There are many well educated software developers but too few well educated software testers. In the IT branch there is still too little knowledge regarding the possibilities and extent of professional testing. In fact the testing of software is just as demanding, creative and interesting as programming, above all in the area of test automation.

But tested software doesn’t come for free. Investments must be made early in a project to avoid being confronted with the later costs of software errors. I am certified to ISTQB Certified Tester (Full Advanced) level myself and can thoroughly recommend the training to every tester and those with testing responsibility. My first success as a tester was in a large project for the government which could be completed on time, in budget and with the required quality. The new Unemployment Payment system 1 of the Government Department for Employment (BA), named COLIBRI, was one of the largest projects in Europe with a throughput of 30 billion Euros per year and has run error-free in production for over a year. The developed test procedure has in the meantime been integrated into the standard test processes of BA.

The lesson: Early investment in testing is worthwhile. The problem: well educated testers are hard to find. When I am personally involved in the selection of testers for a testing project, I always prefer candidates with the ISTQB certificate. This is because they bring basic testing understanding and vocabulary with them and can quickly help to establish testing processes.

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