The future of software quality assurance

Abstract

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.