Tester training based on free materials

1
Tester training based on free materials

• Ainars Galvans,
• Exigen Services

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How they teach testing?

• Boundary value testing sample
• Input field have valid input 1-99
• Boundary values are 0199100
• How about not so simple cases?

This and the next slides inspired by BBST
course by Cem Kaner and James Bach
Test 2
Guess WHAT?
3
Presentation Content

• Background
• Student training
• Experience sharing (among sesoned testers)
• Format
• Typical content
• Alternatives

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Background

• A research listed tester qualifications (skills)
• 4 years old reasearch on situation in Latvia
• Issue tester knowledge is gained in
  self-education
• Realization certain (listed) skills are also
  required
• Progress so far
• The only progress with training in Latvia is
  establishing ISTQB Latvia Testing board
• Exigen Services takes its own way

5
Student training experience

• How we do it and why do I think it is the best
  way to do it.

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Testing course evolution

• Custom course developed in-house
• Reuse numerous internet resources
• Extended with Exigen process specific
• An application with implemented bugs created
• Late in 2006 BBTS 1 course evaluated
• It appearst to be even better
• The only mising topics are project specific
• The only draw-back is English
• In 2008 students are assisted by Teacher talking
  in Latvian and light-covering missing topics

1 http//www.testingeducation.com/BBST/index.htm
l
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Testing course based on BBST

• Due to time restriction less that a half of
  topics provided in BBST are covered, including
• The oracle problem
• The impossibility of complete testing
• Bug advocacy
• Testing techniques Domain, Specification-based
  and Scenario testing
• Course extended reusing old materials
• Company/project specific topics
• Intorduction to company tools and processes
• Two practices strategy and testing hands-on

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Skill evaluation during a course
part of BBST course available for free
provided by university. May ask student marks
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Experience Sharing

• Why and how do we share knowledge

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History

• Started in 2004 as project team activity
• Main goal to break project routine
• Main topics whats going on in the world
• Since November, 2005 company wide
• Goal slowly changes toward sharing different
  experiences across different projects
• Context-driven approach advocated there are
  never the only right answer
• Newbie also welcome

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Workshop format

• Once a week, 1hour long (not during summers)
• Topics are managed by moderator
• Topics of tester interest (participants voted)
• Industry hot topics (publications, conferences)
• Typical (best) approach
• One person presents theory about the topic
• Participants split into groups to discus topic in
  a specific context each
• Groups share and compare their ideas

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Workshop content

• Weekly workshop topic insigth
• How to grow as a tester?
• Specialization in testing. (continue previous
  topic)
• Do you do Scenario or Function tests. Which is
  better?
• ISTQB certificate my experience during exam.
  Other certificates. Why should you care?
• What to do if requirements changes too often,
  test cases gets outdated all the time. (Group
  discussion)
• Functional tester detecting non-functional
  issues.Ainars conference material
• Different SDLC (software development life-cycles)
  and testing in each of them.

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Training Alternatives

• Training investment alternatives
• University course(s), ISTQB certification
• By books and magazines to read
• Develop own training program
• Training provider alternatives
• Professional trainer or
• Professional tester
• Whats your goal
• Deep or wide knowledge?
• Learn something, validate knowledge or take a
  break from everyday routine?

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Summary and future

• We train people in-house. Training led by
  professional tester (A. Galvans)
• Reasons for our choice
• In-depth cover topics essential to our company
• Skip theory irrelevant or mismatching our
  practice
• Stay up-to-date and update as required
• Drawbacks and solutions
• Trainer subjectivity may be soon solved by BBTS
  skills-based certification under development by
  its authors

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Thank You

• Q A

Ainars_Galvans_at_exigenservices.com