1. Growing Importance of IT Certifications Dr. Michael Pregmon, Jr. Executive Vice President Quality Assurance Institute Orlando, Florida

2. Overview Recent Growth in IT Certifications Certification Program Components Typical Certification Process Certification Benefits and Value

3. Quality Assurance Institute Number of new Certified Professionals (CSQA / CSTE)

4. CompTIA’s Experience 2005 Security + Certification:  Grew 28% - 30% higher than expected LINUX+ Certification:  Grew 15% in 2004 over 2003 As a result CompTIA to add:  VoIP Certification  RFID Certification Source: COMPUWORLD Reason : Increased IT Corporate Spending

5. Certification Types Organization  CMMI  Malcolm Baldridge  ISO  Six Sigma Individual  Technical – A+, C++, Linux+. CCIE, CCNP  Professional – CSQA, CSTE, SPICE, CISSP, CICS

6. Certification Program Importance Strong Member Base Program Longevity Program Credibility Education Program Dependency Recertification Process CBOK Devised by Practicing Professionals Certification Board Oversees the Program Code of Ethics Followed

7. Code of Ethics Outlines the ethical behaviors expected of all certified professionals Failure to adhere to the requirements of the Code of Ethics is grounds for decertification of the individual by the Certification’s Governing Board of Advisors The Code

8. Professional Code of Conduct The Code requires that a Certified Professional will: Maintain and improve individual professional competency through continuing study Cooperate in the development and interchange of knowledge for mutual professional benefit Maintain high personal standards of moral responsibility, character, and business integrity I’m your conscience

9. The Recertification Process (Typical Program) The Professional is required to submit 120 credit hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) every three years to maintain certification or take an examination for recertification. –Suggested average 40 credits per year Certified professionals are generally expected to : –Attend professional conferences to stay aware of activities and trends in the profession. –Take education and training courses to continually update skills and competencies. –Develop and offer training to share knowledge and skills with other professionals and the public. –Publish information in order to disseminate personal, project, and research experiences. –Participate in the profession through active committee memberships and formal special interest groups.

10. The Decertification Process Falsifying information on the initial application and/or a CPE reporting form Failure to abide by and support the Certification Program’s Code of Ethics Failure to keep updated and submit the required continuing education credits toward recertification as required

11. Continuing Education Requirements Continuing education is required to ensure that the certified professional maintains an up-to-date technical knowledge, and professional acumen. Certified professionals need to: Recertify periodically or most commonly every three years Suggest averaging 40 hours of CPE credit for each year (120 CPE credits over three years) Acquire credits by study or program attendance in any of the CBOK job dimensions Pursue learning that can be at a company site, through college programs, public and private seminars and conferences, documented self-study, and active membership in professional groups

12. The Process An Independent Certification Board typically establishes the criteria for applications that may be accepted into the program to include that: 1.The candidate’s education and work experience are sufficient to be able to perform the job required by the profession 2.The professional’s work experience encompass a minimum of 75% of the skill domains of the CBOK? 3.The candidate provided sufficient references for verification to support the above? 4.The professional Subscribes to the Code of Ethics

13. Requirements to Obtain Certification 1.Education and/or experience College degree (Baccalaureate or masters) or associates degree and two years experience OR Six years experience in the profession. 2. Competency in Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) Applicant must demonstrate how knowledge of the profession was obtained and provide evidence of job experience.

14. Requirements to Obtain Certification (Cont’d) 3. Provide a testimonial reference Submit a reference contact individual who can attest to your job experience and that you meet the prerequisites in the professional area. 4. Agree to and sign the code of ethics d ocument

15. Requirements to Obtain Certification (Cont’d) 5. Complete, sign and submit application Submit the completed application including supporting documentation. If the application is not accepted, the applicant may have three months to submit additional documentation. 6. Skills Maintenance Certified professionals will be responsible for maintaining their skills by obtaining 120 hours of continuing professional education, over a three- year period in the CBOK job dimensions.

16. Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) [ Example] The ten skill categories a Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA) is expected to master to obtain certification are: Skill Categories 1. Quality Principles and Concepts 2. Quality Leadership 3. Quality Baselines (Assessments & Audits) 4. Quality Assurance 5. Quality Planning 6. Define, Build, Implement and Improve Work Processes 7. Quality Control Practices 8. Metrics &Measurement 9. Internal Control & Security 10. Outsourcing, COTS, and Contracting Quality

17. Typical Certification Program Evolution (Cont’d) Through June, 20XX - qualify by skills and experience July 1, 20XX to December 31, 20XX - option to certify by examination or by skills and experience January 1, 20XX – qualify by examination only

18. Typical Exam Format Four-part examination PartQuestions Type 1 50Objective or multiple choice questions – each question has different point value 2 10Essay or Scenario based - each question has different point value 3 50 Objective or multiple choice questions – each question has different point value 4 10 Essay or Scenario based - each question has different point value Minimum passing score = 75%

19. CSQA/CSTE Exams Currently provided worldwide 4 times per year. Delivered by QAI Federated Chapters or other authorized hosting organizations. 4 Part Examination Part 1 – 45 minutes to answer 50 multiple choice questions Part 2 – 75 minutes to answer 10 essay questions Part 3 – 45 minutes to answer 50 multiple choice questions Part 4 – 75 minutes to answer 10 essay questions To pass the exam, average on all 4 parts must equal or exceed 75%.

