Software Testing Blog

“Certifications are a farce – they simply test your ability to cram for an exam,” cries one tester in a recent uTest forums exchange. “No way – certifications are extremely valuable and establish credibility to the testing world,” replies another tester.

And it goes on and on… As a witness to the ongoing debate, it’s clear that there may never be a meeting of the minds when it comes to certifications. It’s certainly been thought-provoking and entertaining to read through the vicious cycle of pros and cons supporting both camps. Here are several to spark more debate!

Pro-Certifications Camp:

• They provide a base level of knowledge for those interested in the field, including terminology, processes, etc.
• They help testing newbies get their foot in the door of the testing world
• Certain organizations prefer to (or only) hire certified testers
• Passing a certification means that one is serious about testing
• Having a certification differentiates you from the crowd of software testers

Anti-Certifications Camp:

• Certifications bodies take in top money to create certs that simply test your ability to cram for an exam and at best possess knowledge – as opposed to your problem solving skills and how to test
• Passing such exams does not prove anything about testing skills & should not get your foot in the door for a job
• Organizations that prefer certified testers are simply lazy about their interviewing process – looking for a piece of paper or label on the resume vs. looking at the candidates skill set
• Passing a certification simply indicates that you are willing to take the time and money to complete a task
• There are so many certified testers – so what differentiates one from another? More advanced certs? Where’s the limit?

It’s not easy to maintain such high-level discussions, so kudos to members of the uTest community for such stimulating debate and all the while keeping it clean and professional (only minor ego bruises ).

Whether you feel strongly for one camp or not, there’s much to be learned through these healthy debates. Don’t see your favorite reasoning on the list? Please leave it in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.