The Mission of the American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB)

Our mission is to promote professionalism in Software Testing in the United States. We do this by providing and administering quality exams for ISTQB certification, by supporting and facilitating training providers in delivering high quality courses, by actively engaging in the ISTQB working groups, and by supporting efforts to develop and encourage people who are already in or are entering the software testing profession.

About ISTQB exams offered by ASTQB through AT*SQA

ISTQB exams are created by the national boards to provide easy access to exams worldwide.  ASTQB’s ISTQB exams are built by the American Board to be user-friendly and must meet the following criteria:

  1. Each question for ASTQB’s ISTQB exam is written by a person who has successfully completed an examination writing course and holds at least one Advanced level certification.
  2. Each question is also reviewed and approved by at least two other examination writers.
  3. ASTQB’s ISTQB exam question performance is carefully monitored via psychometric analysis to ensure:
    • The question is performing correctly (the right proportion of people are getting it right).
    • The question is fair with no misleading or easily mistaken wording.
    • Each distractor (wrong answer) is fair and clear.
    • The question is a valid test of the examinee’s knowledge and is matched to the material in the syllabus and the learning objective.
    • The correct answer is indisputable (not based on opinion).
  4. Each ASTQB’s ISTQB exam question is matched to the specific learning objective in the syllabus.
  5. Questions are balanced among the learning objectives of the ISTQB syllabus.

Register for the ISTQB exam now via ASTQB or our official ISTQB exam provider AT*SQA.

ISTQB Certification exams are not the same. With the exam offered in so many languages, translating it can make for some challenges. That’s why the ASTQB version of the exam offered by our exam provider, AT*SQA, is created by native-speaking American English technical experts. You don’t have to worry about second-guessing odd translations – the ASTQB version of the exam is clear and understandable. When you pass ASTQB’s ISTQB exam, potential employers know you understood the American English in it. If you want to work as an employee or contractor for an American company, you will want to register for the ISTQB exam through ASTQB or our exam provider, AT*SQA, because American employers check with us to determine if a tester is ISTQB certified. The only way to appear on the Official U.S. List of Certified Software Testers™ is to take your ISTQB exam through ASTQB or our official exam provider AT*SQA.

ASTQB’s professional approach to exam development has resulted in the ASTQB’s exams consistently performing well and resulting in the proper certification of the examinees. ASTQB has exams for all ISTQB Foundation, ISTQB Specialty, and ISTQB Advanced level certifications plus the ISTQB Expert level Test Management certification, so you can take all of your testing certification exams through ASTQB.

As a bonus, taking your ISTQB Certification exam through ASTQB gives you access to ASTQB-only benefits. Examples include:

  • Live webinars on software testing
  • Local group sponsorships
  • Software tester podcasts
  • Software testing white papers
  • Software testing news and information

Register for the ISTQB exam now through ASTQB and our exam provider, AT*SQA.

Read what this tester wrote to us: “Getting involved with the ASTQB has been a great opportunity for my organization and for me personally. Gaining exposure to industry standards, receiving information via email and from the newsletters, and learning more about the software testing community have all been benefits reaped by working with the ASTQB. My organization learned about an opportunity to improve our communication, both internally and externally, and we are excited to take the next step in our never-ending journey of continuous improvement!”

Choosing the ASTQB-created ISTQB Certification exam is smart in so many ways! Get started on your ASTQB path to ISTQB Certification: Register for the ISTQB exam now through ASTQB.


What is the difference between ASTQB and ISTQB?

ASTQB is the official United States country board for ISTQB Software Tester Certification. ASTQB’s board members are a group of highly experienced experts in software testing who volunteer their time toward the development, maintenance, and promotion of ISTQB certification in the United States. ISTQB is the International Software Testing Qualifications Board composed of representatives from each national board, such as ASTQB. ISTQB decides on the global standards for certification, but the country boards develop the actual exam in the appropriate language.

As a result, you cannot take an ISTQB certification exam directly from ISTQB. Instead, you must take your ISTQB exam from a country board, such as ASTQB, and we deliver our ISTQB through our exam provider, AT*SQA.

AT*SQA offers the official American English ISTQB exam created by ASTQB, the official United States board. Fortunately, you can take this official exam from anywhere in the world, which is important because U.S. employers and companies check the Official U.S. List of Certified Software Testers™ to make sure you have passed this official American English exam.

The result is that you are able to earn a truly global software tester certification that meets the needs of global companies who want to standardize their QA team’s testing vocabulary and testing principles using the American English ISTQB exam created by the official U.S. ISTQB board. That is why software testers throughout the world register for their ISTQB exam through ASTQB and our official ISTQB exam provider AT*SQA. ASTQB and AT*SQA also offer extra, free benefits that are only available if you take your ISTQB exam through them: 1) inclusion in the Official U.S. List of Certified Software Testers™, 2) inclusion in the AT*Work™ directory that lists software testers who are available for hire, and 3) Testing Tiers® points that increase your level in both of those lists. ASTQB and AT*SQA will also add you to the ISTQB successful candidate register, of course.

NOTE: If you work for an American company, or might someday, regardless of whether you are located in the U.S., you should get your ISTQB certification only from ASTQB or our official ISTQB exam provider AT*SQA. American companies check with ASTQB and AT*SQA to know if you are an ISTQB-certified tester.


What is ASTQB?

ASTQB was founded in 2003 as the American Testing Board. In April 2005, the name was changed to the American Software Testing Qualifications Board.

Through the involvement of the world’s foremost experts in software testing, the ISTQB program was developed for software professionals who want to prepare today’s professionals by anticipating tomorrow’s software testing demands.

The ASTQB is a group of highly experienced experts in software testing who volunteer their time to develop, maintain, and promote the ISTQB Certified Tester program in the United States. They also represent U.S. interests internationally as the official national board for the U.S. within the ISTQB. ASTQB is a non-profit organization. Exam and accreditation fees are charged to cover the costs connected with the secure administration of exams, the development of free software testing study materials and resources used by testers in preparation for the exams, the communication of how software quality can be improved through the use of ISTQB certification, the promotion of ISTQB-certified testers to U.S. employers, and the administrative customer support that helps testers and employers gain the benefits of ISTQB certification.