Expert Level

• Audience
• Contents
• Business Outcomes
• Learning Objectives
• Syllabus
• Exam Structure
• Materials for Download

Audience

The Expert Level extends the knowledge and experience obtained at the Advanced Level by providing in-depth, practically-oriented certifications in a range of different testing subjects. With Expert Level ISTQB® offers career paths for testers with clearly defined business outcomes.

What are the entry criteria?

Criteria are set to ensure good and consistent quality of the Expert Level.

To obtain Expert Level certification, candidates must have:

• the Foundation Certificate
• an Advanced Certificate depending on the Expert Module desired
• passed the Expert Level Exam
• at least 5 years of practical testing experience
• at least 2 years of industry experience in the specific Expert Level topic

Note that the experience criteria may also be attained after taking the exam. It is recommended, however, that the candidate has gained this practical experience before taking the exam. If a non-public exam is to be taken, completion of Expert Level course is mandatory.

What skills does an Expert Level individual have?

An expert is a person with the special skills and knowledge representing mastery of a particular testing subject. Being a testing expert means possessing and displaying special skills and knowledge derived from training and experience and being able to apply that knowledge in real-life situations.

A testing expert is one that combines a broad understanding of testing in general with an in-depth understanding in a special test area. An in-depth understanding means sufficient knowledge of testing theory and practice to be able to influence the direction that an organization and/or project takes when creating, implementing and executing testing activities related to the special area.

Contents

The Expert Level has a multi-module structure. To ensure a consistent development of skills and expertise, subjects are generally derived from the ISTQB® Advanced Level syllabi, but are not limited to this. The required Advanced Level certification for a particular Expert Level module are explicitly stated so that clear career paths can be identified.

An Expert Level course typically covers at least five days of class training.

The Expert Level currently has two modules:

• Improving the Testing Process
• Test Management

Further modules will be added in the future.

Business Outcomes

Each Expert Level module has clear business outcomes. These provide information to businesses concerning the expectations of an expert in a particular subject. The business outcomes map to the individual Learning Objectives in a particular module.

More information is available on the module page:

• Improving the Testing Process
• Test Management

Learning Objectives

Each Expert Level module has clear learning objectives.

More information is available in the syllabus document:

• Improving the Testing Process
• Test Management

Syllabus

Expert Level

Expert Level provides in-depth, practically-oriented certification courses in a range of different testing subjects. Courses provided at Expert Level build on the knowledge and experience obtained at the Advanced Level.

Expectations: What is an Expert?

An expert is a person with the special skills and knowledge representing mastery of a particular testing subject. Being a testing expert means possessing and displaying special skills and knowledge derived from training and experience and being able to apply that knowledge in real-life situations.

A testing expert is one that combines a broad understanding of testing in general with an in-depth understanding in a special test area. An in-depth understanding means sufficient knowledge of testing theory and practice to be able to influence the direction that an organization and/or project takes when creating, implementing and executing testing activities related to the special area.

Focus on practical application

Each syllabus defines the expectations of an expert in that specific subject area. The content is supported by explicit Learning Objectives which emphasise the high expectations of a testing expert.

At least 50% of the course time will be spent on practical exercise and discussions.

What qualifications are currently offered?

• Improving the Test Process
  • Part 1: Assessing the test process
  • Part 2: Implementing test process improvement
• Test Management
  • Part 1: Strategic Test Management
  • Part 2: Operational Test Management
  • Part 3: Managing the Test Team
• Individual parts are generally provided as separate courses.
• Separate certification exams are provided for each part
• Achieving certification in all parts results in „full“ certification for the particular subject.

Further syllabi will be developed according to market needs.

The courses

Recommended course durations vary, but are a minimum of 5 days. Each syllabus defines the specific times required to teach and provide practical exercises.

A course does not need to be provided in one continuous block; it may be split up to allow practical application in the work place.

Class sizes are limited to 10 persons to enable personal focus from the lecturer.

The exam

As an expert must not only be able to show knowledge, but also in depth practical skills, an exam only using multiple choice questions is not preferred. The exam will therefore consist of essay type questions, partly mixed with some multiple choice questions. The type of essay type questions will be questions that ask the 'expert' to look at a given topic from different perspectives, compare and draw conclusions. The specific rules for examination will be defined in the detailed expert level module syllabus. It will in principle also be possible to take the exam, without having followed the training.

The Expert Level exam is expected to last at least 3 hours. A minority of that time consists of multiple-choice questions, but the principal part of the exam consists of written "essay-type" questions.

Maintaining an Expert Level certification

Once certification at Expert Level has been achieved it is valid for 5 years. At the end of this period the certification must be renewed. This may be achieved either by re-taking the exam or by demonstrating that particular activities have been performed during that period (e.g. peforming relevant professional testing tasks, attending conferences, writing articles etc. ). The rules and criteria which govern this process are defines in the Expert Level Certification Extension Program (CEP) which is overseen by the ISTQB® and may be tailored by National Boards.

Exam Structure

A certification scheme at Expert Level must meet the expectations and perceptions of its stakeholders and has to be seen to be truly "expert". A score above 65% is required to pass.

An expert must not only be able to show knowledge, but also in depth practical skills; as a consequence an exam only using multiple choice questions is not preferred. The exam therefore consists of two parts:

• Part 1: Multiple-Choice
• Part 2: Essay

For more details on exam structure please refer to the ISTQB® Expert Level Exam Structure and Rules document

Certificate Extension

An Expert Level certificate is valid for 5 years.

The Certification Extension Program is published by ISTQB®

Accredited training courses

For the training we aim several objectives, namely:

• Higher level Learning Objectives in focus
• Emphasis is on practical work (at least 50% of the course time is spent on practical exercise and discussions)
• In-depth consideration of subjects introduced at advanced levels
• Goal: Mastery of the subject

Exercises in the Workplace

Several learning objectives are identified in each syllabus which may be achieved in the workplace. Training Providers agree these exercises with participants before they are performed and must ensure that they have been completed satisfactorily. This concept allows training courses to be split into separate parts with workplace exercises in between and enables maximum practical benefit from the training.

Accredited training providers

Accredited training courses information can be obtained via the ISTQB® Member Boards and ISTQB® Accredited Training Providers.

Hvis du ønsker at opnå en certificering i ISTQB® Expert Test Management på baggrund af selv-studie, kan du tilmelde dig vores åben eksamen.

Alle kurser leveres af Dansk IT's kursuspartnere som er godkendt af Dansk IT og DSTB, som er chapter for ISTQB i Danmark.

Ens for alle kursuspartnere er:

• Kursets indhold og kvalitet lever op til den internationale anerkendte standard.
• Kursets minimum varighed af antal kursusdage.
• Inkluderet certificering på sidste kursusdag samt udstedelse af internationalt anerkendt certifikat efter bestået certificering.

Det som kan variere imellem kursuspartnere er:

• Kursets varighed
• Undervisnings metoden
• Underviseren
• Lokation
• Forplejning
• Prisen

For mere information samt tilmelding til et kursus, så tag kontakt til det enkelte kursussted ved at klikke direkte på den enkelte kursuspartneres kursusdato.

Ingen akkrediterede kursusudbydere endnu. Er du interesseret i et kursus, kan forespørgsler sendes til certificering@dit.dk.