Does an ISTQB Certificate Expire?
ISTQB certification does not expire for any ISTQB certificate below the Expert Level, so those certificates are valid forever.
The ISTQB certificates that do not expire and are valid forever include:
- ISTQB Foundation Level
- ISTQB Acceptance Testing
- ISTQB Agile Testing
- ISTQB Agile Technical Testing
- ISTQB Automotive Software Testing
- ISTQB Gambling Industry Testing
- ISTQB Game Testing
- ISTQB Mobile Application Testing
- ISTQB Model-Based Testing
- ISTQB Performance Testing
- ISTQB Security Testing
- ISTQB Technical Test Analyst
- ISTQB Test Analyst
- ISTQB Test Automation Engineering
- ISTQB Test Manager
- ISTQB Usability Testing
The ISTQB certificates that expire after 7 years and can be renewed include:
- ISTQB Test Management (all three certifications: ISTQB Strategic Test Management, ISTQB Operational Test Management, and ISTQB Managing the Test Team)
- ISTQB Improving the Test Process (both certifications: ISTQB Assessing the Test Process and ISTQB Implementing Test Process Improvement)
If you have questions, please contact the support team.
If ISTQB does not expire, what should I do if I want to advance in software testing?
Many employers look for continual growth and improvement, so keep the following in mind:
- It is advisable to supplement your ISTQB certifications with AT*SQA software testing micro-credentials to show that your QA knowledge is keeping up with recent developments even if it has been some time since you earned your most recent ISTQB certification. Doing so will also make you eligible for the special honors of the ASTQB / ISTQB Certification Plus™ program.
- Employers are also now asking for ISTQB certifications beyond ISTQB Foundation Level for more intermediate and advanced positions. For example, recent job postings for QA leadership roles requested the ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management certification, while job positings in more technical QA areas requested ISTQB Advanced Level Test Automation Engineering certification. See the software testing career path to help you identify the best certifications for your career ambitions.
