Mastering Test Management and Tools
Test planning and strategy, risk-based testing, monitoring and control, configuration and defect management, and the test tools and automation that support all of it.
Mastering Test Management and Tools
By Board Infinity · Offered on Coursera
- 62 video lessons · 9 readings · 12 assignments
- No software to install - tool categories are covered conceptually
- Shareable certificate on completing the required assessments
- Flexible schedule - learn at your own pace
Planning before execution
Test plans, strategy, estimation and risk-based testing
Shareable certificate
Add it to LinkedIn, a resume or a performance review
Graded, not just watched
12 assignments across the three modules
Everything the course page says, in one place.
Straight from the Coursera course page - no extras, no estimates.
From test plans to test tools.
This course gives you a test management foundation, covering everything from test planning to automation.
Mastering Test Management and Tools is course 3 of Board Infinity's Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep Specialization on Coursera. It covers how testing work is planned, tracked and controlled - and how tools support it.
Module 1 starts with test planning: the purpose and content of a test plan, the tasks of a test leader and tester, test strategy, entry and exit criteria, and estimation techniques. It then moves through project and product risks, risk-based testing, and the techniques and metrics used to monitor and control testing.
Module 2 covers configuration management - its basics, techniques and tools - and the full defect management process, from the objectives of a defect report through false positives and false negatives to the defect lifecycle.
Module 3 is about test tools: selecting the right tools, integrating and implementing them, and the classification of tool types - through to the benefits and risks of test automation. No prior test management experience is required.
For anyone who has to run the testing, not just do it.
The course page describes it as open to software testers, QA professionals, test managers and anyone involved in managing testing activities. No prior QA background is required.
You test, but planning happens elsewhere
See how the work you do gets planned, estimated, prioritised and tracked - and where risk-based testing decides what gets tested first.
You want the structure behind the practice
A structured grounding in test management: plans and strategy, monitoring and control, configuration management and the defect lifecycle.
You are managing testing activities
Entry and exit criteria, estimation, test metrics, defect reporting and how to choose and implement testing tools.
You are exploring tooling for the first time
No prior test management experience is required. Tool categories are introduced conceptually, with selection and implementation covered in module 3.
Four outcomes, in the order the modules build them.
These are the four learning outcomes listed on the Coursera course page, word for word.
Test planning and strategy
Build test plans and strategies using risk-based testing and estimation techniques.
Monitoring and control
Apply monitoring and control techniques to track testing progress using key metrics.
Configuration and defect management
Develop configuration and defect management practices across the full defect lifecycle.
Test tools and automation
Analyze test tools and automation approaches for this testing tools course capstone.
Learn test management with someone in your corner.
Board Infinity's 1:1 coaching is a separate offering from Board Infinity - it is not included in Coursera enrollment for this course, and it is not required to complete it.
See 1:1 coachingCoaching is arranged directly with Board Infinity. Enrollment, lessons, grading and the certificate for this course all happen on Coursera.
Course-first, always
The course stands on its own. Coaching is something you can add if you want a person alongside it.
A practitioner, not a script
Board Infinity matches you with someone working in the field you are moving toward.
Your own context
Where the course teaches the concepts, a coach can talk about how they land in your team.
Entirely optional
Nothing in the syllabus, the assessments or the certificate depends on it.
Three modules, from planning to tools.
Every lesson, reading and assignment exactly as it appears on the Coursera course page. Open a module to see the full breakdown.
- The purpose and content of a test plan, and the tasks for a test leader and a tester
- Test strategy, entry and exit criteria, estimation techniques and test case prioritization
- Project and product risks, risk-based testing, and identifying and mitigating risks
- Techniques for monitoring tests, metrics used in testing, and test control
- The basics of configuration management, plus its techniques and tools
- Defect management and the objectives of a defect report
- False positive and false negative defects, with real-world examples
- The defect lifecycle, including bugs in mobile apps and the test environment
- Tool support for testing: selecting the right tools, integration and implementation
- Test tool classification - test management, requirement, defect and configuration tools
- Static and dynamic analysis, test specification, execution, logging and coverage tools
- The benefits of automation, special considerations, and the risks of test automation
Syllabus content is taken from the course page on Coursera and may be updated there.
The tool categories this course covers.
The course page states that no specific software installation is required - tool categories are covered conceptually, through video lectures and readings. These are the families module 3 classifies.
Test & requirement management
Test management tools and requirement management tools - where test activity and the requirements behind it are organised and tracked.
Defect & configuration tools
Defect management tools and configuration management tools - recording defects through their lifecycle and keeping test assets under control.
Static & dynamic analysis
Review process tools, static analysis tools and dynamic analysis tools - classified in module 3 alongside the other tool families.
Execution, logging & automation
Test design and data preparation tools, execution and logging tools, test harnesses, comparators, coverage measurement and performance testing tools.
The three skills listed on the Coursera course page, and where each one is covered.
Test Planning
Module 1 - test planning, strategy and estimation
- Purpose and content of a test plan
- Tasks for test leader and tester
- Test strategy, entry and exit criteria
- Estimation techniques and test case prioritization
- Test pyramid and test quadrants
Configuration Management
Module 2 - configuration and defect practice
- Basics of configuration management
- Techniques in configuration management
- Tools in configuration management
- Objectives of a defect report
- The full defect lifecycle
Risk Management
Module 1 - risks, risk-based testing and control
- Understanding project risks
- Understanding product risks
- Risk-based testing, with examples
- Identifying and mitigating risks
- Monitoring, metrics and test control
Finish with a shareable certificate.
