The Certified Quantitative Software Process Engineer (CQSPE) certification aims at developing professionals who have gained the requisite knowledge & skills to help define & implement an organization’s measurement program using Quantitative Software Process Management (QSPM) techniques.

An organization needs to consistently control and improve its processes to deliver products that meet customer requirements and remain competitive. QSPM is a framework that integrates the concept of measurement with software process management. QSPM provides an approach through which objective insight into an organization’s goals and the capability of its processes can be determined.

To qualify for candidacy, each applicant must meet one of five prerequisites:

1. A 4 year degree from an accredited college-level institution
2. A 3 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 1 years experience in the information services field
3. A 2 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 2 years experience in the information services field
4. Three years experience in the information services field
5. Has a current CSPE certification

Depending upon a compliance sample selected according to program criteria, the applicant may be required to provide detailed education and/or employment documentation supporting the prerequisite option selected on the application. If selected for verification, the applicant must supply the documentation to the program. Applicants who fail to provide the requested documentation will not be allowed to sit for the exam or, if the exam has been taken and passed, may be subject to de-certification.

A completed Certification Candidacy Application must be submitted through the Customer Portal for entrance to Software Certifications as a candidate for any particular certification. It should be submitted by individuals who:

• Have met at least one of the above mentioned prerequisites
• Have significant experience and breadth of knowledge to have mastered the basics as discussed in the Principle and Concepts section
• Have reviewed the books, white papers, and web sites listed in the Recommended Reading section

The initial application fee is as follows:

• $200.00
  
  All fee paid in USD (see Payment Policy)

Candidates for certification who rely only on limited experience/education or too few/specific study materials typically do not successfully obtain certification.  Do not apply unless you feel confident that your work/education activities and past experience have prepared you for the examination. Applicants already holding a certification from Software Certifications must submit a new application when deciding to pursue an additional certification.

Once a new application is accepted and approved, the Candidacy begins the date the application fee was processed. The candidate then has 12 months from the date the application fee was processed to take their initial exam. If after the 12-month period the candidate has yet to take the initial exam their candidacy will expire. The candidate must then reapply for candidacy and pay the current application fee to begin the process again.

If the initial exam is taken inside that 12-month period, a second or third sitting, if required, must be completed within 24 months from the date the original application fee was processed. After the 24-month period has elapsed their candidacy will expire. The candidate must then reapply for candidacy and pay the current application fee to begin the process again.

Candidates for the CQSPE certification are tested on the candidate’s knowledge and practice of the skill areas defined in the Principles and Concepts and Recommended Reading sections. The exam itself is a three-part paper-based exam consisting of one section - multiple choice (40 questions - objective), one section - short answer / essay (12 questions - subjective), and one section - case study (1 each). The exam will take over 2 hours to complete which includes breaks (3 - 10 minutes each). To pass the CSPE certification exam, the candidate needs to

1. Attain a minimum of 60% in each section
2. Attain an overall score of 70% or more

Locating a Prometric Test Center

• Click Here to Go to Prometric's site.
• Once you get to the Prometric site, click the Start tab.
• Enter the Country / State where you wish to sit, then hit Next.
• Find the Locate a Test Site link and click.
• Make your Exam Selection** from the drop-down, then hit Next.
  **NOTE: CSTE / CSQA exams are the only available selections in the drop-down so simply select either one to continue.
• All available site in the area selected will appear.
• To refine your search and locate alternative testing locations, simply enter a specific address, city or zip/postal code where you wish to take your test.

To schedule a CQSPE certification exam at a Prometric Test Center a candidate must follow the instructions listed below.

Sponsored Site exams are ONLY offered in India, Brazil, China, and Sri Lanka. See Sponsored Site Examination Schedule for the complete schedule.

All candidates must first apply online and have paid the application fee through the Customer Service Portal before scheduling an exam at a Sponsored Site. You MUST schedule your examination at least 30 days before the selected examination date in order to reserve a seat.

To schedule a CQSPE certification exam at a Sponsored Site a candidate must follow the instructions listed below.

Sponsored Site Scheduling - CQSPE Certification

• Go to the My Examination page in the Customer Portal.
• Click on Pick Scheduling Option.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Sponsored Site tab.
• Select the Examination Location from the drop-down.
• Select the Examination Date from the drop-down.
• To schedule your exam click on the Confirm this Examination Location / Date tab.
• You must schedule your examination at least 30 days before the selected examination date in order to reserve a seat which are limited based on availability.
• Candidates are strongly encouraged to check the Sponsored Site Examination Schedule page for specific location information for their scheduled examination during the days leading up to the examination sitting.
• To view the Examination Information details simply click on the link of the exam location currently scheduled to attend. If no link is available that simply means we have not yet been provided any location information from the exam host for that sitting. Once provided it will be posted so simply check back occasionally as they are kept as up-to-date as possible.
• While Software Certifications makes every possible effort to provide examinations as scheduled, last minute changes have been sometimes unavoidable in the past. Past disruptions have included exam location changes, inclement weather, and building closures.

Occasionally a candidate may need to reschedule / cancel an existing scheduled Sponsored Site examination. This is known as a Deferral**.

Sponsored Site Rescheduling / Cancellation - CQSPE Certification

• To Defer an existing scheduled examination for a Sponsored Site location, a candidate must go to their My Examination page in the Customer Portal and click Defer.
• The deadline to Defer an already scheduled exam at a Sponsored Site location is 30 days prior to the existing scheduled examination date.
• Deferrals are NOT accepted less than 30 days prior to an examination date.

**NOTE: Make sure you know exactly when your application expiration date is as although your application may still be active when Deferring, that does not guarantee you will be able to reschedule your exam as the next possible Sponsored Site exam date(s) may occur after your application expiration date. If you are not sure of your applications expiration date contact certify@softwarecertifications.org before Deferring to ensure you can reschedule for a later Sponsored Site exam date(s) as once a Deferred exam is less than 30 days prior to the examination date it is FINAL and NO changes will be made.