CSQA Preparation Plan for Sep 17th Exam

Being a QA Professional, all of the CSQA aspirants will know the importance of Project Management. So, why cant we treat this as a project - a Study Project the success of which will only be known through the UAT - the final exam on Sep 16th/17th. If you agree this, I advise all of you to apply project management on this study project and do all the things as a true QA professional. I have just initiated this through the project plan with the WBS and the schedule. You take care of the remaining aspects! Granular scheduling, Risk Management, Periodic monitoring (through revisions) etc.,

 

This is the plan which is purely for those who are going to start from 18th of July. If the aspirants are aware, the exact number of days left for the exam is 60. Out of these 60 there are 16 weekend days (SAT+SUNdays) which the aspirants can avail of very well since this is the time that is free for the most. If you plan it in such a way that the last 15 days are left for the grand REVISION, then you will get 45 days for preparation out of which you will have 14 weekend days. My plan has taken care of these things, though it may not be in exact sync. You replan it suit your needs.

 

I believe many of the aspirants are already through with few domains. You can just use this guidelines if you like.  The aspirants can feel free to tailor it for themselves, according to their convenience.

 

WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.

 

Study  Plan for September 16 th/17th CSQA Aspirants
	1. Quality Principles
	A. Definitions of Quality : Recognize and apply the industry-accepted definitions of quality:
18-Jul-2005	1. Producer's view of quality
18-Jul-2005	2. Customer's view of quality
	B. Quality Concepts : Understand and apply generally accepted quality practices:
18-Jul-2005	1. Cost of quality
19-Jul-2005	2. Plan-Do-Check-Act
19-Jul-2005	3. Six Sigma
19-Jul-2005	4. Benchmarking
19-Jul-2005	5. Continuous improvement
19-Jul-2005	6. Best Practices
	C. Quality Objectives :
20-Jul-2005	1. Improve customer satisfaction
20-Jul-2005	2. Reduce development costs/improve time-to-market capability
20-Jul-2005	3. Improve processes
	D. Quality Attributes - Examples include:
21-Jul-2005	1. Reliability
21-Jul-2005	2. Maintainability
21-Jul-2005	3. Usability
21-Jul-2005	4. Portability
22-Jul-2005	E. Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control : The distinction between those activities which prevent the introduction of defects (flaws, anomalies) and those activities that detect defects in products and services.
	F. Quality Pioneers : Understand the contributions made by people whose names have become synonymous with quality improvement:
22-Jul-2005	1. Deming
22-Jul-2005	2. Juran
22-Jul-2005	3. Crosby
23-Jul-2005	G. Quality Vocabulary : the language used by quality professionals.
	2. Software Development, Acquisition and Operation Processes
	A. Process Knowledge
23-Jul-2005	1. Software Development, Operation and Maintenance Processes. Understanding the processes used in the organization to develop, operate and maintain software systems.
23-Jul-2005	2. Tools . Application of tools and methods that aid in planning, analysis, development operation, and maintenance for increasing productivity. For example, configuration management, estimating, and associated tools.
23-Jul-2005	3. Project Management. Performing tasks to manage and steer a project toward a successful conclusion. <LIDocumentation. Understanding the documents developed in the tester's organization to design, document, implement, test, support, and maintain software systems.
23-Jul-2005	4. Acquisition. Obtaining software through purchase or contract.
24-Jul-2005	Revision
	B. Roles/Responsibilities
25-Jul-2005	1. Requirements. Tasks performed, techniques used, and documentation prepared in identifying, prioritizing, and recording the business needs and problems to be resolved by the new or enhanced system. Also, to assess the testability of requirements.
25-Jul-2005	2. Design. Tasks performed, techniques used, and documentation prepared, in defining the automated solution to satisfy the business requirements. <LIInterfaces.
25-Jul-2005	a. Person/Machine Interfaces. Interfaces that include the operating system and the development languages that are available, as well as the input/output facilities.
25-Jul-2005	b. Communications Interfaces. That include transmission of information between computers and remote equipment ( e.g., transmission of computer data over networks).
25-Jul-2005	c. Program Interfaces. Interfaces for the exchange of information, whether on the same computer, or distributed across multiple tiers of the application architecture.
