Certified Software Tester (CSTE) Certification

Certified Software Tester (CSTE)

CSTE testing certification is the basic certification to check testers skill and understanding of software testing theory and software testing practices.

The CSTE program was developed by leading software testers as a means of recognizing software testers who demonstrate a predefined level of testing competency. The CSTE program is directed by an independent Certification Board and administered by the Quality Assurance Institute. The CSTE program was developed to provide value to the profession, the individual, the employer, and co-workers.

Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK)-

The Certification Board defines the skills upon which software testing certification is based. The current CBOK includes these skill categories: 

1) Test Principles; 
2) Test Planning; 
3) Test Management; 
4) Building a Test Environment; 
5) Risk Analysis; 
6) Text Execution; 
7) Test Design; 
8) Defect Tracking; 
9) Acceptance Testing; and 
10) Test Analysis and Reporting.

Examination Process to Evaluate Competency-

The successful candidate must pass a four-part examination (based on the CBOK) with a grade of 75%, or greater, on each part. Only 31% of the prequalified applicants pass the examination the first time, making this a prestigious certification to obtain.

Here are some important links that would be handy to all aspirants:
(I have collected these at one location as I found them)

1. Main website for Certified Software Tester (CSTE)

2. CSTE software testing certification exam question pattern

3. Check your eligibility for CSTE certification
(Take this sample CSTE examination)

4. Learning resource

5. Resources for Professional s/w testers (Bret Pettichord)

6. CSTE CBOK V6.2

7. V-Model of software testing

8. CSTE Certification Mock Test
(Test has 50 Multiple Choice Question with only ONE answer   
To pass you need 38 marks)

9. CSQA V6.2 CBOK  [this is not required but just in case anyone wants]


Lets see more (as given in the official website) about CSTE certification:

Checking Prerequisites:

To qualify for candidacy, each applicant must meet one of four prerequisites:

1. A 4 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 2 years experience in the information services field
2. A 3 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 3 years experience in the information services field
3. A 2 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 4 years experience in the information services field
4. 6 years experience in the information services field

AND

Are working, or have worked at any time within the prior 18 months, in the field within covered by the certification designation

Depending upon a compliance sample selected according to program criteria, the applicant may be required to provide detailed education and/or employment documentation supporting the prerequisite option selected on the application. If selected for verification, the applicant must supply the documentation to the program. Applicants who fail to provide the requested documentation will not be allowed to sit for the exam or, if the exam has been taken and passed, may be subject to de-certification.

If you want to apply for the examination:
A. A completed Certification Candidacy Application must be submitted through the Customer Portal for entrance to Software Certifications as a candidate for any particular certification. It should be submitted by individuals who:

1. Are working, or have worked at any time within the prior 18 months, in the field covered by the certification designation
2. Have significant experience and breadth of knowledge to have mastered the basics of the entire Software Testing Common Body of Knowledge
3. Have reviewed the Software Testing Common Body of Knowledge

The Application Fee options are:

• $350.00 ~ (Fees to be paid in US Dollars - see Payment Policy). Fees includes CBOK (PDF) & Initial Exam. OR
• $420.00 ~ (Fees to be paid in US Dollars - see Payment Policy). Fees includes CBOK (PDF, Book, and CD) & Initial Exam

How will certification help me?

* In today's compititive IT industry there is a need for you to stand out in the crowd, to get distinguished from others. By doing the certification you are telling the management & world that your expertise is now recognized and you are serious about your profession. It gives confidence to others that  you can now lead and demonstrate a level of understanding in carrying out assignments according to industry principles and practices.

* You get recognized by business and professional associates as a PROFESSIONAL

* The certifications will lead you to  career advancement and will help you lead at your job better in a way that you can never imagine.

* Studies show that Certified professionals get higher salaries and its easy to get better jobs as compared to Non certified professionals

   

Which certification is better? CSQA, CSTE or something else.

To make such decisions it is important to understand what each of these certifications mean, Understanding about these will help you make the right decision.

According to QAI 

"Acquiring the designation of Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA) indicates a professional level of competence in the principles and practices of quality assurance in the IT profession. CSQA certification is a highly respected attestation of skills in this critical area of information technology."

