bugs can also be placed into code on purpose, and the number of bugs that have not been found can be predicted based on the percentage of intentionally placed bugs that were found. The problem is that it assumes that the intentional bugs are the same type of bug as the unintentional ones.

Finally, there is the analysis of historical find-rates. By measuring how many bugs are found and comparing them to predicted numbers (based on past experience with similar projects), certain assumptions regarding the effectiveness of testing can be made. While not an absolute measurement of quality, if a project is halfway complete and there have been no defects found, then changes may be needed to the procedures being employed by QA.

Roles in software testing

Software testing can be done by software testers. Until the 1950s the term software tester was used generally, but later it was also seen as a separate profession. Regarding the periods and the different goals in software testing (see D. Gelperin and W.C. Hetzel) there have been established different roles: test lead/manager, tester, test designer, test automater/automation developer, and test administrator.

Participants of testing team:

1. Tester
2. Developer
3. Business Analyst
4. Customer
5. Information Service Management
6. Senior Organization Management
7. Quality team

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