CSQE: Certified Software Quality Engineer

Computer Delivered – The CSQE examination is a one-part, 175-question, four-and-a-half-hour exam and is offered in English only. 160 questions are scored and 15 are unscored.

The topics in this Body of Knowledge include additional detail in the form of subtext explanations and the cognitive level at which the questions will be written. This information will provide useful guidance for the Examination Development Committee and the candidates preparing to take the exam. The subtext is not intended to limit the subject matter or be all-inclusive of what might be covered in an exam. It is intended to clarify the type of content to be included in the exam. The descriptor in parentheses at the end of each entry refers to the highest cognitive level at which the topic will be tested. A more comprehensive description of cognitive levels is provided at the end of this document.

Some of the exam topics are:

1. Benefits of Software Quality Engineering within the Organization
1.1 Describe the benefits that software quality engineering can have at the organizational level. (Understand)

2. Ethical and Legal Compliance
2.1 ASQ Code of Ethics for Professional Conduct
Determine appropriate behavior in situations requiring ethical decisions such as identifying conflicts of interest and recognizing and resolving ethical issues. (Evaluate)

2.2 Regulatory and Legal Issues
Describe the importance of compliance to federal, national, international, and statutory regulations on software development (e.g., EU GDPR and China’s Data Protection Laws). Determine the impact of issues such as copyright, trademark, intellectual property rights, product liability, and data privacy [e.g., Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and US Data Protection Laws for personal identifying information (PII)]. (Understand)

3. Standards and Models
Define and describe the ISO standards such as 9000 and 27000, NIST Special Publication 800-53, IEEE software standards, and the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) assessment models. (Understand)

4. Leadership Skills
4.1 Organizational Leadership
Use leadership tools and techniques (e.g., organizational change management, knowledge transfer, motivation, mentoring and coaching, and recognition). (Apply)

4.2 Facilitation Skills
Use facilitation and conflict resolution skills and negotiation techniques to manage and resolve issues. Use meeting management tools to maximize meeting effectiveness. (Apply)

5. Team Management
Use various team management skills including assigning roles and responsibilities, identifying the classic stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning), and monitoring and responding to group dynamics. Work with diverse groups and in distributed work environments. Use techniques for working with virtual, in-person, and hybrid teams. (Apply)