top ten myths of certification swosqg meeting may 20 2009 swosqg webinar

Top Ten Myths ofCertification

SWOSQG MeetingMay 20 2009

SWOSQG Webinar

Monday, April 10, 2023

South Western Ontario Software Quality Group

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Top Ten Myths

• Based on my experience and conversations with people• I have tried to capture the most frequent and extreme comments• Counting down from 10 to 1

http://www.paulscheer.com/uploaded_images/lm-sd1-755865.jpg



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Myth Number 10

Certification is not worth the effort



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Number 10

• Well it depends on why you would want it in the first place– Job requirement– Personal achievement– Wanting to get a new job and this will assist

• If you are not clear why you want this, then any amount of effort will be seen as too much



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Myth Number 9

You have to take an expensive,tedious course to get certified.



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Number 9

• This will depend on the Certification

• The QAI certifications do not require you to take a certification prep course

• They are offered for those that think they might help them, but not a requirement

• In general, be wary of certifications that require you to take expensive courses



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Myth Number 8

Certification can only be achievedby someone who has read

dozens of books on the subject



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Number 8

• Being well read is always an asset

• It is not, however, a requirement.

• If you have no practical experience, passing these tests will be hard – book smarts will only get you so far

• On the other hand, having read a couple key books will be useful



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Myth Number 7

Certification requires you to havea decade or more of experience

in testing



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Number 7

• Experience, like being well read is an asset – in this case, the more experience the better,

• Requirement for QAI is 6 years experience in IT if you have no education relevant to IT– Some of the new Certifications require less experience

• There is a requirement for some experience, since some of the questions are geared towards real world answers



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Myth Number 6

Certification means more workfor me before and after.



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Number 6

• The only additional work I have found is the re-certification paperwork

• There are a variety of ways to get re-certified credits, to the point that gaining these points should be part of your professional routine

• If you are not doing any of this, then it will be hard to remain current in your field regardless

• Attending meetings, conference, reading, courses



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Myth Number 5

The exam is full of trick questionsand designed to ensure people

fail



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Number 5

• The exam has no ‘trick’ questions

• It is designed to be difficult – but the questions are hard, not tricky – although some do put these two together

• The design is to ensure people who are experienced and knowledgeable, will likely pass – those who are not, will likely fail



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Myth Number 4

Retaining your certification is difficult and have to take a vendor (like QAI) course to

retain it



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Number 4

• False again• No mandated courses are required, and most

vendors that I am aware of do not require you to take vendor courses to remain current

• Taking a QAI course or attending a QAI conference gains you points, but you can get re-certified without ever taking a QAI course



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Myth Number 3

Obtaining your certification proves nothing about

your ability as a tester.



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Number 3

• I would disagree.• Getting your certification proves you have some

knowledge and experiences about the Common Book of Knowledge (Or Subject Matter) the certification covers

• It does not prove you are elite, or more knowledgeable than someone without certification, but it does prove you have ‘some’ knowledge



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Myth Number 2

Certification will make nodifference in how I perform

my day to day job



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Number 2

• Well this one is trickier. It is literally true that the day before I get the certification and the day after I get certified, I will not likely do my job differently

• However, if I am committed to the certification and believe in the CBOK, then I will see things in relation to that, both positive and negative



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Myth Number 1

Certification means I now knoweverything there is to know

about testing!



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Number 1

• Well, for me, this is certainly false.

• One of the things I found going through the certification, is within the CBOK, how much I did not know.

• After that, I continued to dig and I now know that there is more that I still have to learn than I currently know!

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Software Quality Assurance Body of

Knowledge

THE DISCIPLINES’ or PRACTICES’

COMMON BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE

(CBOKS)

Top Ten Myths – The BOKS

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New Tech

Software Quality

Assurance – Common Body of Knowledge


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Software Quality

Assurance – Common Body of Knowledge

QAI’s CSQA CBOK

SQA1 Quality Principles and ConceptsSQA2 Quality LeadershipSQA3 Quality BaselinesSQA4 Quality AssuranceSQA5 Quality Planning

SQA6Define, Build, Implement and Improve Work Processes

SQA7 Quality Control PracticesSQA8 Metrics and MeasurementSQA9 Internal Control and SecuritySQA10 Outsourcing, COTS, and Contracting Quality




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Knowledge

Software Testing –

Common Body of Knowledge


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Software Testing –


QAI’s CSTE CBOK

STE1 Software Testing Principles and ConceptsSTE2 Building the Test EnvironmentSTE3 Managing the Test ProjectSTE4 Test PlanningSTE5 Executing the Test Plan STE6 Test Reporting Process STE7 User Acceptance TestingSTE8 Testing Software Developed by ContractorsSTE9 Testing Internal Control & SecuritySTE10 Testing New Technologies




