TAMPA, FLORIDA (July 24, 2017) – Software bugs beware: The American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB) recently certified their 25,000th ISTQB Foundation Level software tester. “Reaching 25,000 ISTQB Foundation Level software tester certifications reflects the vast demand for qualified software quality professionals in the United States. This parallels global trends, as ISTQB certification is the most widely utilized and fastest growing software tester certification throughout the world,” said Debra Friedenberg, president of ASTQB. “Software quality assurance engineers and testers perennially appear on the list of the top 10 most in-demand jobs. ISTQB certification is the global standard for these professionals because it helps employers identify credible job candidates.” ASTQB vice president Judy McKay added, “Companies also prefer ISTQB software tester certification because it is utilized in more than 115 countries worldwide, allowing their testing teams to participate on global software quality projects. Of course, the bottom line is crucial, and software tester certification is shown to reduce software bugs, speed development and lower costs.” The popularity of ISTQB software tester certification can also be attributed to its not-for-profit design. “Companies trust ISTQB certification because we offer the underlying software testing body of knowledge and glossary free of charge,” said McKay. Like ISTQB globally, the American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB) is volunteer driven. It consists of expert software testers who contribute their time to building the professionalism of testers in the U.S. while establishing the global standards for software testing. A fascinating aspect of ISTQB software tester certification is that each county board is responsible for creating the native-language exam based on international ISTQB standards. In the U.S., ASTQB has created high quality exams written from the ground up using American English. “If you are in the U.S. or wish to do business with a U.S. company, the ASTQB exam is for you,” said Friedenberg. “As a tester, it is critically important to use the ASTQB version of the ISTQB exam. Other exams are second-hand translations to English from other languages, which can make it more difficult to understand the exam questions and possible answers. ASTQB’s American English exam is renowned for its clarity and fairness.” While 25,000 ISTQB Foundation Level certifications is noteworthy, it only represents the first step in a software testing career. “Many of these testers have already progressed to ISTQB Advanced and ISTQB Expert Level certifications,” said Lois Kostroski, ASTQB Executive Director. “ISTQB’s built in career path is utilized by software testers and companies alike to create the next generation of software testing leaders. That is an important part of our mission as a non-profit organization, and we’re delighted to contribute to this crucial profession.” For more information about ASTQB and ISTQB software testing certification, contact Lois Kostroski at info@istqb.org or visit ASTQB’s website at www.astqb.org. About ASTQB and ISTQB Software Tester Certification: ISTQB software testing certification is a reference point against which the effectiveness of software testing knowledge and skills can be evaluated. This reference point is maintained globally by ISTQB, the International Software Testing Qualifications Board, provider of the the most-used certification in software testing. Software testing certification and exam creation for the U.S. is led by the American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB), the official U.S. country board for ISTQB software testing certification, as well as the provider of ASTQB mobile testing certification and IQBBA business analyst certification.
