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| All candidates will be tested on the current CAST CBOK / Skill Categories mentioned below. Those who are already a CAST certificant and plan to recertify will either be tested (recertification examination) or need to start obtaining CPE credits towards recertification (journal) based off this current version of the CBOK. |
| Skill Categories: (CAST) |
- Software Testing Principles and Concepts
- Building the Test Environment
- Managing the Test Project
- Test Planning
- Executing the Test Plan
- Test Status, Analysis and Reporting
- User Acceptance Testing
- Testing Software Developed by Outside Organizations
- Testing Software Controls and the Adequacy of Security Procedures
- Testing New Technologies
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Knowledge Category 1 ~ Software Testing Principles and Concepts
This skill category focuses on the “basics” of software testing as represented by the vocabulary of testing, testing approaches, methods and techniques as well as the materials used by testers in performing their test activities. |
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Knowledge Category 2 ~ Building the Test Environment
The test environment is comprised of all the conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding and affecting the testing of software. This category’s discussions include assuring the test environment fairly represents the production environment to enable realistic testing to occur. |
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Knowledge Category 3 ~ Managing the Test Project
Software testing is a project with almost all the same attributes as a software development project. This category discusses project planning, project staffing, scheduling and budgeting, communicating, assigning and monitoring work and ensuring that changes to the project plan are incorporated into the test plan. |
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Knowledge Category 4 ~ Test Planning
This skill category explores the skills testers need to plan tests, including the selection of techniques and methods to be used to validate the product against its approved requirements and design. Test planning assesses the software application risks, and then develops a plan to determine if the software minimizes those risks. Testers must understand the development methods and environment to effectively plan for testing. |
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Knowledge Category 5 ~ Executing the Test Plan
The test plan should be executed as designed. If the plan cannot be executed as designed it should be changed, or notations made as to what aspects of the plan were not performed. Testing according to the test plan should commence when the project commences and conclude when the software is no longer in operation. Portions of the test plan can be performed while the test plan is being written. This category focuses on the many skills needed to carry out the test plan, like design test cases and test scripts, use test tools, execute tests, record test results, and manage defects. |
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Knowledge Category 6 ~ Test Status, Analysis and Reporting
In this category, the tester’s ability to develop testing status reports is discussed. These reports should show the status of the testing based on the test plan. Reporting should document what tests have been performed and the status of those tests. The test reporting process is a process to collect data, analyze the data, supplement the data with metrics, graphs and charts and other pictorial representations which help the developers and users interpret that data. The lessons learned from the test effort should be used to improve the next iteration of the test process. |
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Knowledge Category 7 ~ User Acceptance Testing
As much as possible, once the acceptance criterion has been established, they should be integrated into all aspects of development. This category discusses how the same process can be used by software testers when users are unavailable for test; when diverse users use the same software; and for beta testing software. Although acceptance testing is a customer and user responsibility, testers normally help develop an acceptance test plan, include that plan in the system test plan to avoid test duplication; and, in many cases, perform or assist in performing the acceptance test. |
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Knowledge Category 8 ~ Testing Software Developed by Outside Organizations
This skill category reviews the many challenges faced when testing software developed by a contractor, or an external organization. It is management’s responsibility that acquired software meets the needs of their organization. Contractors will test the software they build, but that does not relieve management from their quality responsibilities. |
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Knowledge Category 9 ~ Testing Software Controls and the Adequacy of Security Procedures
This category’s discussions focus on testing internal control as it is a key issue for software testers Security is a component of internal control that warrants special attention of testers. Interest in internal control has been highlighted by publicized penetrations of security and the increased importance of information systems and the data contained by those systems. |
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Knowledge Category 10 ~ Testing New Technologies
Testers require skills in their organization’s current technology, as well as a general understanding of the new information technology that might be acquired by their organization. The new technology skills are required because the test plan needs to be based on the types of technology used. This skill category addresses why new IT technology, as well as any technology new to the testers or the organization must be addressed in the test plan. |
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