Grade School Revisited: Memorizing Vocab Words for the Test on Friday
Interesting post on ISTQB Certification from Ainars. I don't say this often, but I too passed the ISTQB certification. Yes, it was very rectangular. There was very little that I learned from it. Of course, I took it with over 5 years experience under my belt. There is a lot more to testing than what the exam consists of, and hopefully, those experienced testers who have taken this exam know this.
With that said, Ainars posts an interesting question regarding 2 newbie candidates that were equal in all areas except that one was a certified tester. He initially chose the certified tester, then retracts his choice. I think I would have chosen the certified tester for one reason- they showed initiative and a desire to learn about the profession that they are wanting to enter. With some basic knowledge- correct or not- under their belt, this would allow for a more meaningful conversation(s) in the future for the AUT when mentoring the junior tester.
Am I for certification or against it? My verdict is still out. I'll leave it up to each individual to answer whether or not it is right for them. However, this topic has been discussed in my RASTO class, and the general consensus is that it's not a good idea to mandate certification for testing when vocabulary terms and pre-canned actions are the assessment criteria. Reminds me of being in grade school studying vocabulary words.
Motivation and determination speak volumes to me. In today's competitive industry, people look for anything extra to stand out. For better or for worse, certification is something that can achieve this for less experienced testers.
