The future of software quality assurance
Autor
Goericke, Stephan
Institución
Resumen
Software testing is not a regulated profession. In principle, anybody can become a
tester. This was always the case and remains so today. However, there are standards
that should apply to all testing professionals and which are a prerequisite for anyone
wishing to be taken seriously as a software tester.
An early version of a standardized syllabus was developed in 1998 known as the
“Certified Tester”. Four years later Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden,
Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK established the International Software
Qualification Board (ISTQB®
) to define and promote a body of knowledge for the
profession of software tester.
It is one matter to create a set of regulations; it is quite another to ensure
that the regulations are observed. This is where a certifying body has a crucial
role to play, and hence the International Software Quality Institute (iSQI). Exactly
15 years ago a working group known as ASQF (Arbeitskreis Software-Qualität und
-Fortbildung e.V.) established iSQI as an independent body to serve as a safety net
and guarantee for an uncompromising and consistent level of quality in the training
and certification of specialists throughout the world. In the following 15 years the
quality of the profession of software tester has improved immensely. Today there
are almost 650,000 ISTQB®
-certified software testers worldwide.