"The Certified Software Test Engineer (CSTE) Program is intended to establish standards for initial qualification and provide direction for the testing function through an aggressive educational program."

CSTE is more geared towards testing function. So if you are into Testing, testing automation tools and want to pursue your career in that area, CSTE is a very good certification to consider

If you are a project leader, Entry level PM, SQA or associated with Quality team in your organization then you already are doing lot of QA activities. 

CSQA will be the best for you.

Winrunner interview questions

1) How you used WinRunner in your project?
Ans. Yes, I have been WinRunner for creating automates scripts for GUI, functional and regression testing of the AUT.

2) Explain WinRunner testing process?
Ans. WinRunner testing process involves six main stages:
i. Create GUI Map File so that WinRunner can recognize the GUI objects in the application being tested
ii. Create test scripts by recording, programming, or a combination of both. While recording tests, insert checkpoints where you want to check the response of the application being tested.
iii. Debug Test: run tests in Debug mode to make sure they run smoothly
iv. Run Tests: run tests in Verify mode to test your application.
v. View Results: determines the success or failure of the tests.
vi. Report Defects: If a test run fails due to a defect in the application being tested, you can report information about the defect directly from the Test Results window.

3) What in contained in the GUI map?
Ans. WinRunner stores information it learns about a window or object in a GUI Map.
When WinRunner runs a test, it uses the GUI map to locate objects. It reads an object’s description in the GUI map and then looks for an object with the same properties in the application being tested. Each of these objects in the GUI Map file will be having a logical name and a physical description.
There are 2 types of GUI Map files.
i. Global GUI Map file: a single GUI Map file for the entire application
ii. GUI Map File per Test: WinRunner automatically creates a GUI Map file for each test created.

4) How does WinRunner recognize objects on the application?
Ans. WinRunner uses the GUI Map file to recognize objects on the application. When WinRunner runs a test, it uses the GUI map to locate objects. It reads an object’s description in the GUI map and then looks for an object with the same properties in the application being tested.

5) Have you created test scripts and what is contained in the test scripts?
Ans. Yes I have created test scripts. It contains the statement in Mercury Interactive’s Test Script Language (TSL). These statements appear as a test script in a test window. You can then enhance your recorded test script, either by typing in additional TSL functions and programming elements or by using WinRunner’s visual programming tool, the Function Generator.

6) How does WinRunner evaluates test results?
Ans. Following each test run, WinRunner displays the results in a report. The report details all the major events that occurred during the run, such as checkpoints, error messages, system messages, or user messages. If mismatches are detected at checkpoints during the test run, you can view the expected results and the actual results from the Test Results window.

7) Have you performed debugging of the scripts?
Ans. Yes, I have performed debugging of scripts. We can debug the script by executing the script in the debug mode. We can also debug script using the Step, Step Into, Step out functionalities provided by the WinRunner.

8) How do you run your test scripts?
Ans. We run tests in Verify mode to test your application. Each time WinRunner encounters a checkpoint in the test script, it compares the current data of the application being tested to the expected data captured earlier. If any mismatches are found, WinRunner captures them as actual results.

9) How do you analyze results and report the defects?
Ans. Following each test run, WinRunner displays the results in a report. The report details all the major events that occurred during the run, such as checkpoints, error messages, system messages, or user messages. If mismatches are detected at checkpoints during the test run, you can view the expected results and the actual results from the Test Results window. If a test run fails due to a defect in the application being tested, you can report information about the defect directly from the Test Results window. This information is sent via e-mail to the quality assurance manager, who tracks the defect until it is fixed.

10) What is the use of Test Director software?
Ans. TestDirector is Mercury Interactive’s software test management tool. It helps quality assurance personnel plan and organize the testing process. With TestDirector you can create a database of manual and automated tests, build test cycles, run tests, and report and track defects. You can also create reports and graphs to help review the progress of planning tests, running tests, and tracking defects before a software release.

