Technology is evolving at an incredible pace, and the software behind it is growing ever more complex. It's what makes QA testing so interesting.
As testers in the field, we live these technical innovations first-hand. To work in QA is to be adaptable. However, supplementing field work with structured learning plays a huge role in staying ahead of the curve.
Side recently achieved Platinum Partner status with the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB). As one of the team members actively getting ISTQB certifications through Side’s internal programme, I wanted to share how it's helped me throughout my career.
In this article, I explore why testers need to keep learning, how testing principles give QA teams a common framework, and what our investment in certification means for testers, teams, and clients.
My ISTQB Journey – Learning, Applying and Growing in QA
I had already been working in Quality Assurance for a few years when I completed my ISTQB Foundation Level certification in 2016. The certification gave me a structured foundation: strengthening my grasp of core testing principles, test design, defect management, and the software testing lifecycle.
Since then, my role has expanded from leading a team of 30+ testers to managing over 150 QA professionals at Side Bangalore. As my scope grew, so did the questions I faced, from testing individual titles well to planning, estimating, and reporting across multiple projects and teams.
Ten years later, I’m still learning. In April 2026, I completed the Advanced Level Test Management certification to deepen my understanding of test strategy, risk management, estimation, and reporting.
That’s the real value of ISTQB certifications. Practical experience teaches you how to navigate a project, but testing principles help you understand why certain approaches work, when to adapt them, and how to improve them. Sometimes they validate what you’re already doing. Other times, they offer a fresh perspective on a familiar challenge.
Why Testing Knowledge Has to Evolve With the Industry
Having worked in QA for many years, I’ve seen testing evolve. Projects have become larger, platforms more complex, release cycles faster, and client expectations higher. As software changes, so do the challenges involved in testing it.
AI is a good example of this shift. It’s rapidly becoming part of how software and games are developed, tested, and supported. So in September 2026, I took the ISTQB Generative AI certification exam and cleared it. Preparing for it encouraged me to think beyond traditional testing and explore how AI can support test analysis, test design, documentation, and productivity, while also understanding challenges such as hallucinations, bias, privacy, and the continued importance of human validation.
As QA professionals, it’s important that we don’t simply become users of AI tools. We should understand their capabilities, limitations and risks, and learn how to use them responsibly within our testing processes, where its outputs need validation, and where human judgement remains necessary. Technology will continue to evolve, and our skills need to evolve alongside it.
Why a Common Testing Language Matters to QA Teams
Certification and learning programmes are most valuable when knowledge doesn’t stop with the individual. When QA teams share a common understanding of testing principles and terminology, discussions around risk, coverage, priorities, and defects become more consistent and meaningful. It’s also easier to align on what needs testing, why it matters, and how to approach it.
While a shared framework guides the general approach, testers still rely on their experience to assess each product or game’s specific risks and priorities.
The benefits of this shared foundation adapt to every stage of a career:
- New testers: Gain a structured roadmap to guide their growth and career development.
- Experienced testers & leads: Reinforce what they know while discovering fresh perspectives on familiar challenges.
- Managers: Get an opportunity to step back and refine how they plan, measure, and communicate testing across projects.
Shared testing principles and terminology help QA professionals understand challenges more clearly and act cohesively.
Side’s Internal Programme
At Side, we have a dedicated global programme for ISTQB certification, funding qualifications for colleagues who want to develop their testing skills. It’s one way we’re building a broader base of certified QA professionals across our teams.
Our Platinum Partner status reflects the progress we’ve made so far. It takes at least 30 certification points and three Advanced Level certificates across a team, so it reflects the qualifications of many people and not one person’s study. The ISTQB pathway also supports our approach to development. We build strong foundations before moving into more specialised areas. Foundation Level certification is a prerequisite for the Generative AI certification, connecting core testing knowledge with newer areas of practice.
Investing in certification is how we help our teams build the knowledge to keep up with a changing industry, and how clients benefit from it. The skills developed through ISTQB, from test design and defect management to risk management, estimation, and reporting, apply across a wide range of software testing workstreams.
How This Ultimately Benefits Our Clients
Our clients may never see the certification itself reflected in a test report, but they should see the outcome of the learning behind it. A stronger testing organisation can ask better questions during requirements discussions, identify risks earlier, develop more appropriate test strategies, communicate findings clearly, and make better decisions when timelines or resources are constrained.
These skills are particularly valuable in games, where requirements can change quickly and testing often needs to scale up or down at short notice. The methods developed to meet these challenges also apply beyond games. The principles hold in areas such as EdTech, IoT, AI systems, and automotive, though the specific approach depends on the product and its risks.
Experience, Structure, and Learning That Keeps Going
After many years in QA, I still believe that experience and learning should complement each other. For me, professional development means continuing to learn, challenging the way we work, sharing that knowledge with our teams, and delivering better outcomes for our clients. And even after all these years, there is always something new to learn.
Quotes
“Experience gives us context; certification gives us structure. Continuous learning helps ensure that neither becomes outdated.”
If you want a QA partner that keeps pace with your software, get in touch.
Interested in a QA career with us? Explore our open roles to find your squad.