25-Jul-2005	d. Build and Install. Tasks performed, techniques used, and documentation prepared in building the automated solution to satisfy the business requirements; including installation of software.
25-Jul-2005	e. Maintenance. Software modification activities performed on an operational system to resolve problems (correction), increase functionality (enhancement), meet changing operating environment conditions (adaptation), or improve operational efficiency of speed.
25-Jul-2005	3. Quality Principles. Understanding the tenets of quality and their application in the enterprise's quality program.
26-Jul-2005	4. The "V" Concept of Software Development: The "V" concept relates the build components of development to the test components that occur during that build phase.
	3. Quality Models and Quality Assessment
	A. Purpose of a Quality Model
26-Jul-2005	1. To satisfy business goals and objectives
26-Jul-2005	2. Requirements are imposed by a customer
26-Jul-2005	3. For competitive reasons
26-Jul-2005	4. As a guide (roadmap) to continuous improvement
	B. Industry Quality Models
27-Jul-2005	1. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
27-Jul-2005	2. Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model
28-Jul-2005	3. ISO 9000 / ISO 9004 Quality Management Principles and Guidelines on their Application
29-Jul-2005	4. ISO 12207 - Standard for Information Technology - Life Cycle processes
29-Jul-2005	5. SPICE ISO 15504 - Standard for Information Technology
30-Jul-2005	6. The Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standards
30-Jul-2005	7. The Quality Assurance Institute's Approach to Quality Implementation
31-Jul-2005	Revision
	C. Model Selection Process - How an IT organization selects a model. Criteria may include:
1-Aug-2005	1. Applicability of model to the IT organization's goals and objectives.
1-Aug-2005	2. Management commitment to include needed:
1-Aug-2005	a. Budget
1-Aug-2005	b. Schedule, and
1-Aug-2005	c. Resources
1-Aug-2005	3. Need for Baseline Assessments
1-Aug-2005	4. Need for measurable goals and objectives
1-Aug-2005	D. Using Models for Assessment and Baselines : The concepts and importance of baselines and how baselines can be used to improve IT capabilities.
	4. Quality Management/Leadership
2-Aug-2005	A. Management's Quality Directives
2-Aug-2005	B. Mission Statement
2-Aug-2005	1. Vision
2-Aug-2005	2. Values
2-Aug-2005	C. Quality Assurance Charter
2-Aug-2005	1. Quality Policy
3-Aug-2005	D. Quality Ownership (Establishing Accountability/Responsibility within the Organization)
3-Aug-2005	E. Quality Management Infrastructure . Build an environment that emphasizes activity throughout the organization
3-Aug-2005	F. Quality Management Techniques, Approaches
3-Aug-2005	1. Implement quality models, principles
3-Aug-2005	2. Strategic quality plans
3-Aug-2005	3. Building support for quality - implement activities to involve employees at all levels of the organization, including motivation and recognition.
4-Aug-2005	G. Cultural Change Methods - change detective attitudes to preventive attitudes:
4-Aug-2005	1. Integrate the quality message into daily communications:
4-Aug-2005	1. Content
4-Aug-2005	2. Consistent
4-Aug-2005	2. Visibly spend time daily taking actions to improve quality
4-Aug-2005	3. Enforce consequences of non-compliance
5-Aug-2005	H. Quality Training , focused on these three groups:
5-Aug-2005	1. Executive management
5-Aug-2005	2. Middle management
5-Aug-2005	3. Work force
6-Aug-2005	I. Communication - between management, staff, suppliers and customers.
6-Aug-2005	1. Oral communication
6-Aug-2005	2. Written communication
6-Aug-2005	3. Preparing and giving presentations
7-Aug-2005	Revision
	5. Quality Assurance
8-Aug-2005	A. Quality Champion : The spokesperson for quality within the IT organization; shares responsibility with IT management to market and deploy quality programs.
8-Aug-2005	B. Establishing a Function to Promote and Manage Quality : Build and mature a quality assurance function including staffing, planning, and plan execution.
8-Aug-2005	C. Data-Gathering Techniques : Identifying or developing and using problem reports, and the like, to gather the data that can be used for the improvement of the enterprise's information processes.
9-Aug-2005	D. Problem Trend Analysis : Examination of problem reports, incident reports, etc., to seek out error-prone products, anticipate future error experience, and better manage error-detection resources.
9-Aug-2005	E. Process Identification : Identifying activities that comprise a process so that analysis can be performed.
