Introduction
The Software Testing Engineering Professional (STEP) certification is awarded by the Global Institute of Professional Management Certification (GIPMC). It is a professional-level credential that treats testing as an engineering discipline: analyzing requirements, planning by risk, designing and running tests, and managing defects.
GIPMC's intended audience includes test engineers and QA professionals, manual testers seeking engineering depth, automation engineers, QA analysts and test leads, developers with testing duties, and people moving into testing roles.
BlueMorpho Learning Solutions is your training and enrollment partner for STEP. We help you understand the exam, plan your preparation and enroll. GIPMC runs the exam and awards the certification.
Key Highlights
- End-to-end testing scope: 13 modules, from requirements analysis and test design to defect management, automation, API testing and a capstone.
- Flexible across delivery models: GIPMC presents STEP as technology-neutral and usable in agile, DevOps and hybrid projects.
- Online proctored exam: 90 objective multiple-choice questions, including scenario-based items, in 120 minutes, with a 70% pass mark.
- Three-year validity: Valid for three years from the date of award, with renewal before expiry.
Curriculum
GIPMC's STEP outline has 13 modules:
- Foundations of Software Testing Engineering: the role of testing in quality, testing as engineering, and a tester's professional and ethical duties.
- Software Development Lifecycle & Testing Integration: testing across lifecycle models, early involvement and working closely with developers.
- Requirements Analysis & Testability: reviewing requirements, checking acceptance criteria and tracing tests back to requirements.
- Test Strategy & Engineering Planning: shaping a strategy, setting scope and priorities through risk-based testing, and estimating effort.
- Functional Test Design Techniques: case design methods, boundary and negative tests, exploratory testing and coverage.
- Test Execution & Validation Practices: running tests in a structured way, recording evidence and managing results.
- Defect Identification & Management: the defect lifecycle, classification, root cause awareness and working with developers on fixes.
- Regression Testing & Test Maintenance: regression strategies, keeping test assets current and stopping old defects from returning.
- Introduction to Test Automation Engineering: what and when to automate, and treating test code like production code.
- API, Integration & System Testing: testing how components work together, stubs, drivers and mocks, API checks and end-to-end scenarios.
- Test Metrics, Reporting & Quality Analysis: judging how well testing works, communicating quality status and improving with data.
- Standards, Governance & Professional Conduct: testing standards and good practice, audit-ready documentation and ethical testing.
- Software Testing Engineering Capstone & Review: an end-to-end scenario combining strategy, execution and a final readiness check.
We help you work through each module and connect it to the projects you test, so you are ready for the scenario questions.
Course Benefits
- Engineering discipline in testing: Move from ad hoc checking to planned, risk-based and traceable testing.
- Exam readiness: Understand the format (90 questions in 120 minutes, 70% to pass) and practise managing your time.
- A credential you can show: On passing, GIPMC awards the STEP certificate to add to your CV and professional profiles.
Post-Course Accomplishments
After completing your STEP preparation and passing the exam, you will be able to:
- Plan by risk: Write a test strategy with clear scope, priorities and estimates.
- Design strong tests: Apply boundary, negative and exploratory techniques linked to requirements.
- Manage defects: Log, classify and track defects to resolution, with attention to root causes.
- Control regression: Maintain regression suites and decide sensibly what to automate.
Exam at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Awarding body | Global Institute of Professional Management Certification (GIPMC) |
| Credential | Software Testing Engineering Professional (STEP) |
| Format | Objective MCQs with scenario-based questions |
| Number of questions | 90 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Delivery | Online proctored |
| Fee (USD) | Certificate: 299 USD (listed price; regular 400 USD). Optional study material: 129 USD (listed price; regular 199 USD). |
| Prerequisites | Not listed on GIPMC's credential page. Ask our team before you enroll. |
| Validity and renewal | 3 years from the date of certification award. Renewal involves professional development or a testing knowledge refresh, a renewal assessment or verification where applicable, and an application before expiry. |
| Retakes | Not stated on GIPMC's credential page. |
Fees are in USD, were checked in October 2026 and can change.
Exam details checked in October 2026. Always confirm on GIPMC's official credential page before booking.
Why Choose BlueMorpho for STEP Certification
- Clear guidance: We explain the exam format, online proctoring and what to buy (the certificate and the optional study material).
- Preparation planned around GIPMC's modules: We help you plan your study around GIPMC's 13 STEP modules and the published exam format.
- Enrollment support: We guide you through enrollment and answer your questions.
Conclusion
STEP suits testers who want to bring engineering rigor to their work. If you want a clear way to build and demonstrate those skills, send us an enquiry to get started.
