Review By: Meredith Morrow
03/12/2010Leave it to test professionals to create and publish a book that will empower certification seekers to actually pass the test. First, don't skip the introduction. I know, I know, it is
usually never helpful, but this one breaks the mold. The Introduction chapter tells the reader who should use the book, how the book should be used, what the reader should expect from each Chapter--in short everything a reader needs to use the book to its fullest capacity. The book can be utilized by both the novice test professional and the more-experienced test professional.

The statement on the first page puts the purpose of the book in front of the reader, "This book has been written specifically to help potential candidates for the ISEB/ISTQB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing to prepare for the examination." So I decided to test the book. The Web site www.istqb.org contains the syllabus for the certification test. I went to the Web site and downloaded the Foundation Level Certificate syllabus to determine if the book was based on the learning objectives for test preparation. The book passed this test. Each of the six chapters corresponds with the appropriate section within the syllabus. The structure allows the student to utilize each chapter to gauge the level of current knowledge of a topic by providing self-assessment questions prior to diving into the subject matter. Additionally, the book associates the level of understanding the student should have by providing a legend for each topic, K1, K2, and K3. "K1" is for recall, "K2 represents those concepts a student must be able to explain and "K3" is for those topics that the student must be able to apply within the practical setting of testing.

I was able to immediately test my base knowledge of testing topics within each chapter ("The Fundamentals of Testing", "Life Cycles", "Static Testing", "Test Design Technique", "Test Management", and "Tool Support for Testing") which provided me with a valid understanding of where my strengths and weaknesses are within the science of testing practice. I recommend all test professionals interested in pursuing certification provided by the ISTQB organization own this book. Even if you're not seeking certification, the book still stands alone as a ready reference for basic and advanced testing topics compiled in a clear and concise manner--a book that will benefit US testing professionals as well as those that can sit for the certification exam.