Nicky Tests Software

Markus Gaertner has been a software tester since 2006 and is located in Germany. Personally committed to Agile methods, he believes in continuous improvement in software testing through skills. Occasionally he presents on Agile and testing related conferences. He is a black-belt tester and instructor in the Miagi-Do school of software testing, and a co-founder of the European chapter of Weekend Testing.

Software Testing - The Hidden Profession After working at Assurity for a few months, I decided to catch up with some friends in Auckland. Given that most of my friends have left uni in the past few years; it’s safe to say that our lifestyles have changed; and a major topic that would arise would be what we’re doing with ourselves these days. That is, what exactly are we doing 40 hours a week? The other person would start it off and go into how they’re enjoying their job as a lawyer/accountant/marketing co-ordinator. I’d ask about what their typical day is like; do they miss uni (and everything that came with it such as lectures and exams); do I know anyone who works at their company; and so on and so forth. And then it would be my turn. I’d say I’m working as a Test Analyst with Assurity Consulting Ltd. I would then be faced with a blank look. “So do you write code?” No, not exactly. But some people in Testing do need that skill. I suppose you could say we want to

What is the difference between Path Coverage and Branch Coverage? (ISTQB) To explain this I’m going to do 2 things. First I’m going to use an analogy to try and make this situation more ‘real-world’. Second I’m going to draw a diagram and elaborate from there.     So let’s use the example of walking from ‘Hunting and Fishing Westgate’ (Point A) to the traffic light on the yellow road on the top of the screen (Point B). To achieve Path coverage you need to explore every possible route that you could take to get from ‘Hunting and Fishing Westgate’ to ‘Traffic Light on the Yellow road’. Here’s what you could do: From H&F Westgate you could turn left then left again onto Fernhill Drive and walk straight until you reach the Traffic light. You could turn right then right again onto Pinot Lane then turn onto Cellar Crescent then turn right onto the yellow road, keep going straight until you reach the traffic light. You co

How to do well in the ISTQB Foundation Exam So here you are, about to sit the ISTQB Foundation Exam.  Maybe you want to enter the world of Software Testing and want to get a related qualification on your CV/resume. Maybe you're already working as a Test Analyst and now your company has a new initiative where everyone needs to sit this exam.  Either way, I  hope some of the tips below can help. But first, I'd like to thank ISTQB for this picture. This is a visual summary of what to expect in the ISTQB Foundation Exam. For more tips go here : Time and Format of the Exam There are 40 multiple choice questions. You have 1 hour to answer all of the questions. Bear in mind that a fair number of the questions are tricky so you definitely want to leave time at the end (10-20min) to go over answers and make sure that you didn't accidentally pick the wrong answer because you didn't read it correctly. Here's a link that summarises the exam stru

This is Part III of the Journey of a Test Analyst series. Part I: The Beginning Part II: Getting my foot in the door Starting work as a Test Analyst After 4 weeks of training  I was finally... DUN DUN DUN Off to my first project as a Test Analyst! Inside, I felt a mixture of this And this I was nervous as this was my first project and part of me was a bit worried that I'd put my foot in my mouth and say something stupid or not ask smart enough questions. But then I was also pretty excited as this is what I've been working towards this whole time. On my first day, I had two people ask me if this was my first (ever) project. I gotta admit, that didn't sit too well with me as from that point on, on my first day, I was worried that I looked a teeny weeny too fresh-faced. But hey, it is what it is so I smiled back and responded yes it is. Here are a few things that struck me the most about my first few weeks on the project  I should h

This is Part II of the Journey of a Test Analyst Series Part I: The Beginning Part III: Diving into the Big Bad World of Testing Now let's launch straight into it shall we. The Application Process Well to start with, the thing that really caught my attention was the fact that a handwritten cover letter was asked for. So this caught my attention for a few reasons. I figured, since we're actually using snail mail to submit part of our application; they're more likely to be read No backspace was available for my cover letter (Shock! Horror! Old school it is then.) Will my handwriting be legible? Most people can't read my handwriting when I don't make an effort to be legible. I'd liken to a doctor's. I also prepared and submitted my CV, placing emphasis on the skills I possess that applied to the role of a Test Analyst. Quick tip: Make sure to proof-read your application. I've been told time and time again that attention to detail is mu

This is Part I of The Journey of a Test Analyst Series. Part II: Getting my foot in the door Part III: Diving Into the Big Bad World of Testing So in this post I'm gonna go over how I got into the IT industry in the first place; i.e. how and why I first started thinking about it. First off, I saw the job advertisement on Careerhub. For those who do not know, Careerhub is a website for job seekers that are currently in (or just graduated from) a tertiary institution. A few parts of the job ad stood out to me. These are: A career in the IT industry --> given our reliance on technology these days; job prospects would be good. Assurity are thought leaders and that was something I wanted to be a part of. Exposure to different projects and industries Focus on innovation and improvement. And last, but most certainly not least- training. I'm now going to proceed to focus on this last point. You see, I didn't study Software Engineering or Computer Science.