Formerly Certified Quality Analyst (CQA)

Skill Categories:

1. Quality
   Principles
2. Software
   Development, Acquisition, and Operation Processes
3. Quality
   Models and Quality Assessment
4. Quality
   Management/Leadership
5. Quality
   Assurance
6. Quality
   Control Practices
7. Define,
   Build, Implement, and Improve Work Processes
8. Quantitative
   Methods

 1. Quality
Principles

Before an organization can begin
to assess the quality of its products and services and identify opportunities
for improvement, it first must have a working knowledge of quality principles.
This category will test the CSQA candidate’s understanding and ability to
understand and apply these principles.

1. Definitions of Quality: Recognize
   and apply the industry-accepted definitions of quality:
   1. Producer’s view of quality
   2. Customer’s view of quality
2. Quality Concepts: Understand and
   apply generally accepted quality practices:
   1. Cost of quality
   2. Plan-Do-Check-Act
   3. Six Sigma
   4. Benchmarking
   5. Continuous improvement
   6. Best Practices
3. Quality Objectives:
   1. Improve customer satisfaction
   2. Reduce development costs/improve time-to-market capability
   3. Improve processes
4. Quality Attributes - Examples
   include:
   1. Reliability
   2. Maintainability
   3. Usability
   4. Portability
5. 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.
6. Quality Pioneers: Understand the
   contributions made by people whose names have become synonymous with
   quality improvement:
   1. Deming
   2. Juran
   3. Crosby
7. Quality Vocabulary: the language
   used by quality professionals.