Learning objectives / Levels of knowledge for ISEB Foundation Exam

Learning objectives / levels of knowledge

The following learning objectives are defined as applying to this syllabus. Each topic in the syllabus will be examined according to the learning objective for it.

Level 1: Remember (K1)
The candidate will recognise, remember and recall a term or concept.

Example
Can recognise the definition of "failure" as:
* "non-delivery of service to an end user or any other stakeholder" or
* "actual deviation of the component or system from its expected delivery,
service or result".

Level 2: Understand (K2)
The candidate can select the reasons or explanations for statements related to the topic, and can summarise, compare, classify and give examples for the testing concept.

Examples
Can explain the reason why tests should be designed as early as possible:
* To find defects when they are cheaper to remove.
* To find the most important defects first.

Can explain the similarities and differences between integration and system testing:
* Similarities:
Testing more than one component, and can test non-functional aspects.
* Differences:
Integration testing concentrates on interfaces and interactions, and system testing concentrates on whole-system aspects, such as end to end processing.

Level 3: Apply (K3)
The candidate can select the correct application of a concept or technique and apply it to a given context.

Examples
* Can identify boundary values for valid and invalid partitions.
* Can select test cases from a given state transition diagram in order to cover all transactions.

Level 4: Analyse (K4)
The candidate can separate information related to a concept or technique into its constituent parts for better understanding, and can distinguish between facts and inferences.

Examples
* Can understand the various options available for risk identification.
* Can describe which portions of an incident report are factual and which are inferref from results.

Level 5: Synthesise (K5)
The candidate can identify and build patterns in facts and information related to a concept or technique, and can create new meaning or structure from parts of a concept.

Examples
* Can design a quality risk analysis rocess that includes both rigorous and informal elements.
* Can create a blended test strategy that uses a dynamic strategy to balance an analytical strategy.
* Can combine aspects of different review processes to form an effective process for their organisation.

Level 6: Evaluate (K6)
The candidate can judge the value of information and decide on its applicability in a given situation.

Examples
* Can determine the relative effectiveness and efficiency of different review processes or different testing techniques.
* Can determine the type of information that should be gathered for an incident report.