10-Aug-2005	F. Process Analysis and Understanding : Analysis of the gathered data to understand a process and its strengths and weaknesses and ability to watch a process "in motion" so that recommendations can be made to remove flaw-introducing actions and build upon successful flaw-avoidance and detection actions.
10-Aug-2005	G. Post-Implementation Reviews : Techniqu used to review results of projects after their completion and implementation. Evaluation may include compliance with approved requirements, expected ROI, resource utilization, and so forth.
11-Aug-2005	H. Quality Plan : Develop a tactical quality plan.
	I. Quality Tools : Understanding, using and encouraging the use of quality tools.
11-Aug-2005	1. Management Tools : Demonstrate an understanding of tools such as the pareto chart, cause and effect, and run charts.
11-Aug-2005	2. Problem Identification Tools : Demonstrate an understanding of tools such as flow charts, check sheets, and brainstorming.
11-Aug-2005	3. Problem Analysis Tools : Demonstrate an understanding of tools such as histograms, scatter diagrams, control charts, and force field analysis.
11-Aug-2005	J. Applying Quality Assurance to IT Technologies and IT Technical Practices - The objective of this skill is to identify where and how the Quality Assurance professional can control IT technologies and technical practices such as:
12-Aug-2005	1. Backup and Recovery. Restart application after problems are encountered.
12-Aug-2005	2. Security. Protecting access to your organization's technology assets.
12-Aug-2005	3. Privacy Ensuring customer's confidential data is not compromised.
12-Aug-2005	4. Client server. Identifying risks of distributed processing.
12-Aug-2005	5. Web based systems Reducing development cycle time with disciplined processes.
12-Aug-2005	6. E-Commerce. Brochureware, storefront, or a selling channel.
12-Aug-2005	7. E-Business. A new business strategy built around demand and trust.
13-Aug-2005	8. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Understanding the framework of a new enterprise backbone that integrates back office, production planning, manufacturing, inventory, and delivery processes.
13-Aug-2005	9. Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Understanding how to build a partnership with your most valuable customers.
13-Aug-2005	10. Supply Chain Management (SCM). The umbrella under which products are ordered, created, and delivered.
13-Aug-2005	11. Knowledge Management (KM). The process, once institutionalized, conveys knowledge embedded in its users to others in the organization.
13-Aug-2005	12. Application Service Providers (ASP). A contractual service offering hosting, managing, and access to an application (that is commercially available) from a centrally managed facility.
13-Aug-2005	13. Data Warehousing (DW). A repository of historical data used to make decisions.
13-Aug-2005	14. Outsourcing. Developing a process to solicit service providers (RFP), the process for selecting a service provider, and processes to manage and control expectations and status.
14-Aug-2005	Revision
	6. Quality Control Practices
	A. System of Internal Control
15-Aug-2005	1. Internal System Controls - A basic understanding of typical manual and automated controls within an information system designed to ensure data integrity, process integrity, financial integrity, security, and systems performance.
15-Aug-2005	a. Management Controls - Knowledge of the methods and procedures used by management to provide direction to their staff, and to ensure through governance, accounting, and reporting on the operation of the information system function.
15-Aug-2005	b. Application Controls - Knowledge of how software applications are controlled.
15-Aug-2005	c. Quality Control - Knowledge of that subset of management controls focused on assuring a completed project meets the user's true needs
	B. Verification and Validation
16-Aug-2005	1. Verification Methods
16-Aug-2005	a. In Process Reviews
16-Aug-2005	i. Walkthroughs. - The technique, ranging from informal peer reviews to structured reviews for the purpose of early error detection for removal, is typically used for design products and untested code. Knowledge should cover principles, rationale, rules, and psychology of the technique.
16-Aug-2005	ii. Inspections. Planned and formal technique used to verify compliance of specific development products against their documented standards and requirements. Knowledge should cover purpose, structure (including rules), and roles of participants.
16-Aug-2005	iii. Requirements Tracing. Methods to ensure that requirements are implemented correctly during each software development life cycle phase.
