Master Software Testing in Finance

Payments, core banking, regulation: few industries test under stricter rules than finance. In my ISTQB Finance Testing training, you'll learn to test financial systems in a compliant, risk-based, and automated way. With examples from real banking and fintech projects.

What to Expect

Three Good Reasons for Finance Testing

Three qualities that set the ISTQB Finance Testing training apart.

Understand the Finance Industry

Payments, trading, insurance, core banking: learn how financial systems work and why testing them follows its own rules. From PSD2 to DORA to Basel III/IV, you'll understand what regulation means for your tests in concrete terms.

Learn from a Practitioner

ISTQB Finance Testing is the new Specialist certification for the finance industry, released in May 2026. I've been testing software for 25+ years, in projects, not just in seminar rooms. You'll learn from a practitioner, not from someone reading slides.

Practical & Applicable

No dry theory: compliance tests with audit trails, data reconciliation and masking, performance and security, test automation in legacy systems. All things you'll run into daily in finance projects.

A Complete Approach to Your Finance Testing Certification

The training doesn't stop at the exam. What you learn goes straight into real finance projects: banks, insurers, fintechs, and their service providers.

Finance knowledge for testers: how the industry works and what that means for testing
Compliance, risk, data: exercises along the six syllabus chapters
Exam preparation with practice questions and proven strategies
Half the training time goes into test engineering: performance, security, test automation

Richard Seidl on stage giving a software testing keynote

Practical

Testing Financial Systems Professionally

A failed payment run is not a normal bug. In finance, every test case carries regulation and real money. In this training, you'll learn through concrete examples how to prioritize tests by business, technical, and regulatory risk, how to mask and anonymize test data, and how to make test automation work even in grown legacy systems. Pricing on request, depending on group size and format (online/inhouse). A short introductory call is all it takes for a concrete offer. Prerequisite: ISTQB Foundation Level certificate.

ISTQB Finance Testing training in practice

Finance Testing in Detail

What the Training Covers

The module covers finance testing in six chapters.

Introduction to the financial services industry and its systems
Compliance testing: auditability and traceability
Risk-based testing across business, technical, and regulatory risks
Data testing: accuracy, reconciliation, masking, anonymization
Functional and non-functional testing: performance, reliability, security
Test automation in legacy and modern financial systems

New in the syllabus: a dedicated learning objective on using GenAI in finance testing.

Finance Testing course content: participants working with finance testing concepts

Success Stories

25+ years of training experience. Always with practical relevance.

My participants consistently achieve high pass rates and report improved career development after certification.

"I have never experienced anyone who can bring so much fun and motivation to a subject. Theory is always a dry subject, but thanks to Richie, I had a lot of fun in the seminar and was also able to pass the exam successfully. In addition, the seminar and the way it was conducted motivated me to delve even deeper into software testing."

Martin K. Training participant

"I've rarely met anyone who explains complex testing topics as clearly and thoroughly as Richard (Richie) Seidl. He doesn't just teach theory — Richie listens, asks the right questions, and tailors his content to make it immediately applicable to real-world challenges. His deep experience in the field shines through in every interaction, and his passion for software quality is contagious. If you're looking to improve your team's testing knowledge, skills, or culture, Richie is someone I wholeheartedly recommend."

Wilson Campero Qytera Quality GmbH

"Very lively and genuinely funny. You can tell that Richie is passionate about the subject and brings a lot of real experience to the table."

Stefan A. Training participant

"The sessions are lively and entertaining. Even dry topics come across as genuinely interesting. Every question gets a professional answer that actually makes sense."

Thomas L. Training participant

"Always a pleasure working with Richie. Great input, great training."

Mirko Skodzik IT Products Lead

"I've seen Richie at trainings and talks, and every time it was both informative and genuinely engaging. We keep working together, and it keeps being great. Looking forward to future projects. Thank you, Richie. Warmest recommendation."

Pascal Moll Automation Expert

"During a test automation project from 2021 to 2022, I had the good fortune of working with Richie. His comprehensive expertise and experience in software testing, particularly in test automation, made a strong impression on me. With his guidance, I was able to sharpen my skills and develop a much deeper understanding of test processes. I'm genuinely grateful for the lessons I took away from our collaboration."

OÖ

Oytun Öner Senior IT Consultant, AI Adoption & Test Automation

"Recording the podcast was a lot of fun. The atmosphere was very relaxed, like chatting with a good colleague about the topic you love most. Richie asked exactly the right questions, so I always felt well guided and never had to worry about how the conversation would go."

Stefanie Leitner Principal Software and System Testing

Finance Testing: Formats at a Glance

Two learning paths to the ISTQB Finance Testing certificate, plus e-learning in preparation.

2-Day Intensive

Quick start into finance testing

On Request

2 days live (online or on-site)
ISTQB exam fee included
Materials and script
Full access to e-learning (coming soon)
Exam simulation

Recommended

6-Week Program

Deep dive alongside your job

On Request

6 weeks, weekly live session (~2h)
ISTQB exam fee included
Materials and script
Full access to e-learning (coming soon)
Tasks and discussion between sessions

Coming soon

E-Learning

Coming soon

Self-paced at your own speed
ISTQB exam fee included
Interactive learning units
Exam simulation
Lifetime access

Frequently Asked Questions about ISTQB Finance Testing

Still have questions about the ISTQB Finance Testing training? Here you'll find answers to the most common questions.

What is ISTQB Finance Testing?

ISTQB Finance Testing (officially Certified Tester Finance Testing, CT-FT for short) is a Specialist module for testing in the finance industry: banks, fintechs, insurers, regulators, and their service providers. Version 1.0 of the syllabus was released in May 2026. The module builds on the ISTQB Foundation Level.

What are the prerequisites?

A valid ISTQB Foundation Level certificate (CTFL) is mandatory. Experience with financial systems helps but is not required. The training covers the industry knowledge you need.

What does the exam look like?

The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. You need 30 out of 45 points to pass. If you take the exam in a language other than your native one, you get 25 percent extra time.

Who is the training for?

For testers, test analysts, test automation engineers, and test managers in the finance industry. And for everyone else who deals with quality there: business analysts, developers, compliance officers, auditors, and professionals in IT risk, security, and operations.

Is the syllabus available in other languages?

Syllabus, exam, and training materials are available in English only. The training itself I run in German or English, depending on the group.

How long is the certificate valid?

Like all ISTQB Foundation and Specialist Level certificates, the Finance Testing certificate is valid indefinitely.

Get certified as one of the first?

ISTQB Finance Testing was released in May 2026. Secure your spot in the training, online or inhouse. Free introductory call, no pressure.

Podcast Episodes on Testing and Quality

In my podcast, I talk to guests about software testing in practice: methods, tools, automation, and what actually holds up in real projects. 280+ episodes, 210,000+ downloads.

To the Podcast

All Trainings at a Glance

More Trainings by Richard Seidl

Overview

Software Testing Academy

All trainings and certifications at a glance.

ISTQB

Foundation Level

The global entry point into professional software testing.

ISTQB Addon

Practical Tester

Not just knowing test methods, but truly applying them.