Expert/Test Management

The Test Management Expert Level extends the knowledge and experience obtained at the Advanced Level by providing in-depth, practically-oriented certifications in test policy, the test strategy and the test objectives. Criteria are set to ensure good and consistent quality of the Expert Level and the candidates must have:

• the Foundation Certificate
• an Advanced Certificate in Test Manager
• passed the Expert Level Exam
• at least 5 years of practical testing experience
• at least 2 years of industry experience as Test Manager

Contents of the Syllabus

The Expert Level Test Management syllabus can be divided into three parts: 

• Strategic Management
• Operational Test Management
• Managing the Test Team

The syllabus starts by considering the purpose of testing or the test mission, and the relation between the test policy, the test strategy and the test objectives. Test prioritization and various effort allocation techniques, including risk-based are considered in depth. The expert test manager is considered to be able to utilize and adapt all available methods to define and meet testing objectives. Furthermore, an expert test manager is expected to be able to design a specific method or approach to meet those objectives and to gain and maintain early management commitment.

Managing the test team and managing testing throughout the organization are addressed extensively and special attention is given to the various project management tasks that would apply at the expert test management level. The test manager's role in performing risk management (risk assessment workshops and risk mitigation management), reviews, assessments, quality gate evaluation, quality assurance and audits are covered in detail. How to report test results and how to interpret results by evaluation of exit criteria is elaborated upon. The metrics are described which are presented in a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboard and play a crucial role in the management of the test process.

The expert test manager is expected to select or create, evaluate and improve the most appropriate approach for a given situation, which implies that several right approaches can occur simultaneously, of which no individual approach stands out significantly. It is up to the expert test manager to find a suitable approach or combination of approaches which fit the organization in order to meet or exceed the given objectives.