Core module materials
These are the materials for the core modules, Module 1 to Module 17.
| Module | Programme hours | Hours | Folder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 Basics of a programming language | 0–20 | 20 | module-1-basics-of-a-programming-language |
| Module 2 Basics of a browser automator | 20–40 | 20 | module-2-basics-of-a-browser-automator |
| Module 3 Basics of an AI assistant | 40–60 | 20 | module-3-basics-of-an-ai-assistant |
| Module 4 ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level v4.0 | 60–64 | 4 | module-4-istqb-certified-tester-foundation-level |
| Module 5 ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Automation Engineer | 64–88 | 24 | module-5-istqb-certified-tester-advanced-level-test-automation-engineer |
| Module 6 Induction and baseline | 88–95.5 | 6.5 | module-6-induction |
| Module 7 Why and what to automate | 88–103 | 4.5 | module-7-why-and-what-to-automate |
| Module 8 Programming foundations in JavaScript | 95.5–133 | 14.5 | module-8-programming-foundations |
| Module 9 Version control and collaboration | 110.5–133 | 7 | module-9-version-control |
| Module 10 Browser automation fundamentals | 133–155.5 | 17.5 | module-10-browser-automation-fundamentals |
| Module 11 From walkthrough to real test | 155.5–178 | 12.5 | module-11-walkthrough-to-real-test |
| Module 12 API, integration, and FHIR tests | 178–200.5 | 15 | module-12-api-integration-fhir |
| Module 13 Continuous integration and DevOps | 200.5–215.5 | 10 | module-13-continuous-integration |
| Module 14 Safe and lawful test automation in health care | 215.5–230.5 | 7 | module-14-safe-and-lawful-automation |
| Module 15 Quality engineering practice | 223–238 | 6 | module-15-quality-engineering |
| Module 16 Capstone | 230.5–268 | 27.5 | module-16-capstone |
| Module 17 Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, lifetime certification | 268–308 | 40 | module-17-lean-six-sigma-green-belt |
See also the reading list and the accessibility check.
How to read each module
Each module page has the same sections:
- Purpose: why the module exists.
- Outcomes: the learning outcomes (learning outcome ids) from the spec.
- Depth by track: copied from the spec: Read and discuss, With support (apply with support), Independent (apply independently), or Lead or coach (apply and lead or coach others). A dash means the track does not take the module.
- Session plan: sessions, durations, and format. Core sessions are shared by the whole cohort. Breakout sessions are for named tracks.
- Activities.
- Evidence: the evidence id (Evidence 1 to 17), with the variants for each track.
- Assessment: which gate reviews the evidence.
- Resources.
Time
The programme is 308 hours of protected learning time for every track: 60 hours for the basics, Modules 1 to 3; 28 hours for the two ISTQB certifications, Modules 4 and 5; 180 hours for Modules 6 to 16, the role and health care foundations, and Gates 0 to 4; then 40 hours for Module 17, the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Tracks differ in depth, evidence, and capstone, not in hours. The default pace is 7.5 hours a week, 20% of a 37.5-hour working week, so the programme runs over about 41 calendar weeks; the learning agreement may set another pace. Band 3 and Band 4 may extend to 368 hours; their gates then fall at hours 88, 148, 208, 260.5, and 328, and Module 17 runs in hours 328–368.
The timeline is in programme hours, counted from 0. The table below splits the 308 hours into blocks of 7.5 hours (a week at the default pace); every block adds up to 7.5 hours, except the 4-hour Module 4 block, the 1.5-hour block that ends Module 5 with its exam, and the last, which holds the 2.5-hour Green Belt exam. Besides the core modules, the blocks hold:
- Role foundations: 1 hour in every 7.5 hours of learning from hour 95.5 (the individual learning plan meeting in hours 88–95.5 starts it): 23 hours.
- Health care foundations: 1 hour in each block from hour 95.5 to hour 148: 7 hours.
- Gates 1 to 4: 2.5 hours each, at hours 133, 178, 215.5, and 268, for the self-assessment, calibration, and the Part D practical: 10 hours. Gate 0 is part of Module 6.
