About Us

What We Do Why ISTQB® Who We Are

What We Do

Why ISTQB®

Who We Are

Who We Are

ISTQB® was established in 1998 and its Certified Tester scheme has grown to be the leading software testing certification scheme worldwide. ISTQB® continues to strive to meet its vision and mission to support the testing community and promote software quality.

ISTQB® Vision

To continually improve and advance the software testing profession by:

Defining and maintaining a Body of Knowledge which allows testers to be certified based on best practices, connecting the international software testing community, and encouraging research.

ISTQB® Mission

  • We promote the value of software testing as a profession to individuals and organizations.
  • We help software testers to be more efficient and effective in their work, through the certification of competencies.
  • We enable testers to progress their career through a Professionals Code of Ethics and a multi-level certification pathway that provides them with the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their growing responsibilities and to achieve increased professionalism.
  • We continually advance the Testing Body of Knowledge by drawing on the best available industry practices and the most innovative research, and we make this knowledge freely available to all.
  • We set the criteria for accrediting training providers, to ensure consistent delivery of the Body of Knowledge, world-wide.
  • We regulate the content and coverage of exam questions, the examination process, and the issuing of certifications by official examination bodies.
  • We are committed to expanding software testing certifications around the world, by admitting member boards into the ISTQB®. These boards adhere to the constitution, bylaws, and processes defined by the ISTQB®, and participate in regular audits.
  • We nurture an open international community, committed to sharing knowledge, ideas, and innovations in software testing.
  • We foster relationships with academia, government, media, professional associations and other interested parties.
  • We provide a reference point against which the effectiveness of testing services can be evaluated, by maintaining our prominence as a respected source of knowledge in software testing.

ISTQB® Values

  • Integrity: We work together with honesty, transparency, and trust to serve the best interests of the testing community
  • Diversity: We are inclusive, treat each other as equals, and value different perspectives and experiences
  • Innovation: We inspire each other to share insight and embrace new ideas, and continuously evolve to deliver future value
  • Passion: We are volunteers who believe in what we do and work with purpose and pride to advance the field of testing
  • Quality: We strive to consistently offer a portfolio that is trusted as relevant and useful for current and future market needs
  • International collaboration: We believe in the strength of global representation and commit to democratic decision making via a General Assembly of Member Boards

ISTQB® Structure

The ISTQB® is an independent, democratic not-for-profit association, ruled by a constitution. ISTQB® is an ecosystem of member boards, exam providers, and training providers working together to deliver the ISTQB® Certified Tester scheme.

Member boards act in their local communities as direct contacts to professionals and organizations interested in the ISTQB® scheme; they translate syllabi into local languages, accredit training providers and perform exams (directly or through exam providers). 

Through the member boards there is international harmonization across the world and assurance of mutual recognition of certificates.

Accredited training providers create course material in alignment with ISTQB® syllabi and deliver training courses.

The decision making body for the ISTQB® is the General Assembly (GA), where each member board is represented. The GA elects the Executive Committee and the chairs of the working groups. The Executive Committee is supported by a General Secretary (contracted to ISTQB®), and by secretariat / back office services.

Training Providers

Exam Providers

Member Boards

General Assembly

Advanced &
Expert

Academia

Agile

Executive Committee

Foundation

Governance

TBOK

Marketing

Process Management
& Compliance

Specialist

Glossary

Exam

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible for ensuring that all decisions made by the GA are implemented, and that ISTQB® is operating in line with its mission and vision and importantly, complying with its responsibilities as a not-for-profit association.

  • Klaudia Dussa-Zieger, President, Germany, k.dussa-zieger@istqb.org
  • Olivier Denoo, Vice-President, France, olivier.denoo@istqb.org
  • Sarah Savoy, Treasurer, Canada, sarah.savoy@istqb.org
  • Sebastian Małyska, Secretary, Poland, sebastian.malyska@istqb.org

General Secretary

General Secretary – responsible for driving the day-to-day management and activities that ensure that ISTQB® continues to meet its customer and stakeholder expectations. This includes support for internal projects and product releases.