20. The extent to which a program satisfies its specifications and fulfills the user’s mission objectives. a.Reliability b.Maintainability c.Correctness d.Testability e.All of the Above The effort required to ensure the program performs its intended function. a.Reliability b.Maintainability c.Correctness d.Testability e.None of the Above Typical Exam Objective Questions

21. Typical CSTE Exam Subjective Question 10. Your company is planning to develop and deploy its first e-commerce application. Knowing that you cannot test on every platform, browser, or operating system, how will you determine that the appropriate platforms selected are adequate to validate project needs and mitigate business risks? From June 2007 CSTE Exam © Copyright / All rights reserved July, 2007

22. Advanced Level Certifications Objective: To prepare individuals to assist organizations to break through the productivity barrier

23. Performance Breakthrough Experience Efficient / Productive Effective (Meets Customer / User Needs) LowHigh Low High A – J = IT Capability Assessments for ten software development projects Capability Barrier Where We Want To Go! A B C D E F G H I J How do we break through that barrier?With our people!

24. Levels of Skill Competency Skill Level TitleSummary Knowledge Associate Understand vocabulary, principles, concepts techniques Competent Practitioner Know the above plus job experience to complete work tasks independently Proficient Manager Attain Engineer competency plus provide direction for and manage an activity LeaderMaster Professional Attain Manager proficiency plus must be proficient with oral and written communication demonstrating leadership in the industry with an ability to innovate

25. Associate (ASTE / ASQA) Successful completion of software quality assurance training Practitioner (CSTE / CSQA) Demonstrating competency in knowing “what to do ” Manager (CSTM / CSQM) Demonstrating competency in knowing “how to do it” Master Professional (MSTP / MSQP) Demonstrating competence in knowing “how to break through quality and productivity barriers ” Staff Competency Certification Emphasis

26. Benefits of Professional Certification Establishes standards for the profession Identifies initial qualifications (Baseline) Provides for continuous personal improvement Encourages: o A definition of job tasks and dimensions o Individual’s willingness to improve professionally o Acknowledgement and attainment of certain standards o Individuals to improve the organization’s quality and productivity programs (Industry Perspective)

27. Benefits of Professional Certification The IT and software testing industry is competitive. Recognition by peers Proof of your profession and skills in the IT field Increased confidence in personal capabilities Indicates a professional level of competence Potentially more rapid career advancement Greater acceptance in the role as advisor to management (Individual Perspective)

28. Specified in Job Descriptions Specific Certifications July 8, 2007 Survey

29. Sampling of current job postings on CareerBuilder.com & Monster.com as of July 8, 2007. McKesson Medical Management - Boston Additional Knowledge & Skills 10+ years overall quality assurance leadership experience with a successful track record of delivering high quality testing deliverables for large commercial products. Must have BS or BA degree (masters degree preferred) with strong academic performance in Information Technology including a mastery of the SDLC. A certification, such as CSTE or CSQA is required.

30. Sampling of current job postings on CareerBuilder.com & Monster.com as of July 8, 2007. Wolters Kluwer – Glendale, California Other Knowledge, Skills, Abilities or Certifications: Familiarity with CSTE Body of Knowledge and/or CSTE certification is a plus Familiarity with SEI-CMMi is a plus;

31. Sampling of current job postings on CareerBuilder.com & Monster.com as of July 8, 2007. Bally Total Fitness – Baltimore, Maryland Job Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience required (concentration in business or technology preferred) QA Certification preferred. (CSQA, CSTE). Other certifications will be considered. Thorough understanding of software change specifications, QA Test Cycle and SDLC Ability to manage multiple projects while maintaining a high degree of efficiency

32. Sampling of current job postings on CareerBuilder.com & Monster.com as of July 8, 2007. Countrywide Financial – Plano, Texas The Ideal Candidate may also possess: Bachelor’s degree in Science/Computer Information Systems, Math or equivalent degree/experience Quality Assurance Certifications, i.e. CSTE, CSQA Experience working with a Rational Unified Process or other development methodologies Working knowledge of several development languages or a background in white box testing (HTML, language (VB, C++, VB Script, Java Script, Java, C#, XML, ASP, etc) is preferred Understanding of Object Oriented Analysis methodologies and tools, including RUP and UML Knowledge of mortgage banking terminology, processes and procedures

33. IT Certification Benefits

34. Certification Value To The Profession : Common Body of Knowledge Competency through examination and experience qualification Code of Ethics To The Individual : Recognition by peers Increased confidence Recognition by management (income and promotions) To The Employer: Improved creditability with customers and Users Improved Productivity by building, improving and measuring processes Independent assessment of quality competencies Improving competency through recertification To Co-Workers: Mentoring the Quality Assurance staff IT staff quality assurance knowledge resource Role model for other QA practitioners Summary

35. IT Professional Certification Enables Organizations to:  Breakthrough that Capability Barrier In Summary By Improving Quality and Productivity

36. Professional Certification Select Group of IT Professionals Making Things Happen Recognized Internationally Enhances Organization by a

37. Attain IT Professional Certification Then

38. Professional Certification Success Celebrate