Top Ten Myths of Certification

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Top Ten Myths ofCertification

• SWOSQG Meeting
• May 20 2009
• SWOSQG Webinar

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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

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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 achieved by 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 have a 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 work for 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 questions and 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 no difference 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 know everything 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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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
THE DISCIPLINES or PRACTICES COMMON BODIES OF
KNOWLEDGE (CBOKS)
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
New Tech
Software Quality Assurance Common Body of
Knowledge
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Quality Assurance Common Body of
Knowledge QAIs CSQA CBOK
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
Software Testing Common Body of Knowledge
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Testing Common Body of
Knowledge QAIs CSTE CBOK
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
Software Project Management Common Body of
Knowledge
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Software Project Management Common Body of
Knowledge PMIs PMBOK and QAIs SPM CBOK
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Engineering Common Body of Knowledge
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Engineering Common Body of
Knowledge IEEEs SWEBOK
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Business Analyst Common Body of
Knowledge
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Software Business Analyst Common Body of
Knowledge QAIs SBA CBOK and IIBAs BABOK
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
Safety Security
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS

• Ensure Safety and Security Competency
• Establish Qualified Work Environment
• Ensure Integrity of Safety and Security
  Information
• Monitor Operations and Report Incidents
• Ensure Business Continuity
• Identify Safety and Security Risks
• Analyze and Prioritize Risks
• Determine, Implement, and Monitor Risk Mitigation
  Plan
• Determine Regulatory Requirements, Laws, and
  Standards
• Develop and Deploy Safe and Secure Products and
  Services
• Objectively Evaluate Products
• Establish Safety and Security Assurance Arguments
  
• Establish Independent Safety and Security
  Reporting
• Establish a Safety and Security Plan
• Select and Manage Suppliers, Products, and
  Services
• Monitor and Control Activities and Products

Safety Security Safety and Security extension
for integrated CMMs
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS

• 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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Top Ten Myths The BOKS
CBOKs Define the Professional Practices
Software Quality Assurance Body of Knowledge
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS

Quality Assurance
Quality Control (Testing)
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Top Ten Myths The BOKS

Quality Assurance
Quality Control (Testing)
Critical Communications
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Top Ten Myths Certification Levels
Quality Assurance BOK
Test 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).
Software Testing BOK
Testing BOK
ICSecurity
Environment
Reporting
Execution
Managing
New Tech
ICSecurity
Concepts
Planning
Reporting
Execution
Managing
New Tech
Concepts
Planning
UAT
COTS
COTS
UAT
CAST Exam
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Top Ten Myths Certification Levels
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.
Quality Assurance BOK
Test Engineer BOK
Software Testing BOK
Testing BOK
ICSecurity
Environment
Reporting
Execution
Managing
New Tech
Concepts
Planning
Reporting
Execution
Managing
New Tech
Concepts
Planning
UAT
COTS
CSTE Exam
COTS
UAT
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Top Ten Myths Certification Levels
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.
Quality Assurance BOK
Test Engineer BOK
Software Testing BOK
Testing BOK
ICSecurity
Environment
Reporting
Execution
Managing
New Tech
ICSecurity
Concepts
Planning
CMST Exam
Reporting
Execution
Managing
New Tech
Concepts
Planning
UAT
COTS
COTS
UAT
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Top Ten Myths

• Discussion and Questions