CSTE Certification Preparatory Course

Explore lifecycle testing as a process, not a project stage, that evaluates software to find errors and prevent defects, addressing process defects, design defects, and incomplete data issues.

Explore the levels of testing from verification and unit testing to integration and system testing, and distinguish verification from validation, static vs dynamic, and black-box vs white-box approaches.

Explore structure and functional testing techniques, including stress testing, execution design, operations, compliance, security, and regression testing to verify performance and correct behavior.

Master test administration by planning risk-aware test projects, budgeting with smart goals, scheduling deliverables, staffing options, and customizing processes to ensure effective testing and accountability.

Analyze risks in software testing, including risk analysis, probability of negative events, impact magnitude, and factors like training, tools, management support, user involvement, schedule impact, and premature release risk.

Understand risk analysis as a four-step process to prioritize testing resources for high-risk components, using risk scenarios or checklists to identify and quantify risk, and weigh compliance and ethics factors.

Examine risk appetite management, defined as the amount of loss management is willing to endure in a transaction, and contingency planning to minimize loss frequency and impact.

Define a concrete goal based on risk and criticality, and explore coverage types like statement coverage, modified decision coverage, integration and data coverage, with automation tools to measure testing.

Learn to plan, execute, and document tests across units, integrations, and systems, using tools to manage test data, environments, and milestones while validating performance and security against defined quality goals.

Learn how to record test results and analyze deviations between expected and actual app behavior. Define the problem, map workflows, and identify root causes to guide fixes.

Collect and analyze data to establish prerequisites for test reporting. Define effective metrics and a reporting process covering test results, verification results, and defects across eight metric categories.

Explore how contracted software testing integrates contract provisions, acceptance testing, and maintenance to ensure deliverables meet requirements and protect intellectual property.

Understand internal controls as a management responsibility that ensures operations, financial reporting, and compliance, with risk concepts and preventive, detective, and corrective controls in information systems.

Explore internal control models within an enterprise risk management framework, detailing components such as risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, monitoring, and the control environment.

Test internal controls in software systems by conducting risk assessments, validating defined controls from management, and evaluating transaction processing, data integrity, security, and data retention.