16-Aug-2005	b. Phase-End Reviews Review of products and the processes used to develop or maintain systems occurring at, or near, the completion of each phase of development, e.g., design, programming. Decisions to proceed with development, based on cost, schedule, risk, progress, etc., are usually a part of these reviews. A formal written report of the findings and recommendations is normally provided.
	2. Validation Methods
17-Aug-2005	a. Test Concepts
17-Aug-2005	i. Testing techniques. Knowledge of the various techniques used in testing, such as human (walkthroughs/inspections), white box (logic driven), black box (data driven), Incremental (top-down and bottom-up), and regression. Should cover topics such as purpose, and methods for designing and conducting.
17-Aug-2005	ii. Testing methods. Methods of types such as unit/program, performance (subsets include volume and stress, security, and controls) and recovery.
17-Aug-2005	iii. Regression testing. Verification that current changes have not adversely affected previous functionality.
17-Aug-2005	iv. Independent. The approach of using personnel not involved in the development of the product or system in its testing.
17-Aug-2005	v. System acceptance. Testing of the system to demonstrate system compliance with user requirements.
	b. Test Program Development
18-Aug-2005	i. Planning. Selection of techniques and methods to be used to validate the product against its approved requirements; includes planning for regression testing.
18-Aug-2005	ii. Cases. Development of test objective (cases), including techniques, approaches for verification, and validation of cases.
18-Aug-2005	iii. Procedures. Development, execution, and evaluation of procedures used for testing.
18-Aug-2005	iv. Data. Development of test data. Tools related to generation of test data. Analysis techniques used to evaluate results of testing.
18-Aug-2005	v. Specifications. Creation of test specifications. Knowledge should cover purpose, preparation, and usage.
18-Aug-2005	vi. Scripts. Documentation of the steps to be performed in testing. Focus should be on the purpose and preparation.
18-Aug-2005	vii. Analysis techniques. Tools and methods to access test results.
	c. Test Completion Criteria
19-Aug-2005	i. Code coverage. Knowledge of purpose, methods, and test coverage tools used for monitoring the execution of software and reporting on the degree of coverage at the statement, branch or path level.
19-Aug-2005	ii. Risk. Knowledge of risk assessment and risk abatement techniques used in the testing process.
19-Aug-2005	iii. Error rate. Understanding of mean time between errors as a criterion for test completion.
	C. Software Change Control - The process by which a software change is proposed, evaluated, approved or rejected, scheduled, implemented, closed, and tracked.
19-Aug-2005	a. Project. Change control over the requirements, plans, design, documentation, code, etc., of a particular software project.
19-Aug-2005	b. Environment. Change control over the project management environment that projects function within (i.e., standards, procedures, and guidelines). Also, hardware and operating system (support) software change control.
19-Aug-2005	c. Version Control. Knowledge of controlling multiple releases of configuration items.
	D. Defect Management
20-Aug-2005	a. Defect Recording, Tracking And Correction
20-Aug-2005	i. Defect Reporting and Tracking . Identification of the most common sources of information and the different methods, frequency, and types of reporting.
20-Aug-2005	ii. Corrective Action on Defects. Analyzing problem data and using problem-solving principles such as identification of problems, establishment of applicable objectives, and defining/documenting and applying the appropriate solution.
20-Aug-2005	b. IT Auditing Coordination - Knowledge of IT audit function and how to effectively coordinate with work schedules; response to implementation of IT audit recommendations; and joint projects with the IT audit section of the organization's internal auditing department.
21-Aug-2005	Revision
	7. Define, Build, Implement, and Improve Work Processes
	A. Developing/Building Processes
22-Aug-2005	1. Process development group. The identified group within the enterprise that has the responsibility and authority to identify, acquire, or generate, and install process, across some or all of the enterprise.
22-Aug-2005	2. Process committee. An implementation of the standards group in which the members are not part of a fixed group, but come from the other standardized portions of the enterprise to perform the standards function.
