ISTQB CT-UT

Description

Usability testing focuses on evaluating how effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily users can interact with software systems to achieve their goals. It helps identify usability issues, improve user experience (UX), and support human-centered software development.

The ISTQB® Certified Tester Usability Testing (CT-UT) 2.0 certification complements the Foundation Level as a specialist module. It provides software testers and usability professionals with the knowledge and techniques needed to plan, perform, and evaluate usability testing. The updated syllabus also covers usability testing in Agile software development, the use of specialized testing tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) support.

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts of Usability Testing

• Fundamentals
  • Understand the concepts of usability and user experience
  • Understand the objectives of usability and user experience evaluation
• Evaluating Usability and User Experience
  • Compare usability and user experience
  • Understand different evaluation approaches, including usability reviews, usability testing, and user surveys
  • Understand formative and summative usability evaluation
• Usability Evaluation and Human-Centered Design
  • Understand the key elements of human-centered evaluation
  • Understand how user involvement, evaluation, and iterative design contribute to usability

Chapter 2: Risks in Usability and User Experience

• Understand typical usability and user experience risks
• Identify usability risks that are likely to occur in a given project
• Understand typical project risks that may affect usability and user experience evaluation

Chapter 3: Usability Standards

• User Interface Guidelines
  • Understand the general content and purpose of user interface guidelines
• ISO Usability Standards
  • Understand the general content and applicability of relevant ISO usability standards
  • Recognize how usability standards can support the evaluation of software applications

Chapter 4: Usability Reviews

• Introduction and Approach
  • Understand usability reviews as a technique for evaluating usability and user experience
  • Understand the principal steps involved in conducting usability reviews
  • Recognize typical risks and challenges associated with usability reviews
• Types of Usability Review
  • Understand the differences between informal usability reviews and expert usability reviews
  • Apply heuristic evaluation using a given checklist to identify potential usability issues in software applications

Chapter 5: Usability Testing

• Step-By-Step Approach to Usability Testing
  • Understand the principal steps in the usability testing process
• Preparing a Usability Test
  • Understand the content of a usability test plan
  • Understand the content of a usability test script
  • Prepare a simple usability test task for a given project
  • Understand the considerations involved in selecting a usability test location
  • Compare the advantages and disadvantages of using a usability test lab
• Performing Usability Test Sessions
  • Understand the key activities involved in conducting a usability test session
• Analyzing Findings
  • Understand the procedure for analyzing findings from a usability test
• Communicating Test Results and Findings
  • Analyze a usability test report for a given project
  • Understand how to overcome internal resistance to usability findings
  • Apply best practices for reporting and communicating usability test results to stakeholders
• Quality Control of a Usability Test
  • Understand the activities needed to ensure the quality of usability testing
• Challenges and Frequent Errors
  • Recognize common challenges and serious errors in usability testing

Chapter 6: Usability Surveys

• Step-By-Step Approach to User Surveys
  • Understand the purpose of user surveys and the steps involved in conducting them
• Standardized Questionnaires
  • Compare the content and objectives of standardized usability questionnaires, including SUS, SUMI, and WAMMI

Chapter 7: Selecting Appropriate Test Techniques for Usability

• Criteria for Selecting an Evaluation Technique
  • Understand the criteria for choosing appropriate usability and user experience evaluation techniques
  • Apply suitable evaluation techniques to verify and validate usability and user experience in a given project

Chapter 8: Usability Testing in Agile Software Development

• Integrating Usability Testing into Agile Software Development
  • Understand how usability evaluation can be integrated into Agile software development
• Roles in Agile Software Development
  • Understand the role of a Usability Tester in an Agile development environment
• Usability Evaluation Approaches Suitable in Agile Software Development
  • Distinguish between usability evaluation approaches suitable for Agile software development
• Shifting the Focus to User Experience
  • Understand how personas can be integrated into user stories
  • Understand how close collaboration within cross-functional teams supports a greater focus on user experience

Chapter 9: Select and Use Tools for Usability Testing

• Categories of Usability Testing Tools
  • Classify different categories of tools used to support usability testing
• Application of Usability Testing Tools
  • Understand how usability testing tools can support evaluation activities
• Limitations of Usability Testing Tools
  • Understand the limitations of tools used for usability testing

Chapter 10: AI Support for Usability Testing

• Areas in Which AI Can Support Usability Testing
  • Understand the areas in which artificial intelligence (AI) can support usability testing activities
  • Recognize potential applications of AI in the usability testing process