- Real automation on the team's product: 1.5 hours in each block from hour 155.5 to hour 215.5: 12 hours. From hour 215.5, Module 14 and the capstone use the team's product directly.
| Programme hours | Core modules | Role foundations | Health care foundations | Gate | Real automation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–7.5 | Module 1: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 7.5–15 | Module 1: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 15–22.5 | Module 1: 5, Module 2: 2.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 22.5–30 | Module 2: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 30–37.5 | Module 2: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 37.5–45 | Module 2: 2.5, Module 3: 5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 45–52.5 | Module 3: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 52.5–60 | Module 3: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 60–64 | Module 4: 4 | — | — | — | — | 4 |
| 64–71.5 | Module 5: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 71.5–79 | Module 5: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 79–86.5 | Module 5: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 86.5–88 | Module 5: 1.5, the certification exam | — | — | — | — | 1.5 |
| 88–95.5 | Module 6: 6.5, Module 7: 1 | — | — | Gate 0 within Module 6 | — | 7.5 |
| 95.5–103 | Module 7: 3.5, Module 8: 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 7.5 |
| 103–110.5 | Module 8: 5.5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 7.5 |
| 110.5–118 | Module 8: 3, Module 9: 2.5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 7.5 |
| 118–125.5 | Module 8: 2.5, Module 9: 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 7.5 |
| 125.5–133 | Module 8: 1.5, Module 9: 1.5 | 1 | 1 | Gate 1, 2.5 | — | 7.5 |
| 133–140.5 | Module 10: 5.5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 7.5 |
| 140.5–148 | Module 10: 5.5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 7.5 |
| 148–155.5 | Module 10: 6.5 | 1 | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 155.5–163 | Module 11: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 163–170.5 | Module 11: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 170.5–178 | Module 11: 2.5 | 1 | — | Gate 2, 2.5 | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 178–185.5 | Module 12: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 185.5–193 | Module 12: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 193–200.5 | Module 12: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 200.5–208 | Module 13: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 208–215.5 | Module 13: 5 | 1 | — | — | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| 215.5–223 | Module 14: 4 | 1 | — | Gate 3, 2.5, at hour 215.5, before Module 14 | — | 7.5 |
| 223–230.5 | Module 14: 3, Module 15: 3.5 | 1 | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 230.5–238 | Module 15: 2.5, Module 16: 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 238–245.5 | Module 16: 6.5 | 1 | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 245.5–253 | Module 16: 6.5 | 1 | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 253–260.5 | Module 16: 6.5 | 1 | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 260.5–268 | Module 16: 4 | 1 | — | Gate 4, 2.5 | — | 7.5 |
| 268–275.5 | Module 17: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 275.5–283 | Module 17: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 283–290.5 | Module 17: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 290.5–298 | Module 17: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 298–305.5 | Module 17: 7.5 | — | — | — | — | 7.5 |
| 305.5–308 | Module 17: 2.5, the certification exam | — | — | — | — | 2.5 |
| All | 256 | 23 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 308 |
Track modules for Band 6 and Band 7 (Coaching others in automation from hour 155.5; Acceptance test automation for Band 6 quality assurance from hour 178; Automation strategy and metrics, Frameworks and non-functional testing, and Leading teams through automation adoption from hour 200.5) take part of those tracks' breakout and real automation time. Band 3 does not take Module 12, so Band 3's Module 12 hours go to Role foundations and real automation at Band 3 depth.
Gate 5 is a follow-up about six months after Gate 4, outside the 308 hours. Module 17 has no gate of its own: the certification body's exam and the project review assess it, and a person completes the programme with Gate 4 and Evidence 17.
Other people's time, per participant: the mentor gives a 30-minute start, a 1-hour check-in, and a 1-hour walkthrough in each basics module in hours 0–60 (about 6.5 hours), 1.5 hours per 7.5 learning hours for hours 88–133, then 1 hour per 7.5 learning hours (about 33.5 hours); the line manager 1 hour per 15 learning hours plus 2 hours per gate (about 28 hours); developers about 1 hour per 7.5 learning hours; the training lead 1 hour per 7.5 cohort learning hours in hours 0–60, then 3.75 hours per 7.5 cohort learning hours, for a cohort of up to 12 (98 hours).
View this document on GitHub materials/modules/index.md