Standards

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Standards Certificates
Mattias Göransson
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Standards Certification Organizations

• Standards
• IEEE
• ISO
• BS7925-X
• Certification Organizations
• ISEB (BCS)
• Quality Assurance Institute

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Four useful Standards

• IEEE 829 Standard for Software Test
  Documentation
• ISO 9126 Software Product Evaluation Standard
• BS7925-1 Glossary of Software Testing Terms
• BS7925-2 Software Component Testing Standard

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IEEE 829 Standard for Software Test
Documentation

• There are eight document types in the IEEE 829
  standard, which can be used in three distinct
  phases of software testing.

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IEEE 829 - Preparation Of Tests

• Test Plan Plan how the testing will proceed.
• Test Design Specification Decide what needs to
  be tested.
• Test Case Specification Create the tests to be
  run.
• Test Procedure Describe how the tests are run.
• Test Item Transmittal Report Specify the items
  released for testing.

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IEEE 829 - Running The Tests

• Test Log Record the details of tests in time
  order.
• Test Incident Report Record details of events
  that need to be investigated.

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IEEE 829 - Completion of Testing

• Test Summary Report Summarise and evaluate
  tests.

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ISO 9126 Software product evaluation standard

• ISO 9126 is the software product evaluation
  standard from the International Organisation for
  Standardisation. This international standard
  defines six characteristics that describe, with
  minimal overlap, software quality.

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ISO 9126 Software product evaluation standard
(1/3)

• Functionality is the set of attributes that bear
  on the existence of a set of functions and their
  specified properties. The functions are those
  that satisfy stated or implied needs.
• Reliability is the set of attributes that bear
  on the capability of software to maintain its
  level of performance under stated conditions for
  a stated period of time.

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ISO 9126 Software product evaluation standard
(2/3)

• Usability is the set of attributes that bear on
  the effort needed for use, and on the individual
  assessment of such use, by a stated or implied
  set of users.
• Efficiency is the set of attributes that bear on
  the relationship between the level of performance
  of the software and the amount of resources used,
  under stated conditions.

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ISO 9126 Software product evaluation standard
(3/3)

• Maintainability is the set of attributes that
  bear on the effort needed to make specified
  modifications.
• Portability is the set of attributes that bear
  on the ability of software to be transferred from
  one environment to another.

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BS 7925-1 Glossary of Software Testing Terms

• Much time and effort is wasted as a result of the
  inability to differentiate adequately between
  Software Testing Terms.
• Moreover, the professional, or technical use of
  these terms is often at variance with the
  meanings attributed to them by lay people.
• It may be ordered from BSI by following the link
  http//bsonline.techindex.co.uk/bsi2/disallowed/di
  sallowed.asp

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BS 7925-2 Software Component Testing Standard

• Test Case Design Techniques
• Test Mesurements Techniques
• It may be ordered from BSI by following the link
  http//bsonline.techindex.co.uk/bsi2/disallowed/di
  sallowed.asp

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BS 7925-3(?) Non-Functional Attributes Testing
Standard

• is on its way!

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Certification Organizations

• Certification Organizations
• Information Systems Examinations Board or ISEB
  (BCS)
• Quality Assurance Institute

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What is software certification?

• Certification is formal recognition of a level of
  proficiency in the information technology (IT)
  quality assurance industry. The recipient is
  acknowledged as having an overall comprehension
  of the disciplines and skills represented in a
  comprehensive body of knowledge for respective
  software discipline.

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Why become certified?

• To gain recognition for testing as an essential
  and professional software engineering
  specialisation by the IT industry.
• To enable professionally qualified testers to be
  recognised by employers, customers, and raise the
  profile of testers.
• To promote consistent and good testing practice
  within all software engineering disciplines.

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Why become certified?

• To enable software suppliers to hire certified
  testers and thereby gain commercial advantage
  over their competitors by advertising their
  tester recruitment policy.
• To provide an opportunity for testers or those
  with an interest in testing to acquire an
  industry recognised qualification in the subject.
  

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ISEB certifications

• There are two levels of ISEB qualification in
  Software Testing
• The Foundation Certificate
• The Practitioner Certificate

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ISEB Foundation Certificate

• The Foundation Certificate is for software
  developers, testers (both technical and user
  acceptance testers), test analysts, test
  engineers, test consultants, and managers
  including test managers, project managers,
  quality managers, - anyone with an interest in
  testing. This certificate provides visible
  evidence that the individual understands the
  basics of software testing.

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ISEB Foundation Certificate

• ISEB Foundation Certificate
• Perform effective testing of software
• Be aware of techniques and standards
• Have an awareness of what testing tools can
  achieve
• Learn where to find more information about
  testing
• Establish the basic steps of the testing process

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ISEB Practitioner Certificate

• The Practitioner Certificate is for experienced
  testing practitioners. This certificate
  demonstrates a depth of knowledge of testing
  topics and the ability to perform testing
  activities in practice.

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ISEB Practitioner Certificate

• ISEB Practitioner Certificate
• Describe strategies for the software testing of
  both new development and the maintenance of
  existing systems
• Describe different strategies for the testing for
  both complete life cycles and individual
  phases
• Plan the testing needed at any level from
  component to user acceptance testing and document
  it in compliance with IEEE Std. 829-1998
• Analyse risks and use the results to prioritise
  the testing
• Specify and design test cases

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ISEB Practitioner Certificate

• ISEB Practitioner Certificate
• Define requirements for an appropriate test
  environment run tests using defined test
  procedures
• Log, analyse and report incidents
• Interact effectively with others such as users,
  developers and managers
• Participate in reviews
• Select and implement tools to support testing
  activities
• Assess testing and development activities for
  possible improvement

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ISEB Certificate 3

• ??

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Quality Assurance Institute - Certifications

• Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA)
• Certified Software Tester (CSTE)

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Questions ?