ISEB Practitioner...Tips....???

[cojak]

I don't think that is of really high value if you are looking to do a fully ITIL-compliant implementation.

I fully agree with you there, but that's why they employ the likes of you and me .

I was thinking more of a Service Ops BAU role...

[malvolio]

It depends how you look at ITIL overall. From where I sit, it is a coherent set of core discpliines that interlink with each other to deliver a cohesive Service Management policy. On that basis, I'm not really interested that you know all about Change Management in an ITIL context, I'd rather you knew all about ITIL. YMMV of course.

The deeper problem is that people see ITIL as a methodology: it isn't, it's a set of best practice guidelines. So while I appreciate a Change Manager will benefit from a deep study of the core disciplines in his trade, overall I don't think that is of really high value if you are looking to do a fully ITIL-compliant implementation.

That's all moot with ITIL3 of course, which has turned the Practitioner level exam into qualifiers for the Managers - so it will take even longer (and cost a lot more) to acheive. Which is why I personally won't bother trying.

[cojak]

I hate to disagree with Mal on this one, but the practitioner courses were (are) 1 discipline* covered over 3 days instead of the manager's cert covering 1 discipline per day.

They cover a a discipline in greater depth than the manager's cert and I would interview the person with a practitioner cert if all other things were equal.

*not sure about the practitioner's cert with 2 disciplines,,,,

[shelby68]

As a Test Manager I take both of them with a pinch of salt.

I used to think they were worth something but I interviewed many TA candidates with the Foundation course who were obviously clueless.

I recently worked on a gig with a "specialist" (permie) testing team all of whom achieved the Foundation via company sponsored courses. None of them had never done any testing in real life! so of course they were constantly asking my advice on how to do things on a real project.

To me, experience and a strong performance at interview are way more important.

However it never fails to amaze me how many gigs advertise Foundation or even Practitioner as a requirement.

Got to agree with that, the foundation ISEB just means you get selected in the pimps DB when they scan applicants for roles, experience will always win over paper qualifications.

I have recently worked with quite a few "qualified" permy Non-functional testers, they couldn't hold a candle to the unqualified but experienced contractors.

[Clippy]

No, which one? There are various disciplines.

I can't comment on testing but under the old ITIL the Practitioner was seen as a cash cow for the examiners, since there is the Manager's certificate above it and why be qualified in one tenth of the whole thing. Under the new flavour you have to acquire a couple of Practitioners before you can sit the Managers...

Handy to know.

So under v2, would you say Practitioner certs are not worth getting?
Even for someone without the breadth or depth to take the Managers cert until a few years time?

[malvolio]

Yes...ISEB Practitioner....

No, which one? There are various disciplines.

I can't comment on testing but under the old ITIL the Practitioner was seen as a cash cow for the examiners, since there is the Manager's certificate above it and why be qualified in one tenth of the whole thing. Under the new flavour you have to acquire a couple of Practitioners before you can sit the Managers...

[gadgetman]

As a Test Manager I take both of them with a pinch of salt.

I used to think they were worth something but I interviewed many TA candidates with the Foundation course who were obviously clueless.

I recently worked on a gig with a "specialist" (permie) testing team all of whom achieved the Foundation via company sponsored courses. None of them had never done any testing in real life! so of course they were constantly asking my advice on how to do things on a real project.

To me, experience and a strong performance at interview are way more important.

However it never fails to amaze me how many gigs advertise Foundation or even Practitioner as a requirement.

I wouldn't bother. I've got the Foundation and the Practitioner certs, and to be honest most people don't know the difference. Do the foundation (3 day course with multiple-guess exam) if you've not already, as it's much cheaper and will achieve the same result.

[Darren_Test]

I wouldn't bother. I've got the Foundation and the Practitioner certs, and to be honest most people don't know the difference. Do the foundation (3 day course with multiple-guess exam) if you've not already, as it's much cheaper and will achieve the same result.

Thanks...I do have ISEB Foundation as well as PRINCE2. I thought Testing Practitioner will be a boost for test management roles...haven't seen this as mandatory though...But I thought some times this could boost my profile a bit, especially when agencies are getting sacks of qualified CVs ....!!!

[Cheshire Cat]

I wouldn't bother. I've got the Foundation and the Practitioner certs, and to be honest most people don't know the difference. Do the foundation (3 day course with multiple-guess exam) if you've not already, as it's much cheaper and will achieve the same result.

[Darren_Test]

Which one - ITIL, PM, Governance, Gateway review...?

Yes...ISEB Practitioner (testing)....

[DiscoStu]

Which one - ITIL, PM, Governance, Gateway review...?

I think it's ISEB Test Practitioner he means.

IIRC it's a 2 week course and rather expensive...

[malvolio]

Which one - ITIL, PM, Governance, Gateway review...?

[Darren_Test]

Guys,

While in bench I thought its good idea to try ISEB Practitioner (testing)exam.

Any one here tried ISEB Practitioner successfully recently..??
How easy to pass this with out going through crash course (pass%..??)..??

Any tips/feedback highly appreciated...

Thanks..