Certified Software Development Professional
Encyclopedia
Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) is an ISO-accredited
professional certification
in software engineering
offered by the IEEE Computer Society
to mid-career software development practitioners. To become a Certified Software Development Professional candidates must have four years of qualified, professional software development experience, pass a four-hour, 180-question examination on software engineering principles and practice, and possess at least a bachelor's degree
from an accredited institution
. The CSDP examination tests candidates' proficiency in internationally-accepted, industry-standard software engineering practices. CSDP credential holders are also obligated to adhere to the IEEE/ACM
's Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
of their education and professional qualifications in order to receive authorization to take the CSDP examination. Candidates therefore must submit an application to the IEEE Computer Society
that provides verifiable information regarding their educational background and professional experience.
The Certified Software Development Associate certification is available to graduating software engineers and early-career software professionals who do not meet the eligibility requirements for the CSDP.
. The examination covers content from all 10 primary knowledge areas in the SWEBOK. Below is a list of the topics tested in terms of their proportion of the total examination.
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
professional certification
Professional certification
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task...
in software engineering
Software engineering
Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
offered by the IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Computer Society is a professional society of IEEE. Its purpose and scope is “to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology” and the “professional standing of its members.” The CS is the largest of 38 technical societies...
to mid-career software development practitioners. To become a Certified Software Development Professional candidates must have four years of qualified, professional software development experience, pass a four-hour, 180-question examination on software engineering principles and practice, and possess at least a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from an accredited institution
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
. The CSDP examination tests candidates' proficiency in internationally-accepted, industry-standard software engineering practices. CSDP credential holders are also obligated to adhere to the IEEE/ACM
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
's Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
History
The IEEE Computer Society introduced the CSDP in 2002, and on October 27, 2008, it became the first certification to conform to ISO/IEC 24773 standard for software engineering certification.Determination of Eligibility
Candidates must undergo a peer reviewPeer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
of their education and professional qualifications in order to receive authorization to take the CSDP examination. Candidates therefore must submit an application to the IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Computer Society is a professional society of IEEE. Its purpose and scope is “to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology” and the “professional standing of its members.” The CS is the largest of 38 technical societies...
that provides verifiable information regarding their educational background and professional experience.
The Certified Software Development Associate certification is available to graduating software engineers and early-career software professionals who do not meet the eligibility requirements for the CSDP.
CSDP Examination Content
The CSDP examination content is based on the Guide To The Software Engineering Body of KnowledgeSoftware Engineering Body of Knowledge
The Software Engineering Body of Knowledge is a product of the Software Engineering Coordinating Committee sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society.- Contents of the SWEBOK :...
. The examination covers content from all 10 primary knowledge areas in the SWEBOK. Below is a list of the topics tested in terms of their proportion of the total examination.
- Software requirementsSoftware requirementsSoftware Requirements is a sub-field of Software engineering that deals with the elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation of requirements for software....
11% - Software DesignSoftware designSoftware design is a process of problem solving and planning for a software solution. After the purpose and specifications of software are determined, software developers will design or employ designers to develop a plan for a solution...
11% - Software ConstructionComputer programmingComputer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
9% - Software TestingSoftware testingSoftware testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software...
11% - Software MaintenanceSoftware maintenanceSoftware Maintenance in software engineering is the modification of a software product after delivery to correct faults, to improve performance or other attributes....
5% - Software Configuration ManagementSoftware configuration managementIn software engineering, software configuration management is the task of tracking and controlling changes in the software. Configuration management practices include revision control and the establishment of baselines....
5% - Software Engineering Management 8%
- Software Engineering Process 5%
- Software Engineering Methods 4%
- Software QualitySoftware qualityIn the context of software engineering, software quality refers to two related but distinct notions that exist wherever quality is defined in a business context:...
7% - Software Engineering Professional Practice 5%
- Software Engineering Economics 5%
- Computing FoundationsComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
5% - Mathematical Foundations 3%
- Engineering Foundations 4%