FAQ

About booking and attending our courses

Where can I find current course dates?

How can I register myself or my team members for a course at the imbus Academy?

How can I find information on whether there are still free seats for my preferred course date and how do I reserve a seat without an immediate contractual commitment?

How can I make a binding reservation for a seat on a training course if I do not yet have all the necessary documents with me?

How can I find the course site and hotels nearby?

How can I find the starting and end times of my course for planning my trip?

Is it possible to get the training courses (partly) financed through the German Arbeitsagentur (Job Centre) or from other organizations?

About E-Learning in Blended Learning Format

What is e-learning in blended learning format?

Is the format suitable for me?

What do I do if I have problems during the self-study phase?

What is the structure of the blended learning course?

Can I interrupt the course?

What happens if I have to cancel an ongoing course?

How long do I have access to the course content?

What technical requirements do I need to meet in order to participate in the course?

About the contents of the ISTQB^® Certified Tester

Where can I find more about the contents of the ISTQB^® Certified Tester?
 

About the certification exams for the ISTQB^® standard*

How do I find exam dates?

Are there online exams for the ISTQB^® standard?

How much does it cost to take the exam?

How do I enroll myself or a team member for an exam?

What are the prerequisites for enrollment in an ISTQB^® exam, and how do I prove that these prerequisites are fulfilled?

What is the procedure for the exam, what is the structure and duration of the exam?

Why doesn't the trainer also supervise the exam?

When will I receive my certificate?

Are ISTQB^® certificates from previous syllabus versions still valid and compatible?

Is it possible to enroll for an exam without having previously attended a preparation course?

For the current status of our course dates, please refer to our course overview page.

On request, we will be happy to provide you with a list of selected dates to suit your exact requirements. We can also schedule workshops and corporate seminars to meet your specific needs.

Go to one of our online course descriptions, which you can find either on our course overview or via a direct link you have received from us, e.g. by email.

The "Show Dates and Locations" button will take you to the current selection of dates. Clicking on 'book' will take you to the booking page. Once you have completed and submitted the form, all you need to do is click on the confirmation link that will be emailed to you.

If there is no suitable date for you, or if there is an "Request" button on the course page, click on it and send us your questions or requests.

Tip: your online registration for an open course is complete when your browser displays a window with the heading "Your registration for <course name>" and a fat line saying: "Thank you for our registration and the confirmation of your data".

If you do not see this window, you may need to click on the confirmation link that has been sent to you. This link will be in an email marked mith high importance with the sender "imbus Academy <akademie@imbus.de>"  and the subject line: "Your registration for <course name> - Step 3 of 4 - Confirmation of your registration and security check". Occasionally this email is caught by spam filters. If you don't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder.

You can also register by E-Mail, post or fax using your own order form.

Please make sure to provide your contact details so that we can contact you to complete any missing details for your registration and to provide further information about the training dates you have requested.

Please email us your request! We will inform you about available seats and will get back to you, to reserve seats for a set amount of time, according to your requirements.

If you would like to make a binding reservation for a training place (e.g. because you are sure you will attend, but the contractually binding order has to be made via an internal ordering process), please proceed as described above for registering via the course overview and online course description, and include a reference to your separately received registration in the comments field when registering.
We will then treat the registration via our website as a booking and use your separately received registration as the basis of the contract.

Shortly after we receive your registration we will send you a confirmation of your registration, including directions to the training venue and a list of recommended hotels. On request, we can send you both before you register.

Shortly after we receive your registration we will send you a confirmation of your registration which contains the starting and end times of the course and the certification, if applicable. On request , we can send you this and further information prior to your registration.

Our training courses are not certified with the Federal Employment Agency (Arbeitsagentur) of Germany. Therefore, it is, unfortunately, not possible to apply for absorption expenses connected to our courses.

You can get more information about the current options at the Employment Agency.

Other possibilities to receive aid:

It may be worthwhile to inform yourself. In the individual federal states there are special funding programmes such as educational leave or partial funding such as education cheques.

An important argument when applying for funding opportunities can be that certification according to the ISTQB^® Certified Tester Standard is a further qualification for professionals which, due to its worldwide quality assurance, dissemination and attractiveness, can significantly improve the holder's chances of re-entering the labour market or continued employment.

E-learning is a digital form of learning in which you usually complete web-based training on your own, without contact with other learners.

"Blended learning is an extension of classic e-learning.
It is characterised by the alternation of independent and collaborative learning phases. This means that you first acquire the learning content in a self-organised manner - in the form of web-based training courses (WBTs). Then you work with your trainer and your course group to answer any questions you may have in scheduled virtual classroom (VC) workshops. This process continues throughout the course.

The learning content of the WBTs is presented to you in an online tool, a learning management system. imbus offers you a largely integrated environment for this, imbus Digital Learning.

This is the format for you if you like to learn in a self-organised way. However, this format does not leave you "completely alone" and you can communicate with your trainer if you have any questions. Communication with other blended learning participants also contributes to your success in blended learning. You have the opportunity to ask your questions in the joint VC workshops and via the community in imbus Digital Learning.

Your trainer will guide you through the entire learning process. Whether you have technical or content-related questions, you can contact your trainer and your fellow learners at any time via imbus Digital Learning. Through these short communication channels, the blended learning concept also supports your learning flow during the self-study phases.

