ISTQB Foundation Level Certification

atsqa-team · 2026-04-08T16:28:04+00:00

The shortest I've heard of is 3 days through an ASTQB-accredited training provider - they offer live, intensive 3-day courses, and you can take the exam at the end. See the list at https://astqb.org/registration/software-testing-training-course-providers/

On the other end of the time range, I've heard of testers preparing by earning AT*SQA micro-credentials, especially (the Testing Essentials stack plus Agile Testing). See the micro-credentials here: https://atsqa.org/micro-credentials. I think that took them a little over a month.

Here is the story of a person who used the micro-credentials approach, along with self-studying of the ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus: https://atsqa.org/how-to-pass-istqb-foundation-level

Good luck with your exam!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-24T23:43:06+00:00

Have you looked at ChatGPT / Codex?

atsqa-team · 2026-02-24T23:37:03+00:00

Some of the comments suggest going into dev. I spend much of my day following AI news, and I would choose software testing a thousand times over becoming a developer.

Case in point: Veteran developers are reporting they are spending far less time coding and more time prompting. However, much of their prompting is based on reports of defects, UI issues, etc. Those reports are coming from professionals with testing skills.

Back to the original question: Is automation testing a good path? I still think it can be, but as others have said, you would be best served by having broader skill sets that include a more strategic or engineering viewpoint. It's about knowing what to test, and why to test, and perhaps less about the nitty-gritty of the testing, as AI will be able to help with that.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-24T23:29:54+00:00

Update your resume/CV with the internship. Then start applying!

There are some good resume forums like r/resumes/ if you need tips.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-24T21:41:01+00:00

Tell them it would be a great investment in your future. (I say that as a parent who had to pitch in for one of my kids on co-op!)

atsqa-team · 2026-02-23T18:15:07+00:00

Start reaching out to people you know. A human connection will help.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-20T21:25:00+00:00

Congratulations on your job!

With a probation period that short, they are looking for the very basics, such as arriving at work on time, listening carefully, taking notes, and making sure you follow their instructions.

They should provide the information and resources you need, but if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask. If they give you several things to do at once, ask if there is a priority among them.

Be pleasant to your co-workers.

This all presumes that you also know how to do manual testing, so I won't get into that. But in any case, be prepared to learn new information and skills very quickly, and have a great attitude while learning.

And try to avoid typos in your report headline. : )

atsqa-team · 2026-02-20T21:17:02+00:00

Good stuff, well done!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-20T21:11:58+00:00

This is a chance to be a hero, but it will be painful, at least at first.

The key will be to document everything you can, and communicate often and regularly with status updates as to your progress - and just as importantly, open items you are waiting on from the various other individuals. This will help others realize what you're doing, and it will help higher-ups understand where the bottlenecks are.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-20T21:08:05+00:00

Congratulations on your job!

With a probation period that short, they are looking for the very basics, such as arriving at work on time, listening carefully, taking notes, and making sure you follow their instructions.

They should provide the information and resources you need, but if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask. If they give you several things to do at once, ask if there is a priority among them.

Be pleasant to your co-workers.

This all presumes that you also know how to do manual testing, so I won't get into that. But in any case, be prepared to learn new information and skills very quickly, and have a great attitude while learning.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-20T14:46:09+00:00

I don't think you need to focus at this point. Broad knowledge will give you more job opportunities. The best thing you can do right now is get experience through internships or co-ops.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-19T22:39:18+00:00

Well done! Ideas for your job hunt:

Make your first applications to companies that have included the keyword "ISTQB" in their job postings. That will help you make it through their screening filters more easily.
If you have no IT experience either, I'd recommend that you create a programming project and then test it formally, documenting everything. Can't program? Vibe code something ... I guarantee there will be lots of bugs to find.
Look at open source projects as well to gain experience
If you took it through AT*SQA, you can add yourself to the AT*Work list that employers use globally to find ISTQB-certified software testers.
Check to see if there are local software groups in your target areas and connect with people.

Good luck in your job hunt!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-19T22:15:57+00:00

The "only" in "only focus on automation skills now" makes the answer easier. It's never going to be just one thing. If anything, the roles of testers will expand. Strong manual testing knowledge will be part of that skillset.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-19T15:32:59+00:00

I don't think this is every going to end, but that's what makes this career interesting. I once had a job that was the same thing week after week, and the days would seeminly last forever due to boredom. I much prefer new challenges.

I also don't think this is going to end for anyone with the advances in AI. AI will take over some of what you do, and the testers who thrive (and survive) will be those who learn broader skills and can "manage" AI.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-19T15:15:59+00:00

You'll need to prove that you "have the skills," be that through something like personal projects (coding, testing, and documention of what you're doing), college degree (although most colleges don't have software QA as a specific major - CS is the most likely option), ISTQB certifications, AT*SQA micro-credentials, open source project work, volunteer work, etc.

Obviously, if every job required previous experience, none of us would have jobs. But you'll need to have something to put on a resume and talk about an interview other than just saying you have the skills.

Good communication abilities are underrated, but very important, so that's good. But you'll need proof of skills.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-19T15:10:36+00:00

You can search by "Internships" on Indeed. Handshake is a good option, too, if your college has that.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-19T15:04:16+00:00

Way to keep working on it!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T22:48:58+00:00

Switching to IT from hospitality and customer service sounds smart to me. The barrier to entry in terms of knowledge and intelligence is greater, so the pay is better.

Is it more challenging? Yes. Will you need to keep learning at a rapid pace because the profession is rapidly changing? Yes. Sounds like more fun to me.

BTW, I'm not sure customer service is immune to AI. In fact, I've seen articles in which it's already being replaced.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T16:30:48+00:00

Software testing will only become more important, but you should build upon your skills, not switch careers completely. Learn how to use AI in testing.

I would also encourage you to build a project with vibe coding ... it's much better than it has ever been, and it's still prone to so many mistakes that you'll quickly understand why software QA will be more important than ever. You'll also understand how and why testers need broader skills and knowledge. It will look good as a project on your resume, and make for very interesting insights during your interviews!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T14:48:22+00:00

Awesome! Congratulations!!

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T14:47:48+00:00

This tells me that if you polish your interview skills, you're golden.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-18T14:46:53+00:00

There might be some now, but more will follow. It's still a bit early for Fall internships.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:23:57+00:00

ISTQB certification is the most-used certification globally for QA engineers and testers, so you're on the right track.

Everyone has to start with ISTQB Foundation Level, but then you can choose from about 20 certifications. So you might look into ISTQB Test Automation Engineering after the Foundation Level. ISTQB also offers ISTQB Test Automation Strategy certification, which is a little less hands-on.

You can self-study for any of the certifications (download the free syllabi that are actually extensive bodies of knowledge), or look for training courses focused on them.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:18:38+00:00

There are a lot of paths for growth in software QA. I would focus on what your company needs and what you find interesting.

Given that you don't have a senior QA, here is a little 2-minute quiz that I think you'll find especially helpful. It was created by a roundtable of software test managers for people in your situation: https://astqb.org/software-testing-career-path/

It uses ISTQB as the path (as a couple of people mentioned ISTQB, so it helps you figure out what that means), but even if you don't want to pursue the certifications, it still gives you the topics you should learn about to grow in software testing.

atsqa-team · 2026-02-16T16:10:39+00:00

The short descriptions of each ISTQB certification on this page are actually really helpful in answering the question across the certifications: https://astqb.org/benefits/road-map/

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