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Certified Quality Systems Director - CQSD™ are trademarks of ITQMA (IT Quality Management Association). All rights reserved.
Certification Details
Certified Quality Systems Director - CQSD™
Overview
The concept of software quality is multifaceted, requiring a dual focus on the excellence of the final product and the integrity of the development workflows used to create it. To reach these high standards, quality leaders must balance various strategic objectives and operational duties. The CQSD™® Certification is designed to provide Software Quality Managers with the necessary expertise to navigate these responsibilities. This includes high-level tasks such as evaluating and monitoring organizational capabilities, selecting the right technical tools, and managing the overall quality assurance function. By facilitating process improvements across different projects and acting as an internal consultant for complex challenges, these managers ensure that quality remains the central pillar of the development lifecycle.
In today’s aggressive software marketplace, quality serves as the primary metric for project success and the defining factor in long-term customer loyalty. While superior products drive user satisfaction, poor quality leads to significant dissatisfaction and loss of reputation. The CQSD™® program prepares leaders to analyze how individual process improvements impact the broader organizational ecosystem. It equips them with the skills to manage software quality assurance at a managerial level, ensuring that every update or new feature aligns with international best practices and contributes to a robust, reliable end-user experience.
The Certified Quality Systems Director - CQSD™® designation establishes a global benchmark for evaluating the proficiency of professionals operating at a leadership level within the QA field. Earning this title demonstrates a mastery of both the theoretical principles and the practical management skills required to lead a quality assurance department. For executive leadership, this certification serves as a reliable indicator of a candidate's potential for success in high-level management roles. Simultaneously, it provides IT professionals with an unbiased, objective validation of their leadership capabilities and their ability to oversee the software quality function effectively.
The Certified Quality Systems Director - CQSD™ is a foundational credential awarded by ITQMA to professionals who have demonstrated core competency in project frameworks
E-Course Duration: 20 to 25 Hours
Exam Code: CQSD™-001
Exam Information
The exam comprises of 100 Multiple Choice Questions out of which the candidate needs to score a percentage of 70% (70 out of 100 correct) to pass the exam.
The total duration of the exam is 1 hour 30 Minutes (90 Minutes).
- The exam is conducted in AI-proctored mode and can be taken anytime, anywhere within an eight-month validity period.
- Upon purchasing the Premium Package or an Exam Voucher Code, a voucher code with two attempts will be assigned to your login profile under the "My Vouchers" tab. You can then take the exam through the "My Exam(s)" tab in your profile. To take the exam, simply apply the voucher code.
- The Exam Voucher included in the Premium Package or purchased separately is valid for two (2) attempts. If you are unable to pass the exam within these two attempts, you can purchase a new voucher code, which will grant you an additional two attempts.
- Kindly Note: The voucher will not be valid for a second attempt if you pass the exam on your first attempt.
The Certified Quality Systems Director - CQSD™® Certificate is valid for life.
CQSD™® is a Registered Trademark of ITQMA.
Note: The Certified Quality Systems Director - CQSD™® Certification has a pre-requisite (Completion of an E-Course is mandatory from ITQMA) as maximum number of questions are drawn from the E-Course in the actual exam.
Course Outline
Module 1 – Managing Software Quality
- Quick Overview on Testing
- Software Quality Definition
- SQA and Testing Defined and Distinguished
- The difference between QA and QC
- The software quality assurance
- Role of software quality manager
Module 2 – Skillset of Software Quality Manager
- Managing Software Quality
- Requirement Management and Engineering
- Change Control and Release Management
- Assuring Quality during Development
- Best Practices in Software Testing
Module 3 – Best Practices
- Best Practices in Software Inspections and Reviews
- Defect Tracking and Reporting
- Defect Prevention
- Process Improvement Models
- Lean Software Process
Module 4 – Software Quality Assurance
- Stakeholder Identification
- Developing SQA Plan
- Establishing Budget
- Establishing Mission Objectives
- Selling SQA to Management
- Demonstrating ROI for SQA efforts
- Base lining current software quality lines
- Defining Standards and Methodologies
- Instituting Metrics and Measurements
- Deploying Processes
- Evaluating Methodologies and Automated Tools
- Implementing Defect Studies
Module 5 – Defect Management
- Verification and Validation Method
- Activities of User Acceptance Testing
- Inspections and other forms of peer reviews
- Forms of Inspections and Reviews
- Effective and practical inspections practices
- Code Analysis
- Independent Verification and Validation
Module 6 – Configuration Management
- Principles and activities of software quality management
- Identifying configuration management
- Establishes baselines
- Controlling change
- Lean Software Process
- Establishing and maintaining repositories
- Assuring the integrity of software work products
Module 7 – Risk Analysis
- Risk Analysis and Methodologies
- Risk Identification and Classification
- Establishes baselines
- Risk Prioritization and ranking
- Calculating costs and probability
- Risk reporting
- Monitoring and controlling risks
- Contingency planning and mitigation
Module 8 – Requirement Engineering and Management
- Defining and Validating Requirements
- Quality Vs Functional Requirements
- Different Types of Quality Requirements
- Managing and Maintaining Requirements
- Building a Requirement-Management Process
- Requirement Traceability
- Requirement Change Control