As we noted in our videos and articles, the ISTQB CTFL syllabus contains hundreds of facts, statements, definitions, topics, keywords, lists that a candidate must know and understand in order to successfully pass the exam. Only a few students can study such a large amount of theoretical material, for most people it is an overwhelming task. The good news is that you don't need to memorize the entire syllabus. You need to use ancient knowledge that has come to us since ancient Rome, Repetition is the mother of learning. So that preparing for the exam is not so stressful and overwhelming, we suggest studying the theory in small chunks. Not by chapters, but by topics.
As you already know, the Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus consists of 6 chapters: Fundamentals of Testing, Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle, Static Testing, Test Analysis and Design, Managing the Test Activities, Test Tools. And it would be possible to study it chapter by chapter. But in our opinion, even this is overwhelming. Each chapter is about 10 pages of the same facts, statements, definitions, topics, keywords, lists. And it is a very difficult task to read and learn so much theoretical material at once. That is why we suggest studying the syllabus by topics.
In our opinion, this topic is the best minimum volume for studying the theory of ISTQB. That is why we have organized a per topic course, for each topic there are 40-100 questions depending on the number of sections in the topic itself. This gives you an opportunity to read 2-3 pages of ISTQB theory and then practice answering the questions. This makes the educational process more interactive and smoother. And it helps to learn the topic better. If you read the entire syllabus at one time, after 5-6 pages your brain would refuse to memorize and perceive such a large amount of abstract and theoretical information. And that is why a simple approach for ISTQB CTFL exam preparation consists of three simple steps:
Step 1. Read the topic from the Syllabus thoughtfully and carefully.
As we mentioned earlier, it is impossible for most people to memorize an entire syllabus, and it is not necessary. We recommend reading one topic two or three times. This is enough to remember the main statements and understand the essence of the topic.
Step 2. Practice of answering questions similar to those that will be on the exam.
When you answer the questions, read the answers, you better understand and remember the theory of the topic. Each question answered helps to better understand the logic of ISTQB. The only problem is that you need at least 10 questions per section. And on the official website, there are only about 70 questions in the "Sample Exam – Questions Sample Exam set A Version 1.0" document in total, and this is a maximum of 1 question per section. That is why we have organized the course in such a way that you have enough questions for preparation.
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Step 3. Every time you make a mistake, read the syllabus topic or section one more time.
In the vast majority of cases, this is the only way to understand why you made a mistake. Unfortunately, there are a certain number of questions 10-20% where reading the syllabus will not help you, for some reason there are no answers to those questions. In those cases, the questions themselves help to learn and understand the theory. In the syllabus you can find these words: "Size reduction of the overall syllabus. Syllabus is not a textbook, but a document that serves to outline the basic elements of an introductory course on software testing, including what topics should be covered and on what level.
Therefore, in particular: o In most cases examples are excluded from the text. It is a task of a training provider to provide the examples, as well as the exercises, during the training". So, in v4.0, the syllabus is shortened in order for you to take an official course from the provider. Of course, an official course from a provider is the best way to prepare for the exam. Unfortunately, this is not possible for everyone, because the course can cost as much as an attempt to pass the exam. That is why we offer our approach as well "A simple approach for ISTQB CTFL exam preparation". And you can choose what suits you
