In our workshop series, we will go through a variety of hands-on exercises designed to help you grasp the practical fundamentals of software testing and quality assurance. You will learn essential techniques and approaches used by professional testers to analyse requirements, design test cases, identify defects and ensure software quality. By the end of the course, you will be able to apply these skills to real-world projects, create and execute test cases, effectively report and manage defects. The workshops provide practical experience with core CTFL concepts, preparing you to confidently use them in any software testing environment.
Workshop 1
90 minsSetting the Stage – Test Objectives, Principles & Traceability
What is included:
- Analyse a real-world requirements document to derive meaningful test objectives.
- Explore 7 key principles of effective software testing.
- Create a Requirement-to-Test Traceability Matrix.
- Use Excel or Google Sheets to map requirements, tests, and bugs.
- Demo app walkthrough to contextualise traceability.
Workshop 2
90 minsUnderstanding Test Levels & Types. Confirmation & Regression Testing in Action
What is included:
- Break down Unit, Integration, System & Acceptance Testing.
- Explore functional, performance, usability and other test types.
- See practical demonstrations of confirmation and regression testing in action.
- Hands-on activity to map tests to levels using a sample app.
Workshop 3
~90 minsShift Left – Static Testing & Review Techniques
What is included:
- Learn the key differences between static and dynamic testing.
- Participate in a live peer review exercise.
- Understand roles like author, reviewer and moderator.
- Use real checklists to review requirements or code.
Workshop 4
~90 minsDesign with Impact – Black-Box, White-Box & Exploratory Testing
What is included:
- Apply black-box techniques: Equivalence Partitioning (EP), Boundary Value Analysis (BVA), Decision Tables and State Transition Testing.
- Demonstrate white-box techniques: Statement & Branch Testing and Coverage.
- Run simple coverage tools with sample code.
- Engage in a real-world exploratory testing session using a demo application.
Workshop 5
~90 minsMastering the Process: Defect Reporting, Metrics & Lifecycle
What is included:
- Demonstrate how to create and manage defect reports using tools like JIRA.
- Walk through the complete defect lifecycle from detection to closure.
- Visualise metrics such as defect density, pass/fail rates, and coverage.
- Use dashboards to track testing status and make decisions.
Workshop 6
~90 minsSmart Test Automation: Selenium, Postman & AI Tools in Action
What is included:
- Create Selenium tests to automate a UI-based web flow.
- Test APIs using Postman with GET and POST requests using JSON payloads.
Experience a hands-on demo of AI-driven test automation. - Discuss practical test automation risks and value considerations.
Setting the Stage – Test Objectives, Principles & Traceability
90 minsPrerequisites:
ISTQB® CTFL 4.0 Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Testing
Familiarity with Excel or Google Sheets
This workshop focuses on the "why" behind testing. You’ll explore real-world testing objectives (like quality assurance, risk reduction and defect prevention) and how they relate to business goals. Learn the ISTQB testing principles and apply them to a sample project. You’ll also learn how to build a traceability matrix that links requirements, test cases and defects – an essential tool for audits and ensuring test coverage.
Understanding Test Levels & Types. Confirmation & Regression Testing in Action
90 minsPrerequisites:
ISTQB® CTFL 4.0 Chapter 2: Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle
From unit to acceptance testing, each level serves a unique purpose. This workshop demonstrates how these levels fit into the SDLC. You’ll also explore test types and their benefits. Watch how a defect is fixed and retested (confirmation), and understand how regression tests prevent new issues. We’ll finish with a mapping activity that reinforces learning through real-world examples.
Shift Left – Static Testing & Review Techniques
~90 minsPrerequisites:
ISTQB® CTFL 4.0 Chapter 3: Static Testing
Testing isn’t always about running code – static testing allows early detection of defects without execution. This session dives into walkthroughs, inspections and formal reviews. Participate in a simulated live review with assigned roles and evaluate real or sample documents using structured checklists. You’ll compare this with dynamic testing to see how both methods complement each other.
Design with Impact – Black-Box, White-Box & Exploratory Testing
~90 minsPrerequisites:
ISTQB® CTFL 4.0 Chapter 4: Test Analysis and Design
Optional: basic programming logic for white-box coverage
Test design is the backbone of good software testing and QA. This session applies both behavioural and structural design techniques to generate high-value tests. You'll see how to create tests from rules and conditions, validate code paths using coverage tools and think like a tester during exploratory testing. All demos are conducted using publicly available applications or shared code.
Mastering the Process: Defect Reporting, Metrics & Lifecycle
~90 minsPrerequisites:
ISTQB® CTFL 4.0 Chapter 5: Managing the Testing Process
Learn how to log and manage defects efficiently. This workshop demonstrates practical defect reporting using simple templates and tools. You'll also explore how to interpret testing progress using key metrics like coverage and defect trends. The session supports ISTQB’s process control concepts with real-world examples.
Smart Test Automation: Selenium, Postman & AI Tools in Action
~90 minsPrerequisites:
ISTQB® CTFL 4.0 Chapter 6: Tool Support for Testing
Optional: Familiarity with Selenium, Postman and Python or Java is helpful
This session explores the strategic use of test automation. Using Selenium and Postman, we automate practical scenarios while introducing the role of AI in visual testing. Learners will gain insight into the pros and cons of automation, including stability and maintainability concerns. All tools used are free open-source applications enabling learners to practice independently.