How to Become a Certified Software Tester

A certified software tester is a professional working in software quality management who has successfully passed an exam or completed a course of study, validating their ability to work on software development teams and ensuring that the development project works properly. A certification can help you qualify for an entry-level field in a new career or learn new skills to potentially help you advance your career. 

According to the 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 50 percent of developers used online courses and certificate programs to learn coding skills. Across all age groups, developers between the ages of 25 and 34 had the most learners using courses and certificate programs as a learning tool, 52.9 percent [1].

You can find industry-standard software testing certifications through organizations like the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) and the International Institute for Software Testing (IIST). Whether you’re exploring starting a career as a certified software tester or want to demonstrate and validate your professional experience skills with a Professional Certificate, you can find a credential that represents your level of experience and knowledge. 

Explore six options from the ISTQB and IIST to become a certified software tester with a respected certification validating your skills.

Certified software tester salary

According to Glassdoor’s estimates for the average salaries of software testers, certified software testers can earn more money on average than their non-certified counterparts. The average annual base salary for a software tester is $90,741, with an average additional pay of $7,869 [2]. Comparatively, the average base salary for a certified software tester is $104,605, with an average additional pay of $16,765 [3]. 

How to become a certified software tester

You can choose from many different options to become a certified software tester, including certifications from professional and member organizations, as well as vendor-specific 

Professional Certificates, available on Coursera. Certificate programs can help you demonstrate specialized skills and, in some cases, demonstrate that you have the knowledge for the job role you desire, even if you don’t have a formal degree. You may also consider the two organizations that offer certified software tester certification, including the IIST and the ISTQB. 

International Institute for Software Testing certification

The IIST is an organization with the goal to “advance the software testing and quality assurance professions by promoting and recognizing professionalism through education” [4]. They offer certifications for varying levels of skills and experience in the field of software testing and training programs to help you prepare for successful certification. Two of the certifications they offer for QA and software testing professionals include the Certified Software Test Professional Associate Level and the Certified Agile Software Test Practitioner. 

1. Certified Software Test Professional Associate Level (CSTP-A)

The Certified Software Test Professional Associate Level (CSTP-A) is a program that can help you learn the skills to succeed on a software testing team or validate your existing skills for potential employers, whether you have professional experience already or not. The CSTP-A is the first of three software certifications offered by the IIST, and after you’ve earned it, you can go on to earn your Certified Software Test Professional Practitioner Level credential and your Certified Software Test Professional Master Level credential. 

Cost: The exam and the training modules cost $995 to access online content and an additional $50 for a certification fee [5].

Requirements: You do not need to have prior knowledge of software testing or experience in the field to qualify for the CSPT-A exam, although you will need to complete three days of training. 

Who should take this exam? The CSPT-A certification is appropriate for professionals considering a role in software testing or who want to learn the complete set of industry-standard skills for working in this role. 

2. Certified Agile Software Test Professional (CASTP)

The Certified Agile Software Test Professional (CASTP) certification demonstrates that you have the skills to contribute to the fast pace of Agile software development projects in a quality assurance or software testing role. This certification comprises two levels: the Practitioner Level (CASTP-P) and the Master Level (CASTP-M). After successfully earning your CASTP, you can earn your Certified Agile Software Test Professional Master Level credential. 

Cost: IIST's certification programs require candidates to complete three courses covering a comprehensive Body of Knowledge specific to each certification. The total cost depends on the number of required courses and the chosen method of training.

Each module is available as an online self-paced course priced at $325. Alternatively, you can enroll in all three courses simultaneously for a bundled price of $975, which includes the training and the associated exams for each module. Upon successful completion of all modules and exams, there is a $50 graduation fee to obtain the certification. Online self-paced courses are typically priced at $295 per course [6]. Additional fees, such as graduation or certification fees, may apply depending on the specific certification program.

Requirements: To qualify for the CASTP-P exam, you will need to first earn the Certified Software Test Professional Associate Level and complete one year of software testing work experience. You will also need to complete three courses through the IIST: Agile Development Methodologies, Agile Requirement Exploration and Requirement Management, and Agile Test Design and Test Execution.

Who should take this exam? This exam is appropriate for software testing professionals who want to learn skills for Agile software development teams or for software testing managers interested in bringing Agile principles to their team. 

International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certifications

The International Software Testing Qualifications Board is a professional membership non-profit organization that offers certifications and training material for software testing professionals, as well as setting the standard for industry certification in the software testing industry. They offer certifications in seven different levels of knowledge and experience: 

• Core Foundation 

• Core Advanced

• Specialist Level (divided into subsections: Technologies and Approaches, Quality Characteristics and Test Levels, Testing in Particular Domains

• Expert Level (divided into subsections: Improving the Test Process, and Test Management

Two ISTQB certifications include the Certified Tester Foundation Level Certification (CTFL) and the Security Testing Certification. 

1. Certified Tester Foundation Level Certification (CTFL)

The Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) demonstrates that you have passed an exam covering the industry-standard level of foundational knowledge required for software testing. This certification is the entry-level credential for ISTQB, and you will need to earn it to qualify for any other certifications offered through the organization. 

Cost: $229 [7]

Requirements: You do not have to complete prerequisites before taking this exam. 

Who should take this exam? This exam is appropriate for individuals currently working in software testing or those considering a career in software development. If you work in a related role to software testing and could benefit from working knowledge of software development fundamentals, this certification may also be an appropriate choice for you. 

2. ISTQB Security Testing Certification

After you earn your CTFL, you can qualify to move to more advanced credentials such as the ISTQB Certified Tester Security Tester (CT-SEC) certification. This credential covers the tools and industry standards you’ll need to succeed in security testing, including the goals and strategies of testing, how security testing fits into the overall software development lifecycle, and how to evaluate security testing. Completing this certification will give you the chance to consider security testing from multiple perspectives, such as risk and human factors. 

Cost: $249 [7]

Requirements: You will need to earn your Foundational Level Certification, as well as at least three years of professional or academic experience, to qualify for the exam. 

Who should take this exam? This certification may be most appropriate for any professional working in a role that benefits from understanding the foundational concepts of software testing, including testers, test engineers, test managers, software developers, project managers, and other professionals involved in the software development process. 

Prepare for your software testing certification with Coursera

Earning a certification in software testing is one path to learning skills for a new career or a career with more advanced responsibilities, as well as demonstrating your skills to current and future employers. You can begin your journey to becoming a certified software tester with the programs available on Coursera. 

For example, you could learn about software testing and earn a Professional Certificate by enrolling in the IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate. In this certificate program, you can develop a DevOps mindset and employ tools for automation, continuous integration (CI), and continuous deployment (CD), including Chef, Puppet, GitHub Actions, Tekton, and Travis.