11) How you integrated your automated scripts from TestDirector?
Ans When you work with WinRunner, you can choose to save your tests directly to your TestDirector database or while creating a test case in the TestDirector we can specify whether the script in automated or manual. And if it is automated script then TestDirector will build a skeleton for the script that can be later modified into one which could be used to test the AUT.

12) What are the different modes of recording?
Ans. There are two type of recording in WinRunner.
i. Context Sensitive recording records the operations you perform on your application by identifying Graphical User Interface (GUI) objects.
ii. Analog recording records keyboard input, mouse clicks, and the precise x- and ycoordinates traveled by the mouse pointer across the screen.

13) What is the purpose of loading WinRunner Add-Ins?
Ans. Add-Ins are used in WinRunner to load functions specific to the particular addin to the memory. While creating a script only those functions in the add-in selected will be listed in the function generator and while executing the script only those functions in the loaded add-in will be executed else WinRunner will give an error message saying it does not recognize the function.

14) What are the reasons that WinRunner fails to identify an object on the GUI?
Ans. WinRunner fails to identify an object in a GUI due to various reasons.
i. The object is not a standard windows object.
ii. If the browser used is not compatible with the WinRunner version, GUI Map Editor will not be able to learn any of the objects displayed in the browser window.

15) What do you mean by the logical name of the object?
Ans. An object’s logical name is determined by its class. In most cases, the logical name is the label that appears on an object.

16) If the object does not have a name then what will be the logical name?
Ans. If the object does not have a name then the logical name could be the attached text.

17) What is the different between GUI map and GUI map files?
Ans.The GUI map is actually the sum of one or more GUI map files. There are two modes for organizing GUI map files.
i. Global GUI Map file: a single GUI Map file for the entire application
ii. GUI Map File per Test: WinRunner automatically creates a GUI Map file for each test created. GUI Map file is a file which contains the windows and the objects learned by the WinRunner with its logical name and their physical description.

18) How do you view the contents of the GUI map?
Ans. GUI Map editor displays the content of a GUI Map. We can invoke GUI Map Editor from the Tools Menu in WinRunner. The GUI Map Editor displays the various GUI Map files created and the windows and objects learned in to them with their logical name and physical description.
19) When you create GUI map do you record all the objects of specific objects?
Ans. If we are learning a window then WinRunner automatically learns all the objects in the window else we will we identifying those object, which are to be learned in a window, since we will be working with only those objects while creating scripts.

20) What is the purpose of set_window command?
Ans. Set_Window command sets the focus to the specified window. We use this command to set the focus to the required window before executing tests on a particular window.
Syntax: set_window(, time); The logical name is the logical name of the window and time is the time the execution has to wait till it gets the given window into focus.

21) How do you load GUI map?
Ans. We can load a GUI Map by using the GUI_load command.
Syntax: GUI_load();

22) What is the disadvantage of loading the GUI maps through start up scripts?
Ans.1.If we are using a single GUI Map file for the entire AUT then the memory used by the GUI Map may be much high.
2.If there is any change in the object being learned then WinRunner will not be able to recognize the object, as it is not in the GUI Map file loaded in the memory. So we will have to learn the object again and update the GUI File and reload it.

23) How do you unload the GUI map?
Ans. We can use GUI_close to unload a specific GUI Map file or else we call use GUI_close_all command to unload all the GUI Map files loaded in the memory.
Syntax: GUI_close(); or GUI_close_all;

24) What actually happens when you load GUI map?
Ans. When we load a GUI Map file, the information about the windows and the objects with their logical names and physical description are loaded into memory. So when the WinRunner executes a script on a particular window, it can identify the objects using this information loaded in the memory.

25) What is the purpose of the temp GUI map file?
Ans. While recording a script, WinRunner learns objects and windows by itself. This is actually stored into the temporary GUI Map file. We can specify whether we have to load this temporary GUI Map file should be loaded each time in the General Options.

26) What is the extension of gui map file?
Ans. The extension for a GUI Map file is “.gui”.

27) How do you find an object in an GUI map.
Ans. The GUI Map Editor is been provided with a Find and Show Buttons.
i. To find a particular object in the GUI Map file in the application, select the object and click the Show window. This blinks the selected object.
ii. To find a particular object in a GUI Map file click the Find button, which gives the option to select the object. When the object is selected, if the object has been learned to the GUI Map file it will be focused in the GUI Map file.

