2015 Issue #3 | ASTQB Website | Certified Tester Lookup | Request Info | FAQ

How brilliant are you? Based on the list below, we would say you're quite brilliant!

Articles in this issue:

A Brilliant Choice By You

Your ISTQB Software Tester Certification was an easy decision: ISTQB Certification helps companies improve software quality and reduce costs, while helping software testers build their careers.

But did you know that getting your ISTQB Certification through ASTQB was an especially brilliant move? Yes! That's because ASTQB gives you many extra benefits - at no extra charge.

What are those extra benefits? Put simply, they make your life easier and your career better. Here is a short list:

• CAREER



• Your certification is listed in the official United States database. ASTQB is the American Software Testing Qualifications Board, the official country board for ISTQB. If an employer wants to know if someone is ISTQB Certified, they will go to the List of ISTQB Certified Tester in the United States. This list is searched more than 50,000 times per year. In addition, the ASTQB office receives countless calls and emails for background checks on prospective employees. If you want to be recognized as a certified tester, getting your ISTQB certification through ASTQB is the way to go.


• Looking for a job? If, and only if, you are certified by ASTQB, you can see job postings, as well as post your resume, in the ASTQB Career Center.


• Looking for employees? If you want to find employees who are ISTQB Certified, you can review resumes and post jobs at no charge in the ASTQB Career Center.


• QUALITY / FUTURE OF EXAM



• The ASTQB exam is written in "American English." ISTQB exams in other countries, even if they are in English, may be written in a way that doesn't make sense to you. The ASTQB exam is the only American English exam, with terms and examples that are relevant to those who are in the U.S. or are hoping to work in the U.S.


• ASTQB is on the cutting edge. ASTQB has the only ISTQB Expert Level Test Manager exams in the world, and we often lead the international community in the development of new exams based on software testing advances.


• ASTQB helps lead the development of certification. ASTQB is a voting member of the international ISTQB Certification leadership group. Our ASTQB volunteers also serve on key committees that shape the future of ISTQB Certification.




• COST SAVINGS



• ASTQB has everything you need. ASTQB offers ease of administration for your ISTQB Certification through our comprehensive website and dedicated office staff. If you are a company administrator trying to keep track of many certified personnel, you know how important this is!


• ASTQB Volume Purchase Program. If your company is certifying many testers, you may qualify for discounts via the ASTQB Volume Purchase Program.


• On site exams. Only ASTQB offers exams on site at your company location for groups of three or more.


• GI Bill reimbursement. Only ASTQB exams are eligible for reimbursement under the GI Bill's veteran benefits.


• Insurance savings. Only ASTQB connects you with possible savings on your technology liability insurance.


• Meeting discounts. ASTQB gives you special discounts to our hot meetings such as the ASTQB Software Testing Conference that takes place in Washington D.C. this September.






The San Antonio QA Forum (SAQAF) enjoying a recent ASTQB-sponsored meeting.
(Photo credit: Sonia De Leon)

• EDUCATION AND NETWORKING


• Free ASTQB webinars. Our free ASTQB webinars are wildly popular. Those certified via ASTQB get first priority for the live webinar admission.


• Free testing resources. Have you tried the new online, searchable Glossary of Software Testing Terms? It's an awesome resource! Do you know who volunteered time and paid for development of this wonderful, free resource? ASTQB, thanks to your exam fees.


• Promote yourself. Our ASTQB newsletter goes to tens of thousands of individuals. We love to feature ASTQB-certified individuals and authors, giving them exposure to the software testing community. (By the way, we are always looking for interesting stories and people. If you want to share your software testing story, let us know.) See the most recent article below!


• Sponsorship of Local Groups. Are you ASTQB certified and part of a local software group that would like to receive sponsorship support from ASTQB like the San Antonio QA Forum did recently (see the photo above)? Simply apply for sponsorship online.


• You are part of a fast growing community. There are tens of thousands of ISTQB Certified testers who have taken their exam through ASTQB. We participate in the ASTQB Facebook group, ASTQB LinkedIn group, and many meetings and events around the country. Make friends and career contacts by joining with your peers to make software testing great in the U.S.!



