ISTQB-UT

Description

Usability testing focuses on measuring a human-made product's capacity to meet its intended purpose. 

ISTQB® Usability Tester certification complements the core foundation level as a specialist module. It provides an theoretical background for testers who are validating the usability of software.

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts of Usability Testing

• Fundamentals
  • Understand the concepts of usability, user experience and accessibility
  • Understand the objectives of usability, user experience and accessibility evaluation
• Evaluating Usability, User Experience and Accessibility
  • Compare usability, user experience and accessibility evaluation
  • Understand the three approaches to usability, user experience and accessibility evaluation: Usability review, usability testing and quantitative user surveys for satisfaction measurement
  • Understand the differences between formative (qualitative) and summative (quantitative) usability evaluation (15 mins)
• Usability Evaluation in Human-Centered Design
  • Understand the key elements of human-centered evaluation
  • Understand the human-centered design process
  • Understand the usability evaluation approaches that work well in agile software development lifecycles

Chapter 2: Risks in Usability, User Experience and Accessibilit

• Understand typical usability, user experience, and accessibility risks
• Analyze a given project at the design or evaluation stage, and identify the types of usability risks that are likely to occur

Chapter 3: Usability and Accessibility Standards

• Usability Standards and Manufacturer Guidelines
  • Understand the general content and applicability of ISO usability standards and manufacturer guidelines to particular types of project/application (45 mins)
• Accessibility Standards
  • Understand the general content and applicability of ISO 9241-171 (Software Accessibility) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to particular types of project and applications
  • Understand the general content of accessibility legislation (UK Equality Act 2010 and Americans with Disabilities Act)

Chapter 4: Usability Reviews

• Introduction and Approach
  • Understand usability review as a method for evaluating usability, user experience and accessibility
• Types of Usability Review
  • Understand the differences between informal usability review and expert usability review
  • Analyze the usability aspects of a software application using the usability review method “heuristic evaluation” according to a checklist provided in the syllabus

Chapter 5: Usability Testing

• Step-By-Step Approach to Usability Testing
  • Understand the principal steps in the usability testing approach (15 mins)
• Preparing a Usability Test
  • Understand the content of a usability test plan
  • Understand the content of a usability test script
  • Define a simple usability test task for a given project
  • Understand considerations to be applied when deciding on a location for usability tests
  • Understand the advantages and disadvantages of a usability test lab
• Conducting a Usability Test Session
  • Understand the key activities in a usability test session
• Analyzing Findings
  • Understand the procedure to apply for analyzing findings from a usability test
  • Understand the classifications and ratings for usability findings
• Communicating Results and Findings
  • Review a usability test report for a given project
  • Understand how to overcome internal resistance to usability findings
  • Apply a given list of best practices to report and communicate results
• Quality Control of a Usability Test
  • Understand the quality control activities for a usability test
• Challenges and Frequent Mistakes
  • Understand the most frequent and serious mistakes in usability testing

Chapter 6: User Surveys

• Step-By-Step Approach to User Surveys
  • Understand the purpose and approach adopted in user surveys
• Standardized Questionnaires
  • Understand the principal content and objectives of the public user questionnaires SUS, SUMI and WAMMI

Chapter 7: Selecting Appropriate Methods

• Criteria for Selecting a Method
  • Select appropriate method(s) for verifying and validating usability, user experience and accessibility in a given project

Chapter 8: Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

• Usability Tester
  • Understand the principal tasks and responsibilities of the Usability Tester
• Moderator and Note-taker
  • Understand the principal tasks and responsibilities of the Moderator and the Note- Taker