Examination Information - Software Certifications

Examination Information

Preparing for the Examination
The certification examination is designed to identify the candidate's ability to assist management in improving the quality of information systems within the specialization represented by the certification, evaluate his/her ability to apply quality assurance knowledge to practice in the discipline, and provide a foundation for granting professional recognition. The framework of any profession is the body of knowledge upon which it bases its standards. The examination reflects state-of-the-art principles and practices from the disciplines included in the associated Body of Knowledge for the certification specialty. The exam expects that familiarity with current industry topics via experience, periodicals, and textbooks is continually being maintained. It is the philosophy of the Software Certifications Board that knowledge of significant developments in the information services industry, as well as a basic understanding of the various disciplines affecting software quality assurance, be current. For this reason the examination instrument is continually reviewed and revised to implement these factors into the testing process. Professional certification is a significant undertaking .Sufficient time and energy should be allocated by the candidate toward preparation. Most of the needed preparation involves reviewing and brushing up on the various knowledge domains in the certification’s respective Body of Knowledge. If candidates have extensive experience in the quality practices described in the knowledge domains of the Body of Knowledge, the examination should not be difficult. Candidates should avoid last minute cramming, as it is rarely beneficial in the long term. If their experience is minimal, or is limited to only certain areas of those related knowledge domains, they should seek study materials and work experience that will broaden their knowledge and experience. Unless candidates have had extensive exposure to quality management principles, and a broad array of job responsibilities within information services related to the certification knowledge domains, they are very unlikely to pass the certification examination. The examination presumes that candidates have had a broad exposure to quality practices and have reviewed and read the current literature available on quality management in their particular area. Candidates should avoid last-minute cramming, as it is rarely beneficial in the long term. There is no specific outline of study curriculum established by Software Certifications. Candidates are responsible for their own study and preparation. The Quality Assurance Institute, as administrator of Software Certifications, does not infer that attending specific courses or programs will significantly enhance the candidate’s chances of passing the examination. Bibliographic references are included in the applicable Body of Knowledge description for information purposes. Candidates are expected to know and pursue other and more recent resources.

Scheduling / Rescheduling the Examination Sitting
Exams need to be scheduled in the Customer Portal from the My Examination page. The location where you plan to take your exam will determine whether you take it at a Prometric Site or Sponsored Site. See below for more information. Prometric Testing Center Prometric sites are available worldwide* (Find a Prometric Testing Center locations near you). * WARNING: Prometric Sites are NOT an option to those wanting to take their exam in one of the following locations - India, Brazil, China, or Sri Lanka (see Sponsored Sites Schedule). Exams taken at a Prometric site in any of these locations will NOT be accepted and the candidate will forfeit any fees paid for said exam. CSQA / CSTE Certifications ONLY Scheduling An Eligibility ID which is not automatically assigned is needed to schedule with a Prometric Site . Candidate need to follow the steps below to receive their ID. 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 Prometric Site tab. Read the warning. If it does not apply to you then click on the Continue with Prometric to receive Eligibility ID. Click OK if sure to have your information sent to Prometric and a code assigned. The Eligibility ID will appear on the My Examination page and could take up to three days to process as the information is being transferred to Prometric. Once you have your Eligibility ID which will appear on the My Examination page you simply click on the Go to Prometric---> link to locate a test center, and to schedule your exam. Dates / locations will not be listed on a schedule page as exams are offered daily at each location based on availability of the date(s) / location(s) you are looking to schedule so plan accordingly. Rescheduling Please contact Prometric directly to reschedule an existing appointment at a Prometric site. There could be a fee depending on how close to the scheduled date you are try to rescheduling. CASQ / CAST / CMSQ / CMST / CSPM / CABA / CSBA / CSPE / CQSPE Certifications ONLY Scheduling To schedule one of the above certifications a candidate must follow the instructions listed below. Use the following link to find the Prometric Site(s) * where you plan to take the exam (Find a Prometric Testing Center locations near you). During the process to find a location it will ask for an exam selection. Since the CSTE / CSQA exams are the only ones listed simply select either one to continue to the available sites page for all exams. Write down the address information and site code for each location where you wish to schedule your examination. Determine the date range in which you plan to take the examination. Make sure the date(s) selected are at least six weeks out from the day you send the email as this process does take extra time. Email this location and date information to certify@softwarecertifications.org. Rescheduling Please contact certify@softwarecertifications.org to reschedule an existing appointment at a Prometric site. There could be a fee depending on how close to the scheduled date you are try to rescheduling. There is no guarantee that the date / location will be available so provide multiple dates / locations if possible. The farther out you attempt to schedule the better the chances you will get the date / locations requested. Waiting to the last minute to schedule your exam only reduces the chances greatly that you will not find a seat so you need to plan accordingly as there is no guarantee a seat will be available which is all based on availability at each site. Sponsored Sites Sponsored Site exams are ONLY offered in India, Brazil, China, and Sri Lanka. (see Sponsored Site Examination Schedule) Scheduling Complete the following steps to schedule a Sponsored Site exam in the Customer Portal 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. (see Sponsored Site Examination Schedule) 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. Simply click on the location link of the exam you are scheduled for to view the location information as they are kept as up-to-date as possible. (see Sponsored Site Examination Schedule) 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. Rescheduling From time to time, candidates need to reschedule / postpone an examination for a Sponsored location to a later date. This is known as a Deferral. To Defer an examination for a Sponsored location, a candidate must go to the My Examination page in the Customer Portal to Defer** the already scheduled exam. The deadline to Defer an already scheduled exam at a Sponsored location is 30 days prior to the examination date. Deferrals are not accepted less than 30 days prior to an examination date. NOTE: Once you Defer a scheduled exam it is final and will not be reset to the previous date / location just Deferred once inside 30 days from the scheduled exam date. Make sure you know exactly when your 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 for a future date as it may be after your application expiration date. If you are not sure contact certify@softwarecertifications.org before proceeding with the Deferral as once you Defer it is final and any funds processed are not refundable or transferable (Payment Policy).