22-Aug-2005	3. Process development process. The methods for process mapping; selection of processes to build; and the procedures to build processes.
22-Aug-2005	4. Implementing a process. Implementing a newly defined process is as complex and risk laden as defining the process and includes training.
	B. Administering Processes
23-Aug-2005	1. On-line standards. Maintenance of approved processes in an automated environment, e.g., using on-line terminals rather than paper manuals.
23-Aug-2005	2. Standards needs assessment. Determination of the needs of the enterprise for new or modified standards, or for the elimination of obsolete or non-beneficial standards.
	C. Compliance and Enforcement
24-Aug-2005	1. Tailoring processes. Modifying existing processes to better match the needs of a project or environment.
24-Aug-2005	2. Waiver. The method by which release from the requirements of a specific process may be obtained for a specific situation.
24-Aug-2005	3. Automated process enforcement. The use of precompilers and other tools to detect noncompliance. In some cases, the tools can correct the noncompliance.
25-Aug-2005	D. Process Improvement Methods - Locating potential process improvements, evaluating them, and providing management with the information and techniques to introduce beneficial modifications to the process.
25-Aug-2005	1. Establish process measures. Collecting measurement data on process performance in use of process improvement.
	E. Externally Developed Standards
26-Aug-2005	1. Sources. Knowledge of where to find standards developed outside the enterprise (e.g., IEEE), which may be useful to the enterprise.
26-Aug-2005	2. Acquisition and customization. Acquiring externally developed standards and adapting them for beneficial use within the enterprise.
27-Aug-2005	3. Technical standards. Standards developed outside the enterprise that may affect the operation, products, or opportunities of the enterprise (e.g., statutory regulations, industry standards and specifications, and other public domain standards).
28-Aug-2005	Revision
	8. Quantitative Methods
	A. Probability and Statistics
29-Aug-2005	1. Statistical process control. Statistical methods used to monitor process performance. Statistics are used for both determining whether or not the processes under control ( i.e., within acceptable variance from standards) and to help identify the root cause of process problems that are causing defects.
29-Aug-2005	2. Random and assignable causes. Statistical methods used to differentiate normal variance in the operation of processes (random), from variances that are associated with the root cause (assignable). Random causes rarely can be eliminated; assignable causes can almost always be eliminated.
29-Aug-2005	3. Problem characteristic analysis. Statistical methods used to accumulate and analyze problems incurred as a result of operating processes.
	B. Measures and Metrics
30-Aug-2005	1. Characteristics of measures and methods. The definitions and concepts.
30-Aug-2005	2. Complexity measurements. Quantitative values accumulated by a predetermined method that measures the complexity of a software product, such as code and documentation.
30-Aug-2005	3. Size measurements. Methods developed for measuring the (primarily software) size of information systems, such as lines of code, function points, etc. Also effective in measuring software development productivity.
30-Aug-2005	4. Defect measurements . Values associated with numbers or types of defects, usually related to system size, such as defects/1000 function points.
	C. Customer Quality Evaluation Measurement Methods
1-Sep-2005	1. Customer satisfaction. Determination of the level of service perceived by the customer including the ability to meet requirements and overall expectation.
1-Sep-2005	2. Service-level agreements. The establishment of a contract with the customer to maintain an agreed upon service level for the customer's application(s).
1-Sep-2005	3. Evaluation methods. An understanding and application of the basic techniques needed to provide consistent reliable results, permitting objective evaluation. (A common method is a questionnaire.)
2-Sep-2005	D. Risk Analysis
2-Sep-2005	1. Using quantitative data to manage. Methods for using quantitative data as a management tool.
3-Sep-2005	REVISION
	GRAND REVISION
4th & 5th Sept	Skill Category-1
5th & 6th Sept	Skill Category-2
6th & 7th Sept	Skill Category-3
7th & 8th Sept	Skill Category-4
8th & 9th Sept	Skill Category-5
9th & 10th Sept	Skill Category-6
10th & 11th Sept	Skill Category-7
11th & 12th Sept	Skill Category-8
13 to 15th Sept	Revise all previous paper questions
16 & 17th Sept	Stay Cool – Wish Yourself All the Best