STEC - Software Testing Essentials Certificate by MoT
An up-to-date training course into the realm of software testing. A welcoming place to begin and build from. Based on true stories and experiences.
I have been in the space of software testing since 2002, so 20+ years. Initially we had some very dry and idealistic frameworks coming from the world of long term IT deliveries. In the first ten years that was my world and I have the war stories and certificates to prove following a script and sticking to a framework.
I prefer to think that the early day certification schemes where designed to help people grown, these days they seem mostly for the benefit of the training providers. And they have had a hard time keeping on par with the ever evolving world of software (testing).
Until now
The Ministry of Testing Software Testing Essentials (STEC) is up-to-date, shared directly people in the field. The content addresses actual work in the field and breaks down misconceptions. The content shares how things can be different and what the struggles are.
The content is fresh and welcoming, it's a natural flow of practitioners sharing their stories, theory and practical exercises. The format is online with community community support and a place to build a testing portfolio.
The exam features 40 questions, that aren't trivial. Even I had to think about the answers. While previous certifications are about thinking about what the the theory would answer - this is about what actually happens.
Course content:
- What is software testing
- What do software testers do
- The secret skill set of software testers
- Testing fundamentals and techniques
- The struggles of software testing
- Risky business - the relationship between testing and risk
- The complexity of software testing
- Gathering better information: understanding requirements
- Exploring test design
- Doing the testing work
- The outputs of software testing
- The art of communicating testing
- Navigating software problems with confidence
- Fail to plan, plan to fail
- Testing debt and maintaining a lean machine
- Technical testing
- Get started with test automation
- Testing specialisms
- Keeping up to date
Specific Lessons
Two things I have bookmarked in the content is the inclusion of How industry standards and regulations affect testing processes and the requirement review model. When I have the opportunity I will reference the later as part of my test analysis.
I have contributed to a very small part in module 14: Fail to plan, plan to fail, lesson 2 on what to expect from modern test planning:
The context you work in shapes the planning approach
Jesper pointed out that planning requirements vary greatly depending on the domain. In regulated industries like life sciences, test cases may need to be written in full detail and audited step by step. In contrast, Agile teams working on web apps might rely on exploratory testing, lightweight documentation, or tools integrated with user stories.
For which free access to the certificate was granted, as have the additional 58 contributors.
The general lesson here is, though, that STEC is an up-to-date training course into the realm of software testing. A welcoming place to begin and build from. Based on true stories and experiences.
