How to Identify a Good Certificate?

How to Identify a Good Certificate?

An article by: Mahbouba Gharbi and Dr. Carola Lilienthal

Introduction

A new trend has been apparent in IT for about fifteen years now: Not only may we learn throughout life, but we can acquire certificates for having expanded our knowledge. Two words in this last sentence should make the interested reader sit up and take notice: “acquire” and “knowledge”.

A certificate must be paid for! Therefore, the first question we want to ask ourselves is whether you can buy a certificate without having substantially increased your knowledge. How are certification procedures organized to prevent such malpractice?

Secondly, we turn to the question of what certificates can or do verify: theoretical knowledge – i.e., everything that can be learned from books, or real practical experience that grows and changes over the years. Should certificates perhaps even have an expiration date? Are there certificates that check whether I maintain or expand my knowledge and experience once certified? Which promises are used to advertise certificates and what can you make of these promises?

Certification procedure

There is a wide range of certificates on offer, yet most certificates and certification procedures are based on a similar process with some comparable variants. Figure 1 shows the basic pattern for certification procedures.

If a training provider wants to offer a training course for a certificate, they first have to consider whether they are able to teach the topics contained in the syllabus (step 1 in figure 1). If this is the case, the training provider must be licensed by the board responsible for this certificate (step 2). With the corresponding license agreement, the board ensures that the training provider implements the board’s syllabus and, if necessary, has the quality of its training materials assured by the board. If you are a prospective examinee looking for a training provider for a certificate, you should always check if the training provider actually holds the required license.

Once the examinee has found a training provider that suits them, they register for the respective training course and pay the training course fee (step 3+4). If the examinee wants to take the exam right after the training course, the training provider registers the examinee for the exam with a certification body shortly before or during the training course (step 5). Certification bodies are authorized for the examination by the board responsible for the certificate. The question pool from which the certification body compiles the examination questionnaires is developed by the same independent board that defined the syllabus for the training course.

Most training courses are organized in such a way that the examination can be taken directly after a training course that lasts several days (step 6). For this purpose, the certification body appoints an independent non-specialist examiner to conduct the exam on site. The exam is administered by a non-specialist examiner in order to prevent them from helping the examinees with the exam in any case.

The certification body receives an examination fee from the examinee for this service (step 7). The examiner has the examinee complete a multiple-choice test (step 9) – either digitally or on paper. They received the tests in paper form from the responsible certification body (step 8). Following the examination, the digital tests are evaluated directly by the certification body (step 11) and the result is announced (step 12). If exam sheets in paper form are used, the examiner sends the completed exam sheets back to the certification body (step 10). There, the answers are evaluated, and the number of correct answers is determined (step 11). The examinee is then informed about their result by email. If the examinee has given enough correct answers, they receive their certificate (step 13).

Figure 1: Certification procedure from the perspective of the examinee [DST]

This process, which at first glance seems relatively complicated for the examinee, was created to counteract the danger presented in the introduction that certificates can simply be bought.

A good certificate is characterized by the fact that the definition of the contents, the training course, and the examination are the responsibility of different institutions that are independent of each other (see figure 2).

Figure 2: Division of tasks [DST]

There are different variants to this comprehensive certification procedure for individual sub-processes:

  1. Preparation without training course (see figure 3)
  2. Remote examination (see figure 4)
  3. Public examination
  4. Examination at a test center

If an examinee wants to take the exam for a certificate without preparation by a training provider, the examination fee is somewhat higher for most certificates (step 5 in figure 3). Books are offered for most certificates to facilitate self-study (step 6 in figure 3).

Figure 3: Preparation without training course [DST]

For the exam, the examinee has the three alternatives listed above.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, many training courses are offered remotely, and therefore location-independently, so a remote examination is the logical step. For this reason, a remote exam is now offered with many certificates. The exam is taken remotely by the examinee and is monitored by an examiner who connects to the examinee’s computer and watches the examinee with a camera. Thus, the need to travel is eliminated for all parties involved. Procedures that allow for online exams to be taken without supervision, on the other hand, invite malpractice.

Figure 4: Remote examination [DST]

In addition, some certification procedures offer examinees the possibility of attending a public examination or a test center where they take their exam under personal supervision.

So, to summarize the answer to our first question: In procedures that follow the process presented here with a separation of responsibilities and where the exam is taken under supervision, it is ensured that you cannot buy the certificate.

Knowledge or experience?

But what about the second issue? What do certificates verify? Theoretical knowledge or practical experience? Well, this question actually depends on the type of certificate!

Any certificate that only consists of a multiple-choice test merely requests theoretical knowledge. The boards, of course, try to create exam questions that can be answered with practical experience only, but that is very difficult with the multiple-choice pattern.

Certificates that fall into this category usually carry the label “Foundation Level”. The Foundation Level is explicitly advertised by the providers as a basic certificate [FGG10]. The examinee masters a field’s basic concepts afterwards. These basic terms can be learned, their meaning can be explained to the examinee. After the exam or training course, the examinee speaks the language of this domain.

