The ISTQB Foundation Level exam covers the following examinable learning objectives and cognitive levels of knowledge:
- Fundamentals of Testing
- Explain why testing is necessary
- Describe the principles of testing
- Define common testing terms
- Understand the psychology of testing
- Testing Throughout the Software Lifecycle
- Explain the software development lifecycle
- Describe the relationships between development activities and testing activities
- Understand the different levels of testing
- Static Techniques
- Explain the importance of static techniques
- Describe the review process
- Understand the different types of review
- Test Design Techniques
- Understand the categories of test design techniques
- Describe the specification-based technique
- Explain the structure-based technique
- Describe the experience-based technique
- Test Management
- Understand the test organization
- Describe test planning and estimation
- Understand test progress monitoring and control
- Describe configuration management
- Understand risk-based testing
- Tool Support for Testing
- Understand the benefits and risks of test automation
- Describe the types of test tools
- Understand tool selection and implementation
The cognitive levels of knowledge for each examinable learning objective are as follows:
- Remembering: recall information
- Understanding: comprehend the meaning of information
- Applying: use information in a particular context
- Analyzing: break down information into parts and explore relationships among them
- Evaluating: make judgments about the value or quality of information
- Creating: combine information to form a coherent whole or propose a solution
The exam questions are designed to test the candidate's understanding of these learning objectives and their ability to apply them in practical situations.