After investing thousands of dollars in attempting to get a software testing certification at the International Institute for Software Testing (IIST), they blacklisted me from taking courses taught by their chairman, necessary to complete said certification.
I first attended one of IIST's international testing certification weeks five years ago. The certification requires certain classes, some of which are taught by Dr. Magdy Hanna. After taking his course, The Principles of Software Testing, I gave him a poor evaluation. I may be one of the few people in the world who actually bothers to provide valuable feedback on surveys and I'm not shy about giving it.
Anyway, two years later I talked my new company into letting me attend another certification week. I was only about three courses away from certification. I registered, signed up for the courses I needed, and bought an airline ticket. About a week later, I got an email saying I could not take one of the courses I signed up for because the instructor would not allow it (due to a poor evaluation I had given him two years earlier).
Was this guy for real? Dr. Magdy Hanna would not return my calls but eventually sent me an email saying since I didn't like his teaching style I would be banned from his classes. Oh, I would have taken someone else's class in a heartbeat but this was the last one I needed and Hanna happened to be the only guy teaching it that week. It would have been nice if they would have told me prior to me registering and buying an airline ticket, which I had to use elsewhere.
Anyway, I hate IIST. Hanna's classes did suck and so did his teaching technique, which was more about his own ego than trying to help anyone become a better tester. That year I attended Michael Bolton's Rapid Software Testing course and learned more than I had learned in all the IIST classes. This year I am attending the Software Test & Performance Conference and next year I hope to try CAST. If you ever have a choice, don't choose IIST.
I first attended one of IIST's international testing certification weeks five years ago. The certification requires certain classes, some of which are taught by Dr. Magdy Hanna. After taking his course, The Principles of Software Testing, I gave him a poor evaluation. I may be one of the few people in the world who actually bothers to provide valuable feedback on surveys and I'm not shy about giving it.
Anyway, two years later I talked my new company into letting me attend another certification week. I was only about three courses away from certification. I registered, signed up for the courses I needed, and bought an airline ticket. About a week later, I got an email saying I could not take one of the courses I signed up for because the instructor would not allow it (due to a poor evaluation I had given him two years earlier).
Was this guy for real? Dr. Magdy Hanna would not return my calls but eventually sent me an email saying since I didn't like his teaching style I would be banned from his classes. Oh, I would have taken someone else's class in a heartbeat but this was the last one I needed and Hanna happened to be the only guy teaching it that week. It would have been nice if they would have told me prior to me registering and buying an airline ticket, which I had to use elsewhere.
Anyway, I hate IIST. Hanna's classes did suck and so did his teaching technique, which was more about his own ego than trying to help anyone become a better tester. That year I attended Michael Bolton's Rapid Software Testing course and learned more than I had learned in all the IIST classes. This year I am attending the Software Test & Performance Conference and next year I hope to try CAST. If you ever have a choice, don't choose IIST.
Labels: software testing career
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Sorry to hear about that. It's sad to hear that even people whom have PhDs aren't rational enough to embrace cricitism and use it in a positive way to better themselves. Their egos would rather have people lie to them about great and wonderful they are. Anyhow, let us know how you REALLY feel about IIST and Dr. Magdy Hanna. Don't hold back!
Also, I didn't know Michael Bolton taught software testing classes. I guess that's how he's making ends meet cuz we all know his singing career isn't making enough to pay the rent on his studio apt.
@ purple crazy crayon
Michael Bolton the software tester, not the singer. :)
I'm in the middle of the first course - Principles of Sofware Testing. I'm doing the pre-recorded online course. I think that my head may explode. There are actually spelling errors on some of the slides! Not to mention that it's ridiculous that they don't provide the slides in a printable format, and the actual WebEx presentation capabilities are shoddy at best.
I wish I hadn't started down this path.