28) What different actions are performed by find and show button?
Ans. 1.To find a particular object in the GUI Map file in the application, select the object and click the Show window. This blinks the selected object.
2.To find a particular object in a GUI Map file click the Find button, which gives the option to select the object. When the object is selected, if the object has been learned to the GUI Map file it will be focused in the GUI Map file.

29) How do you identify which files are loaded in the GUI map?
Ans.The GUI Map Editor has a drop down “GUI File” displaying all the GUI Map files loaded into the memory.

30) How do you modify the logical name or the physical description of the objects in GUI map?
Ans.You can modify the logical name or the physical description of an object in a GUI map file using the GUI Map Editor.

31) When do you feel you need to modify the logical name?
Ans. Changing the logical name of an object is useful when the assigned logical name is not sufficiently descriptive or is too long.

32) When it is appropriate to change physical description?
Ans. Changing the physical description is necessary when the property value of an object changes.

33) How WinRunner handles varying window labels?
Ans. We can handle varying window labels using regular expressions. WinRunner uses two “hidden” properties in order to use regular expression in an object’s physical description. These properties are regexp_label and regexp_MSW_class.
i. The regexp_label property is used for windows only. It operates “behind the scenes” to insert a regular expression into a window’s label description.
ii. The regexp_MSW_class property inserts a regular expression into an object’s MSW_class. It is obligatory for all types of windows and for the object class object.

34) What is the purpose of regexp_label property and regexp_MSW_class property?
Ans. The regexp_label property is used for windows only. It operates “behind the scenes” to insert a regular expression into a window’s label description.
The regexp_MSW_class property inserts a regular expression into an object’s MSW_class. It is obligatory for all types of windows and for the object class object.

35) How do you suppress a regular expression?
Ans. We can suppress the regular expression of a window by replacing the regexp_label property with label property.

36) How do you copy and move objects between different GUI map files?
Ans. We can copy and move objects between different GUI Map files using the GUI Map Editor. The steps to be followed are: i. Choose Tools > GUI Map Editor to open the GUI Map Editor.
ii. Choose View > GUI Files.
iii. Click Expand in the GUI Map Editor. The dialog box expands to display two GUI
map files simultaneously.
iv. View a different GUI map file on each side of the dialog box by clicking the file
names in the GUI File lists.
v. In one file, select the objects you want to copy or move. Use the Shift key and/or Control key to select multiple objects. To select all objects in a GUI map file, choose Edit > Select All.
vi. Click Copy or Move.
vii. To restore the GUI Map Editor to its original size, click Collapse.

37) How do you select multiple objects during merging the files?
Ans. Use the Shift key and/or Control key to select multiple objects. To select all objects in a GUI map file, choose Edit > Select All.

38) How do you clear a GUI map files?
Ans. We can clear a GUI Map file using the “Clear All” option in the GUI Map Editor.

39) How do you filter the objects in the GUI map?
Ans. GUI Map Editor has a Filter option. This provides for filtering with 3 different types of options.
i. Logical name displays only objects with the specified logical name.
ii. Physical description displays only objects matching the specified physical description.
Use any substring belonging to the physical description.
iii. Class displays only objects of the specified class, such as all the push buttons.

40) How do you configure GUI map?
a. When WinRunner learns the description of a GUI object, it does not learn all its properties. Instead, it learns the minimum number of properties to provide a unique identification of the object.
b. Many applications also contain custom GUI objects. A custom object is any object not belonging to one of the standard classes used by WinRunner. These objects are therefore assigned to the generic “object” class.
c. If a custom object is similar to a standard object, you can map it to one of the standard classes. You can also configure the properties WinRunner uses to identify a custom object during Context Sensitive testing. The mapping and the configuration you set are valid only for the current WinRunner session

Most likely asked questions on testing

1. Who mention that 'Quality is free '?
(a) Philip Crosby
(b) Genichi Taguchi
(c) Edwards Deming
(d) Joseph M. Juran

2. QC is?
(a) Preventive
(b) Detective
(c) Validation
(d) Verification

3.How many maturity levels that indicate process capability CMM has?
(a) 5
(b) 4
(c) 6

