Quality Assurance Certification: Options, Testing, and Careers

QA, or quality assurance, includes all aspects related to product design, production, and distribution. If you want to start or advance your quality assurance career, online courses and certificate programmes can offer an excellent starting point. Learn more about quality assurance certificates and certifications, how to earn them, and which jobs you can pursue with a certification.

Quality assurance certifications vs certificates

Quality assurance certifications and certificates are both valuable credentials you can use to enhance your resume, gain new skills, and qualify for specialised roles. However, they serve different purposes and represent different achievements. Certifications are typically earned after passing an exam designed to verify your skills, practical knowledge, and competency with quality assurance practices. In contrast, certificates often represent your completion of training or education. Certificates can be a great way to fill the gaps in your resume, specialise in a certain area of expertise, or break into the field as an entry-level professional. Certifications often require existing experience or education and may not include the training you'll need to pass the certification exam.

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Types of quality assurance certifications available

Quality assurance professionals work in nearly every industry; some certifications are industry-specific. Examples of some of the sectors in which you can find QA certifications include:

• Software

• Hospitality

• Customer service

• Farming and ranching

• Healthcare

• Information technology

• Medical devices

• Food safety

• Automotive

• Manufacturing

Paid and free certificates in quality assurance

As a quality assurance professional, you can complete online courses that award certificates upon completion. You may find these courses helpful for improving your resume or acquiring hands-on experience with industry-standard tools and processes.

• Foundations of Software Testing and Validation offered by the University of Leeds

• Six Sigma Yellow Belt offered by Kennesaw State University

• Six Sigma Green Belt Specialisation offered by Kennesaw State University

• [FREE] Information Systems Auditing, Controls, and Assurance offered by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

• [FREE] Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety offered by the School of Nursing, George Washington University

• Clinical Trials Data Management and Quality Assurance offered by Johns Hopkins University

Software quality assurance certifications to consider

Learn about various quality assurance certifications and the organisations that offer them to advance your career. You will find certifications for all experience levels offered by different providers in the quality assurance field.

ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board)

The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) is a leading software testing certification organisation. It provides an extensive portfolio of certifications that develop, extend, and validate software testing skills. This board is an internationally accepted standard for software testing qualifications. It offers foundational, advanced, and expert skill levels and specialist certifications.

Various providers, including the Indian Testing Board, offer testing for this certification. You can take preparation courses online or prepare on your own. The time it takes to prepare for your exam depends on the level and topic but can vary from two to 10 weeks of study, two to three hours a day, or two to five full days if you take a prep course.

To pursue ISTQB certification, you must begin with the foundation-level Certified Tester certification v4.0, as it is a prerequisite for all other exams. Choose the certificates you want to earn based on your skill level, current position, or the position you hope to advance to on your career path. 

Foundation-level ISTQB certifications

Prerequisites: Everyone can take the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) exam. You must pass the CTFL exam before taking the Certified Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester (CTFL-AT). However, according to the ISTQB, you may skip the CTFL-AT certification if you already hold CTFL certification v4.0.  

Preparation time: Self-study for three to four weeks, two to three hours per day; course prep three full days

• Certified Tester (CTFL): Verifies your foundational knowledge in software testing and is for testers, test consultants, software developers, and other software professionals, as well as anyone who wants to show their basic understanding of software testing

• Agile Tester (CTFL-AT): Affirms you have essential software testing skills to participate in Agile projects and is for software professionals working in Agile environments or who plan to

Note: v4.0 is the latest version of the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level certification [1].

Advanced-level ISTQB certifications

Prerequisites: Before taking any advanced-level exams, you must pass the CTFL (foundation-level) exam and have significant industry experience. To take the advanced-level Agile exams, you must also pass the CTFL-AT first.

Preparation time: Self-study for two to six weeks at two to three hours per day; course prep requires two to four full days

• Technical Test Analyst (CTAL-TTA): Validates your technical software testing skills, such as white box testing, testing automation, and static and dynamic analysis, and is for you if you work in software testing

• Test Analyst (CTAL-TA): Demonstrates your skills as a test analyst across the software development lifecycle and is for you if you are working in test analysis or test design

• Test Manager (CTAL-TM): Shows you have the skills and knowledge needed to manage all testing phases throughout the software development lifecycle and is for you if you have advanced in your quality assurance career and aspire to land a management role

• Agile Technical Tester (CTAL-ATT): Measures your technical software testing skills whilst using the Agile project management approach, including test automation, deployment and delivery, and Agile techniques and is for you if you're a software tester working in Agile environments or aspire to be 

• Agile Test Leadership at Scale (CTAL-ATLaS): Verifies your advanced knowledge and skills in organising and improving quality and testing using Lean and Agile processes and suits quality coaches, members of an Agile team, project managers, test managers, and others in leadership positions who understand Agile testing or whose organisation is moving towards Agile procedures

Note: v3.0 is the newest version of the ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Management certification [2]. The previous version, 2012, will phase out on 30 May 2025 for English and 30 November 2025 for non-English versions of the exam [2].

