“My career is centered around a consistent theme: Enhancing the satisfaction and safety of software customers, users, and developers.” 

As the founder of BBST®, Cem Kaner made it clear from the beginning what the courses aim to achieve: “improve the state of the practice in software testing by helping testers develop useful testing skills and deeper insights into the challenges of the field”. This was revolutionary at the time, as there were hardly any courses looking to foster and grow these particular set of skills.

BBST® never acted as an “easy to achieve certificate” generator. Instead, it built on its initial scope to improve skills and mindsets. This still holds true today.

The first version of BBST® can be traced back to 1994, when Cem Kaner started teaching it, alongside Hung Quoc Nguyen. The course then significantly evolved with guidance and assistance from experts such as James Bach, Elisabeth Hendrickson, Doug Hoffman, and Pat Bond, to name just a few.

Expansion and transformation of BBST® into an online course started in 2000 when Florida Institute of Technology recruited Kaner to teach software engineering. After understanding his students’ learning patterns, Kaner video recorded his lectures so that the students can go through them outside the class, while focusing on the assignments during the class. Rebecca Fiedler’s partnership was instrumental, as the two managed to secure funding from the National Science Foundations to work on redesigning the Foundations course. Once the academic course was mature enough, Kaner and Fiedler adapted the material for an online learning experience and added the other two courses in the series, Bug Advocacy and Test Design. By trademarking the name and offering the courses as a commercial service, the two associates transformed BBST® into a recognizable and valuable brand, making it possible to continue their work on creating the fourth course in the series: Domain Testing.

Over the course of 26 years, a lot of research has gone into picking the right topics and assignments, as well as crafting a precise educational method. Countless tests and peer reviews have contributed to a version that is considered the benchmark in software testing courses.

What makes BBST® special is the practical part of the course, where students are encouraged to work with the notions taught to them. BBST® is also extremely versatile, as it proves useful in both automated and manual testing, regardless of the tools or technologies used. Nowadays, thousands of professionals enjoy a comprehensive course that values its mission, learnings, relevancy, and interactivity.

Read more about Evolution of the BBST® Courses as told by Cem Kaner.

2014 was an extremely important year for us, as it marked the start of our collaboration with Cem Kaner, through KANER, FIEDLER & ASSOCIATES. Having experienced firsthand the power and complexity of the BBST® courses, we were highly motivated to contribute as instructors and promoters of the series.

Since 2019, BBST® has been a trademark of ALTOM. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to continue the mission of improving the state of the practice in software testing, staying true to the educational values that have always defined the BBST® approach.

What’s New?

In response to the rapid rise of Generative AI in the software industry, we’ve made a significant update to all four BBST® courses—Foundations, Bug Advocacy, Test Design, and Domain Testing.

These updates include:

• A dedicated student guide outlining responsible and ethical AI usage during the course.
• Resources to help participants understand the basics of GenAI tools and how they relate to software testing.
• Assignment updates that integrate GenAI tools into testing tasks, helping students explore, evaluate, and reflect on AI-generated output in real-world testing tasks.

Our goal is to support participants not only in learning about AI, but also in building the critical thinking skills needed to use it effectively and responsibly.

Coming Soon: A New Exercise on Oracles

We’re also preparing to release a new hands-on assignment on Oracles in testing—one of the most intellectually challenging topics in BBST® Foundations course. This upcoming exercise will include demonstration videos and guided practice, adding further depth to an already complex subject. While this is still in development, it’s part of our ongoing effort to expand and strengthen BBST®’s practical value.

Looking Ahead

We remain committed to keeping BBST® relevant, rigorous, and deeply practical. For us, BBST® is more than a course—it’s a living body of work that grows along with the craft of software testing.

We’re proud to continue writing new chapters in the BBST® story, and we invite you to join us.

Explore and register for one of our BBST® courses and workshops, available online.