Thanks to all of you for being part of the ASTQB community!

Build Your Career, Protect Your Company, Enjoy D.C.!

Build your software testing career and protect your company by attending the ASTQB Conference.

Who should be at the ASTQB Conference? You. Everyone involved in software testing, QA, security and application development, from tester to manager to CIO, should be in Washington DC September 14-16 for the ASTQB Software Testing Conference.

You'll love meeting other software testers! We have registrants from big companies you know, such as Apple, Cisco, Comcast, Dish Network, GEICO ... all of the way through UPS. We also have registrants from small, dynamic companies that bring great new ideas. And we have registrants from key governmental departments and bureaus that deal with massive amounts of data (imagine being the US Census Bureau!). So no matter who you are, you’ll feel welcome at the ASTQB Conference. See the many industries that will be represented at the ASTQB Conference. Register right now and use the code ASTQBNEWS to save 10%.

See 3 more reasons the ASTQB Conference can help your career and register right now.

Business Analyst Certification

Take a look at IQBBA business analyst certification. Implementing good practices can build better requirements - and better business analyst career possibilities.

Learn more about IQBBA business analyst certification offered in the U.S. by ASTQB.

ASTQB Tester Highlight (You could be next!)

We love to highlight the contributions of ASTQB certified testers to the testing community. Last issue, we highlighted the story of an experienced software tester, Eileen Bluestein, CTAL-Full, as she pursued her advanced certifications. This issue we are highlighting a relatively new software tester, James Koch, CTFL, and his new blog. See James' story in his blog post, "Technical Skills Make all the Difference!"

Would you like to be highlighted in an upcoming issue? Join the ASTQB Facebook group and send us a note!

News and Offers from ASTQB Accredited Course Providers

SQE Training: Move your Career Forward with an ISTQB Advanced Level Certification. SQE Training is offering special savings on Advanced Tester Certification - Test Manager and Advanced Tester Certification - Test Analyst courses booked by September 30. Fall training locations include Sept. 14-18 in Toronto, ON, Oct. 26-30 in Washington, DC, and Nov. 30-Dec.4 in Dallas, TX. Save $300 on the cost of training with promo code 300AC. Restrictions apply, only valid on new public registrations.

Rice Consulting Services: Rice Consulting Services is offering a special bonus on ISTQB Foundation Level e-learning for teams of five people. Enroll five or more people in CTFL e-learning courses and get one extra registration free, including exams. Use code "ISTQB6" at www.mysoftwaretesting.com when purchasing the 5-person enrollment version. Offer expires on September 30, 2015.

RBCS: Visit the RBCS Marketplace and receive an exclusive 15% discount on any software testing related product including books (electronic and hardcopy), public training courses, virtual training courses and e-learning. Enter the promo code SCHOOLDAZE15 into the promo code field in your cart. Your discount will be reflected on your final receipt. Offer expires September 30, 2015.

ALP International (ALPI): Let ALPI train & certify and your test team in 2015 and SAVE with multi-person discounts at any of our 3 locations: Bethesda, MD, Denver, CO, or Virtual Live. Choose ISTQB Certification Training: Foundation Level & Agile Tester, Advanced Test Analyst & Test Manager. Or choose Test Tool Training from HP (QC/ALM, QTP/UFT, LR/PC) and Microsoft (MTM, CodedUI, LoadTest). Contact our Training & Education team at training@alpi.com or by calling (301) 654-9200 ext. 404.

See You There

We would love to meet you in person! If you are attending any of these shows, say hello to the ASTQB staff and volunteers, and learn about the latest ISTQB Certifications and benefits. Also keep in mind that many of these shows offer public ISTQB Certification exams, so be sure to check with the organizers for the date/time of the exam you wish to take.

• ASTQB Conference - Washington, D.C., September 14-16 - use discount code ASTQBNEWS - Exams offered on Monday evening
• StarWest - Anaheim, CA, September 29 - October 1 - use discount code S15VW or your free Thursday expo pass
• STPCon Fall - Boston, MA, October 5-8
• Agile/Better Software West - Las Vegas, NV, November 10-12