You can interrupt the self-study sessions at any time.
There is also no obligation to attend the virtual classroom workshops during the course, so your continued participation in the course is not automatically compromised if you are unable to attend one of the workshop dates.
If this happens, you should, however, discuss with your trainer how you can rejoin your learning group, as you will miss the opportunity to clarify any questions you may have about the content of the previous learning phase in plenary.
In addition, you will have access to the course content for some time after the scheduled end of the course and can use this time to fill any gaps in your knowledge.

Get in touch with us. We will find a solution together.

You will have access for the duration of the course. After that, you will have access for another 4 weeks.

• Internet-enabled device
  • Minimum: Desktop, Laptop; Recommended: Large screen
  • Camera or webcam
  • Headset (speakers and microphone can be used, but are not recommended due to possible feedback-loops)
• Stable internet connection
  • Minimum: 2 Mbps download and 128 Kbps upload          
  • Recommended: 4 Mbps download and 512 Kbps upload

Be sure to test the Virtual Classroom Workshop link before the course starts. You will find the link in imbus Digital Learning in your next timetable.

System recommendations for the tools used in imbus Digital Learning

• Browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari (the latest version of each). 
  Note: Please only use Safari for your iOS systems.
• To participate in the Virtual Classroom workshops via YuLinc:
  Operating Systems & Browsers for YuLinc (English version via browser add-on): https://support.netucate.com/ShowKBEx.do?id=15967&supportCenter=CIbzlUCjiZGiM8blo3L2
• To complete various tasks in Virtual Showroom-II, your practice tool:
  Browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (the latest version of each).

Syllabi and the glossary can be downloaded from the download section of the GTB.

When you take a course with certification with us, we offer you the opportunity to register for an exam at the same time and inform you of your options for finding exam dates.

Further exam dates are available from the exam providers of the GTB.

We offer online exams for selected courses. We will inform you of this when you book your course.
Information on the procedure and technical requirements can also be obtained from the exam providers of the GTB.

The cost of taking an exam in conjunction with a course will be displayed when you book the course. This may differ from the cost of taking the exam directly with a certification body. You can find the prices of the certification bodies on their homepages. Please understand that we cannot publish the prices ourselves.

When registering for a course, you can also book the relevant certification exam.
For face-to-face courses, the exam is taken on the last day of the course. If you are interested in taking the exam at a later date, we will let you know how to arrange a suitable date with an licensed exam provider.
For live online seminars, you have the flexibility to choose your exam day.
Please note that there is a separate cost for the certification exam.
If you would like to book an exam without attending a course, you can contact an exam provider directly. You can find these providers on the website of the GTB.

There are no eligibility criteria for the ISTQB^® Certified Tester Foundation Level exam.

The eligibility requirements for the exams for the other modules can be found in the relevant course description under "Your opportunity to take the certification exam".

We will send you a template for providing this evidence after you have booked your place on the course.

Information on the eligibility requirements for each module is also available from the GTB.

Some of the most frequently asked questions about the exams are already answered here. Further information about the structure and modalities of the exams will be provided during the course:
All questions of the Foundation and Advanced Level exams, Specialist modules, and A4Q exams are based on multiple-choice.
For the most common modules, the exam duration is:

• 60 minutes: Foundation Level, Foundation Agile and most Specialist modules.
• 90 minutes: Advanced Level Test Automation Engineer
• 120 minutes: Advanced Level Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst
• 180 minutes: Advanced Level Test Manager

The complete ISTQB examination procedures for all modules can be found on the pages of the ISTQB, at the providers of these courses, at the exam providers of the GTB, or at the GTB itself.

It is part of the quality assurance concept of the ISTQB^® that training providers and trainers do not create exam questions themselves and that providers of accredited courses cannot also be exam providers for the corresponding exams. For this reason, we organize the exams ourselves, but purchase them from one of licensed exam providers.

After receipt of the exam fee and a processing time of approximately two weeks, the certificate will be sent directly by e-mail from the exam providers.

If you have not received your certificate after this time, please contact us. We will be happy to investigate for you.

All ISTQB^® exams that are not at the Expert level are valid for an unlimited period of time. At the Expert level, certificates may be valid for a limited period in the future. Information on this can be obtained from registered GTB exam providers.

As some content has been moved from one module to another in the different syllabus versions, it is worth taking a closer look to see if you have missed any topics in your particular combination of courses. Syllabi and glossaries can be found on the GTB download page. If the syllabus version on which your exam is based is no longer listed there, you can request it from the GTB or from the relevant training provider or exam provider. 

Of course, you will get more out of attending a course than just learning the material. A pure self-study cannot replace the exchange with our experienced trainers and with professional colleagues, but in principle you can also take the exam without having attended a course beforehand.

If you would like to take an exam without having attended a course beforehand, you can contact an licensed exam provider directly. You can find these on the GTB homepage.

*) No responsibility is taken for the correctness of the information about examinations that is provided on this page. You can obtain a comprehensive and possibly also more up-to-date form of this information from the examination provider or from the GTB.

Please write to us ! We will gladly direct your questions to the appropriate authority.