ISTQB is a bad bad thing

ISTQB is a bad, bad thing. Reeeeeally bad thing. And here is why.

First of all, they certify something there are more than one opinion about. Something that has different approaches. Something that is poorly measurable since it depends on efficiency of decision making process. And decades of IQ testing and similar attempts to measure and control human brain and psyche proved it spectacularly inefficient.

Whatever you can read in ISTQB material is just an opinion and a book would suffice to share it. Unfortunately, royalties that only one or even several books can bring is nothing compared with certification system would bring. Basically, you bypass market competition by forcing people into buying books and paying for exams, and you do it by pressuring their employers into pressuring their employees.

Self-education - Using learning matrix to plan and assess your progress

When you are learning something new and you are doing it by yourself, you may want to avoid the usual problems associated with learning, such as losing control and being unable to assess the results. I would like you to consider using learning matrix -- something I designed for myself when I need a really quick start with a new project at work.

In my experience, this approach may be useful when you cannot study full-time and have to do it alongside other activities. Or maybe you are creating a competency matrix or need an assessment tool.

The principle behind this learning matrix is simple. You list all the major areas vertically, and you put levels of qualification horizontally, and what you get is a 2D matrix that describes the area you would like to assess or master. The cells of this matrix contain criteria a learner should meet in order to be able to say, for instance, 'I have level A in functional programming' or 'I have level B in yoga'.

A word of advice. Do not try to make it too big, make sure it is feasible to learn everything you have planned. If you are not sure about some criterion, mark that criterion appropriately, to prevent it from mixing together with the clear ones. If possible, try to make your criteria SMART (simple/specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, time-bound).

The example below is for starting with a project, but you can apply it to an academic subject or learning a skill as well. Please note that criteria add up (which means that you cannot get level B without successfully passing level A).