Which Certification is Best for a QA Tester?

Here are the top 5 certifications that are best for QA testers.

QA testers have told us that their resumes get more attention when they have software testing certifications. So which certification is best for a QA tester? Here are the top 5.

1. ISTQB Foundation Level Certification. ISTQB Foundation Level certification, also called ISTQB CTFL, is the most popular certification in the world and the U.S. for QA testers. Part of its popularity is because it covers the foundational aspects of software QA, which explains the name. ISTQB Foundation Level is also the most popular request for a software testing certification in U.S. job openings. Finally, ISTQB Foundation Level is required before you can take any other ISTQB certification. Given that a huge number of people get ISTQB specialty and advanced level certifications, that helps drive the popularity of the Foundation Level prerequisite.
2. ISTQB Agile Tester Certification. Agile testing has been important to QA testers for many years, so it makes sense that ISTQB Agile Tester certification would also be important. ISTQB Agile Tester certification is popular globally and is the second most popular request among U.S. companies after ISTQB Foundation Level. (For those who already have ISTQB Agile Tester, ISTQB Technical Testing certification is quickly growing in importance.)
3. ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst Certification. It's difficult to choose among the three ISTQB "core" advanced level offerings of ISTQB Test Analyst, ISTQB Technical Test Analyst, and ISTQB Test Manager. You really can't go wrong with any of them, so it's more a decision about which QA tester career path interests you the most. ISTQB Test Analyst certification is the best choice if you enjoy working with internal and external customers on a software QA project. Certainly, if you are in a strong Agile environment, you can substitute ISTQB Technical Testing certification.
4. AT*SQA DevOps Testing Certification. DevOps is one of the hot IT areas and many QA testers have been concerned about how it will affect their career. Worry no more because adding AT*SQA DevOps Testing certification to your list of credentials shows you're ready to be part of a DevOps team. There is no prerequisite, so you can start with AT*SQA DevOps certification if your company has a strong DevOps environment.
5. AT*SQA AT*Micro Credentials. This isn't just one credential, but 10 (and growing) QA testing micro-credentials. While each AT*Micro credential is not technically a certification, if you get all 8 micro-credentials in the Testing Essentials stack, you'll automatically receive the AT*SQA Testing Essentials certification as well, which is quite a nice bonus! These micro-credentials cover a wide variety of testing specialty areas including test techniques, test approaches, performance testing, cybersecurity testing, and many others. The AT*SQA AT*Micro credentials are an easy way to broaden your knowledge of QA testing and really strengthen your resume.

An important benefit of earning these QA testing certifications through AT*SQA is that you can appear on the Official List of Certified & Credentialed Software Testers. Plus you will earn Testing Tiers® ranking points to maximize your level. If you earn an ISTQB certification through AT*SQA you can also appear on the ISTQB successful candidate register, of course.

Do have questions about what the best QA tester certification is for you? Let the friendly AT*SQA support team know how we can help.