Hello, thank you for helpful resources on the topic of QA. I would like to find out more about QA career path, and I’m curious if there are any QA cert exams required in order to get started as a QA tester? I heard that that there are courses available both online and in class, but I don’t know if one decides to apply for a QA job, does he need to show any QA related certificates/exams? Thank you!
Hi Spirelli,
Thanks for your question. Regarding software testing certification, I shared my opinion in one of my post, here’s what I shared:
“I’m quite sure software testing certification is one of the first things you think of when you want to learn software testing and start your career as software tester.
Even though there are a few negative feedback about software testing certification, I find software testing certification is a good way to start.
Why? Because it has a lot of advantages:
-You will get basic software testing knowledge
-You (may) earn experience
-You get credit. E.g.: You will become a “certified tester” when you get the certification.
However, there are a few issues with certification and you need to consider:
First, it will cost you money: This is obvious. I haven’t found any certification in software testing for free.
Second, certification may be misleading you (and turns out more harm than good). This is a more important point than the cost itself. Certification may mislead you and makes you think that you are now “certified” and what you learned is standard. As a result, you may limit yourself to the standard you learn and stop learning more things or accept new ways of doing software testing.
The whole point about certification I want to make here is that:
If you find certification helpful, go and get it…but don’t just stop there.
Here are a few certifications you can get:
International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB):
ISTQB® has created the world’s most successful scheme for certifying software testers.
As of March 2015, ISTQB® has issued almost 400,000 certifications in over 100 countries world-wide, with a growth rate of more than 13,000 certifications per quarter. – As per ISTQB
ASTQB – a US version of ISTQB (for those who are in the US)
If you don’t want to go with ISTQB, you can try these options which are recommended by many software testing experts in the world:
Blackbox Software Testing (BBST) by Cem Kaner
Rapid Software Testing (RST) by James Bach
With that said, there are several options for you to choose from.
Regarding your question: if certification is required or not when applying for a QA job, it really depends on employers. Some require certification, some not. The simple way to know is to read the job ads and see if certification is required or not.
Again, in my opinion, certification may help you pass the CV filter round, but it very likely can’t replace your hands-on experience.
Goodluck to you.