Ever wonder what other testers are choosing to advance their careers?

You don't have to wonder ... we can tell you!

Tens of thousands of testers have earned their ISTQB certification through ASTQB, the official United States Board for ISTQB. Here is an inside look at what they are doing.

#1: The most popular? Foundation Level. No surprise there. Why? It's required before you can take any other ISTQB certification.

#2: Second most popular? There are lots of fun choices for your next certification after Foundation! Do you think it was a specialty certification like Performance Testing? Maybe an Advanced Level certification? The second most popular: Agile Testing certification.

Why Agile Testing? There are many reasons, but if you don't have much job experience, here is a good reason:

"Foundation Level with Agile Tester ISTQB certification can substitute for this experience."
- From a U.S. job posting that was asking for one year's experience in software testing.

By the way, remember that American companies check the Official U.S. List of Certified Software Testers™. You can only appear on this list if you earn your ISTQB certification through ASTQB & AT*SQA. (And of course, ASTQB & AT*SQA will also add you to the ISTQB Successful Candidate Register.)

#3: Third most popular? Over the past five years, it has been Advanced Level - Test Analyst (CTAL-TA). But over the past 12 months, it has been Advanced Level - Test Automation Engineering (CTAL-TAE). Automation is hot now! But if you like working with customers, don't worry, Advanced Level - Test Analyst is still right up there at #5 over the past 12 months!

#4: Fourth most popular? Over the past five years, as well as the past 12 months, it has been Advanced Level - Test Manager. Someone has to be the boss - why not you!

And the other most popular? "Everything else." The specialty certifications - Performance Testing, Mobile Testing, Usability Testing, Security Testing - are all in the mix. (That's how it should be - you get to choose the testing skills path that is most exciting for you!) Advanced Level - Technical Test Analyst is up there, too. Then comes Expert Level and the newer specialties that are young but growing rapidly, such as Model-Based Testing, Automative Testing, etc. All of these certifications help to make you the "go to" or expert tester in that topic. It's good to be the expert!

What's the right choice for you? Foundation Level of course, and almost certainly Agile Testing. But then you should choose the path that will make you happy and help you get that next promotion or job. ISTQB Certification from ASTQB and our ISTQB exam provider AT*SQA are designed to help you build your skills, compare favorably versus other testers, and keep your career moving up, so get started now.

Take Your ISTQB Exam at Home

The response from testers has been great!! They love that they can now take their ISTQB exam at home!

Don't fall behind in your skills development and career just because you can't travel. Register now at our exam provider AT*SQA to take your ISTQB exam at home.

Contact us if you need assistance or have questions. We can make the process easy for you.