  • Galit Zucker, galit.zucker@istqb.org

Working groups (WGs)

Working groups (WGs) are responsible for the cooperative design of syllabi, exam rules, processes, etc. They ensure the development and the spread of the knowledge according to the most up-to-date needs of the profession.Each WG is composed of volunteers from different member boards around the world and is lead by a Chair and a Vice Chair:

  • Marketing WG – defines and deploys the marketing strategy, and organizes marketing initiatives aimed at growing the ISTQB® brand and proliferating the scheme.
    • Lovelesh Beeharry, Chair, Mauritius, MarketingWG.chair@istqb.org
    • Neleen Kruger, Vice-Chair, South Africa, MarketingWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Foundation Level WG– responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Certified Tester Foundation Level product.
    • Eric Riou du Cosquer, Chair, France, cosquer@istqb.org
    • Stephanie Ulrich, Vice-Chair, Germany, stephanie.ulrich@istqb.org
  • Advanced Level WG – responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Advanced Level products.
    • Michaël Pilaeten, Chair, Belgium – AdvancedWG.chair@istqb.org
    • Horst Pohlmann, Vice-chair, Germany – AdvancedWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Expert Level WG – responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Expert Level products.
    • Renzo Cerquozzi, Chair, Switzerland, ExpertWG.chair@istqb.org
    • Robert Treffny, Vice-chair, ExpertWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Quality Characteristics & Test Levels WG – responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Specialist products.
    • Graham Bath, Chair, Germany, graham.bath@istqb.org
    • Andrew Pollner, Vice-Chair, United States, SpecialistWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Technologies and Approaches WG – responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Specialist products.
    • Vipul Kocher, Chair, India – Specialist.Technologies.chair@istqb.org
    • Tamás Horváth, Vice-Chair, Hungary – Specialist.Technologies.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Testing in Particular Domains WG – responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the Specialist products.
    • Florian Fieber, Chair, Germany – Specialist.Domains.chair@istqb.org
    • Richard Seidl, Vice-chair, Austria – Specialist.Domains.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Glossary WG – responsible for the ISTQB® Glossary which supports a consistent terminology across all ISTQB® products.
    • Matthias Hamburg, Chair, Germany, matthias.hamburg@istqb.org
    • Gary Mogyorodi, Vice-Chair, Canada, GlossaryWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Exam WG – responsible for the creation and maintenance of the examination format and guidelines and also the ISTQB® sample exams.
    • Tal Pe’er, Chair, Israel, ExamsWG.chair@istqb.org
    • Andreas Günther, Vice-Chair, Austria, ExamWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • Process Management & Compliance WG – responsible for the definition and maintenance of the processes that guide the activities of ISTQB®, member boards, accredited training providers, and exam providers. In addition, the WG administers audits of member boards and exam providers.
    • Filipe Nuno Carlos, Chair, Portugal, PMCWG.chair@istqb.org
    • Katalin Balla, Vice-Chair, Hungary, PMCWG.vice.chair@istqb.org
  • TBOK WG – responsible for the ISTQB® Testing Body of Knowledge which supports a consistency across all ISTQB® products.
    • Amanda Logue, Chair, Canada, amanda.logue@istqb.org
    • Beata Karpinska, Vice-Chair, Sweden, beata.karpinska@istqb.org
  • Governance – responsible for ensuring adherence to the ISTQB® rules and processes.
    • Joel Oliveira, Chair, Portugal, Governance.chair@istqb.org
    • Werner Henschelchen, Vice-Chair, Germany
  • Academia – responsible, together with the member boards, for promoting a close relationship with Academia and to welcome an open international community. We are committed to sharing knowledge, ideas, and innovations through articles, white papers, and sharing best practices in software testing and quality. We seek research that supports current and future syllabi material.
    • Nishan Portoyan, Chair, Switzerland, Academia.chair@istqb.org
    • Dmitrij Nikolajev, Vice-Chair, Lithuania, Academia.vice.chair@istqb.org