Taking the Examination
Candidates should arrive at the examination location at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of the examination. Candidates must have their examination admittance letter (Sponsored Exams only) and photo identification with them in order to register and gain admission to the examination. No study or supporting materials are permitted in the examination room. Seats are assigned for each individual. Breaks are taken between each examination part, and are not permitted during the taking of the examination sections. The examinations can take from 2 to 4 hours depending on the certification you selected. See the individual certification pages for more information about that particular certification exam. No-shows Candidates who fail to appear for a scheduled examination are considered "no shows" and must reschedule their exam in the Customer Portal. Once your record has been reset a Resit link will appear which can be used to start the rescheduling of a new examination date. Candidates must first pay a $100 Resit fee before they will be able to reschedule. This only applies if your application has not expired. Note: Make sure you know exactly when your expiration date is as although your application may still be active when the Resit payment is made, that does not guarantee you will be able to reschedule your exam for a future date as it may be after your application expiration date. If you are not sure contact certify@softwarecertifications.org before proceeding as once funds are processed they are not refundable or transferable (Payment Policy).

Examination Results
Examination results will be available on the Software Certification's Customer Portal when the grading is complete, so DO NOT email Software Certifications regarding your results status. Once grades have been announced you will receive an email informing you that your results are online for viewing in the Customer Portal. To view your results simply login to the Portal and go to the My Examination page and click on the View Results link. The passing mark is 75% which is the average score of all parts. Note: Once your online results are available, you will not receive your certificate for those passing for possibly another 6 to 8 weeks. Please be patient and if nothing is received 8 weeks after your results were announced then feel free to contact us at certify@softwarecertifications.org, *but NOT* until then. A certificate will be sent regular mail via the United States Postal Service using the default address in the Portal so it is critical that candidates keep their Portal records up to date as once mailed they are not traceable. Now even the smallest error or omission of information can cause serious delays in receipt or non delivery so make sure the address is complete and correct. Many candidates change their residence or job situations during their certification candidacy. If any such changes occur, it is the candidate's responsibility to change their My Profile information in the Software Certification's Portal. The processing of examination results will depend on how the examination was scheduled. DO NOT email Software Certifications regarding your results status. Once grades have been announced you will receive an email informing you that your results are online for viewing in the Customer Portal. Prometric Examinations If you took your examination at a Prometric testing center, the estimated timeframe in which you may receive your results is 6 to 10 weeks. At times results may take longer than normal to be declared in your Portal account. Once declared you will receive an email letting you know your results are available for viewing in the Portal. Sponsored Site Examinations If you took your examination at a Sponsored testing center, the estimated timeframe in which you may receive your results is 8 to 12 weeks. At times results may take longer than normal to be declared in your Portal account. Once declared you will receive an email letting you know your results are available for viewing in the Portal. Examination papers are not returned to the candidates. The examination process is not a diagnostic tool**. Specific discussion concerning an individual's exam results is prohibited by the policies and practices of the Software Certifications. Original exam papers are destroyed one year after the exam date.

Retake the Examination
Candidates who do not pass their examination can retake the exam as long as their application has not yet expired by either reaching the expiration date of their application or three attempts. The cost to retake an exam is $100 and to retake an exam you simply login to your Customer Portal account and go to the My Examination page and click on the Retake link. Note: Make sure you know exactly when your expiration date is as although your application may still be active when the Retake payment is made, that does not guarantee you will be able to reschedule your exam for a future date as it may be after your application expiration date. If you are not sure contact certify@softwarecertifications.org before proceeding as once funds are processed they are NOT refundable or transferable (Payment Policy).

Appeals Process
Individuals dissatisfied with a failed exam score may appeal such results to the Appeals Committee of the Software Certifications Board. Requests must be submitted in writing, and sent via certified mail, to: Appeals Committee Software Certifications 2101 Park Center Drive, Suite 200 Orlando, Florida 32835 USA. It is the individual's responsibility to include any and all supporting documentation that they believe is needed by the Appeals Committee to understand and properly assess the issue. The Appeals Committee meets quarterly. All Appeals Committee decisions are final.

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