Expert-level ISTQB certifications

Prerequisites: To take the test management expert certifications, you must pass the CTFL and Advanced Test Manager exams and have seven years of industry testing experience.

Preparation time: Self-study for seven to 10 weeks for two to three hours per day

• Test Management (CTEL-TM): To receive full certification in Test Management at the expert level, you must pass the exams for the following three certifications. These are for you if you have already advanced in your software testing career and would like to show your expertise in a specific area:

  • Managing the Test Team (CTEL-TM-MTT): Acknowledges your management skills in building, developing, and leading software testing teams

  • Operational Test Management (CTEL-TM-OTM): Validates your ability to manage other managers and teams as well as your skills in project risk management, reporting and interpreting test results, and moderating effective meetings

  • Strategic Test Management (CTEL-TM-SM): Ensures you can manage external and internal relationships, evaluate efficiency and effectiveness, and align organisational goals with test policies and strategies

• Improving Test Processes (CTEL-ITP): To receive full CTEL-ITP certification, you must achieve the following certifications. Like the test management certifications, these are for you if you have already advanced in your software testing career and would like to show your expertise in a specific area: 

  • Assessing Test Processes (CTEL-ITP-ATP): Verifies your skills in evaluating and advising on the test process, including choosing and implementing the right approach

  • Implementing Test Process Improvement (CTEL-ITP-ITPI): Validates your ability to improve test processes at the organisational level

Specialist ISTQB certifications

Prerequisites: You must first pass the CTFL exam to take any speciality certification exams.

Preparation time: Self-study for two to six weeks, two to three hours per day; course prep takes two to four full days 

ISTQB speciality certifications focus on quality assurance skills for specific roles or fields. Choose the certificate that matches your current or aspired position:

• Acceptance Testing (CT-AcT)

• Certified Tester Agile Test Leadership at Scale (CT-ATLaS)

• AI Testing (CT-AI)

• Automotive Software Testing (CT-AuT)

• Gambling Industry Tester (CT-GT)

• Game Testing (CT-GaMe)

• Mobile Application Testing (CT-MAT)

• Model-Based Tester (CT-MBT)

• Performance Testing (CT-PT)

• Security Tester (CT-ST)

• Test Automation Engineer (CT-TAE)

• Usability Testing (CT-UT)

Popular career paths for professionals with quality assurance certification 

Obtaining QA certifications can help you advance in your quality assurance career. Quality assurance tester, quality control analyst, and quality assurance engineer are three common career paths in QA. 

Quality assurance tester 

Median base salary (Glassdoor): ₹4,20,000 [3]

As a quality assurance tester, you’ll test products whilst they are still in the production phase to ensure they meet the standards set forth by your company. You would design testing plans, participate in resolving product issues, work as part of a team, and report on your inspection results.

Quality assurance analyst

Median base salary (Glassdoor): ₹6,00,000 [4]

A QA analyst is a step up from a QA tester. You are generally responsible for collecting and analysing the data gathered by testers and reporting it to a quality manager. Using this data, you will problem-solve and make recommendations for improvements. 

Quality assurance engineer

Average annual salary (Glassdoor): ₹5,58,000 per [5]

A QA engineer typically works in the IT industry and is responsible for testing software products throughout development. You will be looking for bugs and potential issues with the software so that you can help solve them before the software goes to market.

Prepare for your next quality assurance role on Coursera

Quality assurance professionals help validate products’ quality prior to launch. If you want to start a career in the QA field, consider obtaining a Professional Certificate to showcase your skill set. 

You can earn credentials whilst you practise the skills you'll need to pass your certification exam on Coursera. Consider enroling in Foundations of Software Testing and Validation offered by the University of Leeds or earning a free course certificate by completing the Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance programme offered by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.