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Knowledge

Software Project

Management – Common Body of Knowledge


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Software Project

Management – Common Body of Knowledge

PMI’s PMBOK and QAI’s SPM CBOK

PMB1 Project Integration ManagementPMB2 Project Scope ManagementPMB3 Project Time ManagementPMB4 Project Cost ManagementPMB5 Project Quality ManagementPMB6 Project Human Resource ManagementPMB7 Project Communications ManagementPMB8 Project Risk ManagementPMB9 Project Procurement Management

SPM1 SPM Principles and ConceptsSPM2 Risk ManagementSPM3 Managing the Project Staff SPM4 Managing the Schedule and BudgetSPM5 Software Project ControlSPM6 Defining Software RequirementsSPM7 Measurement and Status Reporting

SPM8Processes for Software Development and Deployment

SPM9 Software TestingSPM10 Configuration Management

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Knowledge

Software Engineering – Common Body of Knowledge


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Software Engineering – Common Body of Knowledge

IEEE’s SWEBOK

SWE1 Software requirementsSWE2 Software designSWE3 Software constructionSWE4 Software testingSWE5 Software maintenanceSWE6 Software configuration managementSWE7 Software engineering managementSWE8 Software engineering processSWE9 Software engineering tools and methodsSWE10 Software quality




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Knowledge

Software Business Analyst –



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Software Business Analyst –


QAI’s SBA CBOK and IIBA’s BABOK

SBA1 Quality & Security BasicsSBA2 Management and CommunicationSBA3 Processes and Process ManagementSBA4 Business BasicsSBA5 RequirementsSBA6 Software Development ProcessesSBA7 Acceptance TestingSBA8 COTS Software and Performance Based Contracting

SBA9Business Partner and Customer Implementation Support

BAB1 Enterprise AnalysisBAB2 Requirements Planning and ManagementBAB3 Requirements ElicitationBAB4 Requirements Analysis and DocumentationBAB5 Requirements CommunicationBAB6 Solution Assessment and Validation


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Knowledge

Safety & Security


Safety & Security

Safety and Security extension for integrated CMMs

1. Ensure Safety and Security Competency 2. Establish Qualified Work Environment3. Ensure Integrity of Safety and Security Information 4. Monitor Operations and Report Incidents 5. Ensure Business Continuity6. Identify Safety and Security Risks7. Analyze and Prioritize Risks8. Determine, Implement, and Monitor Risk Mitigation Plan9. Determine Regulatory Requirements, Laws, and Standards10. Develop and Deploy Safe and Secure Products and

Services11. Objectively Evaluate Products12. Establish Safety and Security Assurance Arguments 13. Establish Independent Safety and Security Reporting14. Establish a Safety and Security Plan15. Select and Manage Suppliers, Products, and Services16. Monitor and Control Activities and Products

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Process Engineering

Quantitative Software Process

Management

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Process Engineering

QAI’s CSPE / CQSPE CBOK

• Principles and Concepts of Quantitative Process Management

• Software process, software process improvement and how to implement it in an organization

• Measurement action plan for the quantitative management

• Collection, verification, and organization of the process data

• Apply statistical tools to organize, analyze, and interpret process data

• Analyze and control of the performance of a process and sustain the controlled state of the process

• Initiate and sustain process improvement activities

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Knowledge

CBOKs Define the Professional

Practices


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Process Engineering

Project Mgt

Software Business Analysis

Software Engineering

Quality Control (Testing)

Quality Assurance




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Process Engineering

Project Mgt

Software Business Analysis

Software Engineering

Quality Control (Testing)

Quality Assurance

Critical Communications




Software Testing BOK

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Concepts

Managing

Planning

Execution

Reporting

UAT

COTS

IC&Security

New Tech

Quality Assurance BOKTesting BOKTest Engineer BOK The FOUNDATION

certification (from the Software Certifications division of QAI) for the software testing profession is the Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST).

Concepts

Environment

Managing

Planning

Execution

Reporting

UAT

COTS

IC&Security

New Tech

CAST Exam

Top Ten Myths – Certification Levels




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Concepts

Managing

Planning

Execution

Reporting

UAT

COTS

New Tech

Quality Assurance BOKTesting BOKTest Engineer BOK Evaluating your testing

competencies using the international standard CSTE examination.

Passing the CSTE exam states that you not only know what to do, but how to do it.

Concepts

Environment

Managing

Planning

Execution

Reporting

UAT

COTS

IC&Security

New Tech

CSTEExam





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Concepts

Managing

Planning

Execution

Reporting

UAT

COTS

IC&Security

New Tech

Quality Assurance BOKTesting BOKTest Engineer BOK

As you grow in your career and reach management level, you can access yourself against the “software test management” world class standard by applying to the Certified Manager of Software Testing (CMST) program.

Concepts

Environment

Managing

Planning

Execution

Reporting

UAT

COTS

IC&Security

New Tech

CMSTExam






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Discussion and Questions

Top Ten Myths

top ten myths of certification swosqg meeting may 20 2009 swosqg webinar

Documents

myth number

knowledge slide

subject slide

effort slide

useful slide

testing slide

qai course slide

day job slide