IEEE Computer Society Needs Beta Testers

I received this a couple of days ago—regardless of whether some form of licensure would be a good idea or not, I think it’s bound to happen eventually, and the IEEE will be a major player.

The IEEE Computer Society—the world’s leading provider of technical information and services to the world’s computing professionals—is developing a program to certify entry-level software developers and engineers. Called the Certified Software Development Associate Program, this program will provide formal recognition of entry-level professionals who have achieved a level of proficiency commonly accepted and valued by the industry and will complement our certification program for mid-level software developers and engineers, the Certified Software Development Professional. To recruit beta testers of the certification exam, we are waiving the test fee for the first 200 qualified candidates. For the beta test only, the Computer Society seeks students in their final year of a program leading to a baccalaureate or equivalent degree and entry-level software developers and engineers who have graduated with a baccalaureate or equivalent degree since November of 2004.

We need at least 200 beta testers to validate content and establish a pass/fail rate. Candidates who pass the beta test will receive the CSDA credential and receive recognition in Computer Society publications and on its Website. We plan to promote the value of the CSDA credential to industry worldwide.

We’re accepting applications through December 28. The exam may be taken through January 31. Click here for an application to participate in the beta test, or visit http://www.computer.org/ce rtification/csda for additional information about the program, including the content outline of the exam. Please forward this to your entry-level colleagues, students, and anyone else you feel might benefit from this opportunity. For questions, contact certification@computer.org. Thank you for supporting this program.

Steve Tockey Chair CSDP Certification Committee and CSDA Examination Development Committee Construx Software

  1. Software Requirements (6-8% questions)
    1. Software Requirements Fundamentals
    2. Requirements Process
    3. Requirements Elicitation
    4. Requirements Analysis
    5. Requirements Specification
    6. Requirements Validation
    7. Practical Considerations
  2. Software Design (7-9% questions)
    1. Software Design Fundamentals
    2. Key Issues in Software Design
    3. Software Structure and Architecture
    4. Human computer Interface Design
    5. Software Design Quality Analysis and Evaluation
    6. Software Design Notations
    7. Software Design Strategies and Methods
  3. Software Construction (8-10% questions)
    1. Software Construction Fundamentals
    2. Managing Construction
    3. Practical Considerations
    4. Construction Tools
    5. Construction Technologies
    6. Product Documentation
  4. Software Testing (6-8% questions)
    1. Software Testing Fundamentals
    2. Test Levels
    3. Test Techniques
    4. Human Computer User Interface Testing and Evaluation
    5. Test-Related Measures
    6. Test Process
  5. Software Maintenance (6-8% questions)
    1. Software Maintenance Fundamentals
    2. Key Issues in Software Maintenance
    3. Maintenance Process
    4. Techniques for Maintenance
  6. Software Configuration Management (2-4% questions)
    1. Management of the SCM Process
    2. Software Configuration Identification
    3. Software Configuration Control
    4. Software Configuration Status Accounting
    5. Software Configuration Auditing
    6. Software Release Management and Delivery
    7. Software Configuration Management Tools
  7. Software Engineering Management (2-4% questions)
    1. Initiation and Scope Definition
    2. Software Project Planning
    3. Software Project Enactment
    4. Review and Evaluation
    5. Closure
    6. Software Engineering Measurement
    7. Software Management Tools
  8. Software Engineering Process (4-6% questions)
    1. Process Implementation and Change
    2. Process Definition
    3. Process Assessment
    4. Measurement
    5. Software Process Tools
  9. Software Engineering Methods (4-6% questions)
    1. Modeling
    2. Types of Models
    3. Analysis
    4. Development Methods
  10. Software Quality (4-6% questions)
    1. Software Quality Fundamentals
    2. Software Quality Management Processes
    3. Software Quality Practical Considerations
  11. Software Engineering Professional Practice (5-7% questions)
    1. Professionalism
    2. Codes of Ethics
    3. Group Dynamics / Psychology
    4. Communications Skills
    5. Intellectual Property, Confidentiality, Security
  12. Software Engineering Economics (3-5% questions)
    1. Software Engineering Economy Fundamentals
    2. For-profit Decision-making
    3. Non For-profit Decision-making
    4. Present Economy
    5. Estimation, Risk, and Uncertainty
    6. Multiple Attribute Decisions
  13. Computing Foundations (8-10% questions)
    1. Programming Fundamentals
    2. Algorithms, Data Structures/Representation (static & dynamic) and Complexity
    3. Problem solving techniques
    4. Abstraction -- use and support for (encapsulation, hierarchy, and so on)
    5. Computer organization
    6. Basic concept of a system
    7. Basic user human factors (I/O, error messages, robustness)
    8. Basic developer human factors (comments, structure, readability)
    9. Operating system basics
    10. Database Basics and Data Management
    11. Network communication basics
    12. Distributed and Parallel Computing
    13. Concepts of programming languages
    14. Debugging Tools and Techniques
    15. Secure Coding
  14. Mathematical Foundations (8-10% questions)
    1. Functions, Relations and Sets
    2. Basic Logic (prepositional and predicate)
    3. Proof Techniques (direct, contradiction, inductive)
    4. Basic Counting
    5. Graphs and Trees
    6. Discrete Probability
    7. Finite State Machines, regular expressions
    8. Grammars
    9. Numerical precision, accuracy, and errors
    10. Number Theory
    11. Algebraic Structures
  15. Engineering Foundations (8-10% questions)
    1. Empirical methods and experimental techniques (such as computer-related measuring techniques for CPU and memory usage)
    2. Statistical analysis (including simple hypothesis testing, estimating, regression, and correlation)
    3. Measurement
    4. Systems development (security, safety, performance, effects of scaling, feature interaction, and so on)
    5. Engineering design (problem formulation, alternative solutions, feasibility, and so on)
    6. Theory of measurement (for example, criteria for valid measurement)
    7. Simulation, Modeling and Conceptual Prototyping
    8. GQM Paradigm
    9. Standards (identify, evaluate, select and adapt)
    10. Tool and platform selection
    11. Root cause analysis

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