Advanced Software Testing, Vol. 3 (Test Analyst)

Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Technical Test Analyst
By: 
Rex Black, Jamie L. Mitchell
Published: 
2011
Pages: 
608
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Book Description

This book is written for the technical test analyst who wants to achieve advanced skills in test analysis, design, and execution. With a hands-on, exercise-rich approach, this book teaches you how to define and carry out the tasks required to put a test strategy into action.

Learn how to analyze the system, taking into account the technical aspects and quality characteristics. Additionally, learn how to evaluate system requirements and designs as part of formal and informal reviews, using an understanding of the underlying technology. You will be able to analyze, design, implement, and execute tests, using risk considerations to determine the appropriate effort and priority for tests. You will also learn how to report on testing progress and provide necessary evidence to support your evaluations of system quality.

With a quarter-century of software and systems engineering experience, author Rex Black is President of RBCS; is a leader in software, hardware, and systems testing; and is the most prolific author practicing in the field of software testing today. He published several books on testing that sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide. He is President of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) and is a Director of the American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB).

This book will help you prepare for the ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst exam. Included are sample exam questions, at the appropriate level of difficulty, for most of the learning objectives covered by the ISTQB Advanced Level syllabus. The ISTQB certification program is the leading software tester certification program in the world. With about 100,000 certificate holders and a global presence in 50 countries, you can be confident in the value and international stature that the Advanced Technical Test Analyst certificate can offer you.

Member Reviews: 

Review By: Daniel Campanelli
04/13/2012

If you're looking to become a state-of-the-art software tester, you should definitely read Advanced Software Testing, Vol. 3, coauthored by Rex Black and Jamie Mitchell. Although its main purpose is to serve as a study guide for the ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst Exam, it is also an excellent reference book for anyone who just wants to update his or her knowledge of software testing. The book provides a broad overview of software testing topics. The theory and practice of each topic are presented in an easy-to-follow writing style that is typical of Rex Black’s books.

In terms of theory, the authors cite the works of such prominent authors as Glenford J. Meyers, Boris Beizer, and Paul Jorgenson. They also make frequent references to relevant IEEE software engineering standards, such as IEEE1028-Standard for Software Reviews, IEEE829-Standard for Test Documentation, and IEEE1044-Standard for Incident Lifecycles. In terms of practice, the authors frequently comment on their own experiences with each subject to make the reader aware of some the issues encountered.

For readers who want to get serious and use the book as a study guide, there are three things in the book to help them learn the material:

  • The Taxonomy for the Advanced Syllabus serves as a road map of the testing process and for the material in the book.
  • Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter are rated according to Bloom’s Learning Taxonomy: K1 (Remember) to K4 (Analyze).
  • Sample exam questions are presented at the end of each chapter.

The chapter I found most interesting is on “Testing Tools and Techniques.” It explains how the testing process relates to the different development models used on projects. It also shows how the different parts of the test process relate to each other internally. These are two topics that had perplexed me for the longest time.

I found the questions at the end of each chapter to be enlightening. If I were to rewrite this book, I would simply add more of them (or even a companion CD).

I think this book should be part of any serious practitioner’s library. However, I think novice readers would best be served by first reading Rex Black's Foundations of Software Testing. This version is best suited for readers with some prior knowledge of software testing.

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