Complete the required assessments under an active subscription and you earn a certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile, resume or CV, share on social media, and include in a performance review.
This course is an independent educational resource developed by Board Infinity. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or officially associated with ISTQB or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, and it is not official ISTQB preparation material. The certificate is a Coursera course certificate, not an ISTQB certification.
One-click LinkedIn add
Coursera's built-in button places it under Licenses & Certifications on your profile.
Independently verifiable
Every Coursera certificate carries its own verification link that anyone can check.
Earned by assessment
Awarded once you complete all required assessments under an active subscription.
Counts toward the specialization
The same work moves you through the Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep Specialization.
Skills that sit where testing gets managed.
What the course teaches maps directly onto the day-to-day of running testing work. Below is where these skills apply - not a promise about hiring, salary or outcomes.
Write a test plan that holds up
Purpose, content and activities of a test plan, plus entry and exit criteria and who owns what between test leader and tester.
Decide what to test first
Project and product risks, risk-based testing and risk mitigation, plus test case prioritization when there is not time for everything.
Report progress with metrics
Techniques for monitoring tests, the metrics used in testing, and test control when reality diverges from the plan.
Run defects end to end
The objectives of a defect report, false positives and false negatives, and the defect lifecycle from report to resolution.
Keep test assets under control
Configuration management basics, the techniques behind them, and the tool categories that support them.
Choose tools on evidence
Test tool classification, how to select and implement tools, and an honest read on the benefits and the risks of test automation.
The Coursera course page describes the course as suited to software testers, QA professionals, test managers and anyone involved in managing testing activities. Test management skills are one input into these roles among many - this page makes no claim about employment outcomes.
A structured course against scattered self-study.
Plenty of people learn test management from blog posts, videos and whatever their team happens to do. That works - it is just a different shape of effort. Here is the difference in structure, not in quality.
This course is part of a three-course specialization.
Mastering Test Management and Tools is course 3 of the Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep Specialization. Enrolling in this course also enrolls you in the specialization.
Fundamentals of Static Testing
The first course in the specialization.
View on Coursera Course 2Essential Testing Techniques in Software Development
The second course in the specialization.
View on Coursera You are here Course 3Mastering Test Management and Tools
Test planning and risk, configuration and defect management, test tools and automation.
View on CourseraSee the full programme on the Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep Specialization page on Coursera.
Know exactly what you're signing up for.
Common questions
Answered from the Coursera course page, plainly.
The course is open to software testers, QA professionals, test managers and anyone involved in managing testing activities - no prior QA background is required. It is also a fit for anyone exploring testing tools for the first time.
Four things, as listed on the course page: build test plans and strategies using risk-based testing and estimation techniques; apply monitoring and control techniques to track testing progress using key metrics; develop configuration and defect management practices across the full defect lifecycle; and analyze test tools and automation approaches. That is 62 video lessons, 9 readings and 12 assignments across 3 modules.
No prior test management experience is required. Every concept, from test planning through to defect lifecycle management, is explained from first principles with practical examples. The course is listed at beginner level.
No specific software installation is required. The course covers categories of test management, defect tracking and automation tools conceptually, through video lectures and readings. Familiarity with any issue tracker is a bonus, not a requirement.
The course is designed for about 2 weeks of study at 10 hours per week, across 3 modules. Because it is self-paced, you can spread that time over more weeks if that fits your schedule better.
Yes - the course is fully self-paced, so you can fit lessons around your schedule and revisit modules such as risk-based testing or tool selection as many times as you need.
Not exactly. Coursera offers a 7-day free trial that gives you access to the course content - videos, readings, assignments and discussions - during the trial period. After the trial you need an active Coursera subscription to continue, and the certificate is awarded after you complete all required assessments under an active subscription. Current pricing and any financial aid are shown on the Coursera course page.
Yes. Once you complete all required assessments under an active subscription you receive a shareable certificate, which you can add to your LinkedIn profile, resume or CV, share on social media, and include in a performance review.
No. This course is an independent educational resource developed by Board Infinity and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or officially associated with ISTQB or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. It is not official ISTQB preparation material, and the certificate is a Coursera course certificate rather than an ISTQB certification.
Test planning, risk management, test metrics, defect management and tool selection are part of the day-to-day of software testing, QA and test management work - roles such as software tester, QA analyst, QA lead, test manager and test automation engineer. A course is one input among many; this page makes no claim about hiring, salary or outcomes.
It is course 3 of the Software Testing Fundamentals for ISTQB Exams Prep Specialization. When you enroll in this course you are also enrolled in the specialization, and the work you complete here counts toward it.
Yes. This page is Board Infinity's own overview of the course. Enrollment, payment, video lessons, grading and the certificate all happen on Coursera, where the course is hosted.
Want someone alongside you?
Board Infinity 1:1 coaching is a separate, optional service - it is not part of Coursera enrollment for this course.
Ready to start Mastering Test Management and Tools?
Enrollment, lessons, grading and the certificate all happen on Coursera.
- 3 modules, 62 video lessons, 9 readings
- 12 assignments across the three modules
- Beginner level, self-paced, flexible deadlines
- Shareable certificate on completion of the required assessments