4.How many KPA (key process areas) CMM has?
(a) 18
(b) 20
(c) 14

5. What UML diagram is useful for black box testing?
(a) Class Diagram
(b) Sequence diagram
(c) Object Diagram

6. What type of tests is performed early in a software testing process?
(a) White-box
(b) Black-box
(c) Grey-box

7. Who mention "Top management is in charge of quality"?
(a) Edwards Deming
(b) Joseph M. Juran
(c) Genichi Taguchi

8. The program according requirements expects the uppercase letters from A to Z. Analyze the following inputs and choose one that can cause the failure with greater probability. Help �> character set is ASCII
(a) 1, 0
(b) @, [
(c) B, W

9. What kind of tools would you suggest to use for the automation of regression tests?
(a) Static analysis tools
(b) Capture and playback
(c) Debugging tools

10. Equivalence class partitioning is:
(a) A black-box method that divides the inputs to a program into classes from which test cases can be derived
(b) A white-box method that divides control paths into dependent and independent categories for testing
(c) A black-box method that divides program functions into related groups for testing

11. Which of the following best defines testing?
(a) Testing is the process of proving that a system works according to specifications.
(b) Testing is the process of proving that a system is error-free.
(c) Testing is the process of locating errors.
(d)Testing is the process of confirming that a system meets its objectives.

12. Which of the following best defines walkthrough ?
(a) A walkthrough as attesting technique whereby the system is subjected to huge loads of data over a short time
(b)A walkthrough is a technique whereby a system is timed to see how long it takes the computer to walk through it to produce a result.
(c) A walkthrough is a session during which the participants act out the role of the computer in order to find flaws in the system.
(d)A walkthrough is a technique whereby a number of testers are given the system for black box testing.

13.Which unit testing technique eliminates the need for writing drivers?
(a) Top down testing
(b) Bottom up testing
(c) Big bang testing
(d) Non incremental testing

14.Which unit testing technique eliminates the need for writing stubs?
(a) Top down testing
(b) Bottom up testing
(c) Big bang testing
(d) Non incremental testing

15. Who of the following is the least reliable person to test a program?
(a) The developer who wrote the code
(b) An independent agency
(c) The testing department in the company that created the application
(d) The developer who design the system

16. Which of the following is non - incremental test?
(a) Top-down testing
(b) Bottom-up testing
(c) Big bang testing
(d) Stab testing

17. What type of high order test subjects the system to large loads over a short period of time?
(a) Volume testing
(b) Stress testing
(c) Usability testing
(d) Security testing

18. Which testing technique involves installing a system at a large number of user sites?
(a) Alpha testing
(b) Volume testing
(c) Beta testing
(d) Boundary value analysis

19. At what stage of software development life cycle (SDLC) software errors are least costly to correct?
(a) Requirements
(b) Detail specification
(c) Acceptance test
(d) Maintenance

20. What is the relationship between (QA) quality assurance and software testing?
(a) QA is part of software testing process
(b) Testing and QA are two different processes
(c) Testing is part of QA process
(d) Testing and QA are all the same thing

21. Which of the following categories of costs associated with cost of quality?
(1) Preventive, (2) Failure, and (3) Appraisal
(a) Preventive only
(b) All three from the above
(c) Preventive and Appraisal
(d) Preventive and Failure

22. Identify which participant roles are used during a formal inspection?
(1) Moderator, (2) Author/producer, (3) Reader, (4) Inspector, (5) Recorder
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) All 5 from the above
(d) 4 and 5 only

23.If you found during testing in the software project 70 bugs, you would state:
(a) The code was poorly implemented.
(b) You do not have enough information to make an opinion.
(c) There is no statistical control for this project.
(d) The software testing for this project was done.

24. What are some of the common misconceptions during implementation of an automated testing tools for the first time?
(a) Regression testing phase will be shortened.
(b) Existing testing processes can be used and all testers will have the skills to learn the new tool
(c) During a ramp-up period, testing will take longer.