Certificates that build on the “Foundation Level” usually go beyond a pure multiple-choice test. These certificates often carry the addition “Advanced Level”, and sometimes “Professional” or “Master”. For these advanced certificates you have to demonstrate practical experience in some way.

For some certificates you must provide testimonials from your employers for projects that fit the topic of the certificate: e.g., 18 months of testing tasks in projects, or 18 months of project management or subproject management.

Some other advanced certificates include an oral examination in addition to the multiple-choice test. In some cases, there is no training course in the traditional sense, but an attempt is made to simulate a kind of project situation in which the participants work together in the respective field.

Then there are some certificates that come with the unpleasant feature of having to be renewed regularly every three or five years. Either the exam must be taken again, or the examinees have to collect credit points that prove certain activities in the certified domain: Conference attendance, presentations, lectures, article publications. This ensures that the examinees’ experience does not become obsolete.

As far as the question of knowledge and experience is concerned, we note that the basic certificate, the Foundation Level, resembles a theoretical driving test. The theory, i.e., the conceptualization and the rules, are mastered, but there is no practical experience. In this respect, the basic certificates should always be taken for what they are: Theoretical knowledge that must be acquired in order to complete advanced certificates.

Conclusion

If you are looking for further training with a certificate, plan for a basic certificate and corresponding advanced certificates, depending on your current level of knowledge. Only advanced certificates can really testify your practical experience.

Furthermore, you should insist on a proctored examination and only choose certificates with a clear separation of responsibility for content, training course, and examination.

While researching the right training provider, don’t let yourself be fooled by pretty brochures and appearances. Try to get an idea of whether the training managers you are being offered spend most of their time on projects in the field – which means they only earn money with training courses occasionally. If you have found such a training provider, it is much more likely that you will come out of the training course not only with a certificate, but with actual practical advice.

We hope that equipped with this knowledge, you will be able to assess the quality of certificates offered on the market and to identify the most suitable further training for yourself.

[FGG10] Fahl, W.; Ghadir, P.; Gharbi, M.: Vom Sinn und Unsinn einer Zertifizierung für Softwarearchitekten – CPSA‑F: Ein gemeinsamer Nenner für Softwarearchitekten (EN: On the Sense and Nonsense of a Certification for Software Architects – CPSA‑F: Common Ground for Software Architects); Sonderdruck OBJEKTspektrum 11/2010

[DST] The process models are domain stories: www.domainstorytelling.org

iSAQB CPSA-F® Software Architecture Training now bookable in Spanish and French

iSAQB CPSA-F® Software Architecture Training now bookable in Spanish and French

Hola! Nous avons de bonnes nouvelles! ITech Progress goes International

ITech Progress is the first iSAQB® Accredited Training Provider to offer the basic training for software architecture (CPSA® – Foundation Level) in Spanish and French. The first dates for 2021 can now be booked! After the training, participants can optionally take an online certification exam for the CPSA-F® in Spanish and, from May 2021, also in French.

With the Certified Professional for Software Architecture (CPSA®) certification, the International Software Architecture Qualification Board (iSAQB®) offers an internationally recognized and standardized education and training program for software architects. The training courses at the Foundation Level convey well-founded basics in software architecture, which can be specifically deepened at the Advanced Level.

The two architecture experts Mahbouba Gharbi and Alfredo Delgado Sánchez provide a comprehensive insight into the world of software architecture in their four-day online training courses for the CPSA-F®. Participants learn important methods, techniques and tools through many practical exercises. The compact basic training is aimed at all software architects, senior developers and IT specialists involved in software projects. It improves communication in project teams by using a common technical language and thus helps to develop more understanding for each other. Therefore, this training has also proven to be ideal as project-accompanying training for IT teams.

Training Content:

  • Basic concepts of software architecture
  • Design, development, description and communication of software architectures
  • Methods, techniques and tools for software architects
  • Quality models, characteristics, requirements and assessment
  • Responsibilities and roles of a software architect in a project
  • Practical examples and exercises

At the end of the software architecture training, you will be able to make problem-related design decisions, design and document software architectures for small and medium-sized systems.

The first dates:

The first online training in Spanish will take place from May 18 – 21, 2021 and the first online training in French will take place from November 09 – 12, 2021. All dates, also in German and English, can be found here.

In Spanish you can already find a sample exam and many more informative documents about the Foundation Level for download at iSAQB. The French documents will follow soon!

Up to 6 weeks before the start of the training you can save €100 per person with our Early Bird discount. Additionally, you save €100 per participant if you register together with a colleague from your company.

Advantages of our online training courses:

  • Location-independent real-time learning

  • High level of interactivity through hands-on exercises, breakout rooms and visual collaboration (e.g. Miro)

  • Ideal coaching also in the breakout rooms

  • Small and intensive learning groups with a maximum of 12 participants

Mahbouba Gharbi

Mahbouba Gharbi

Trainer for CPSA-F in French, German and English

Mahbouba Gharbi has been an expert in software architecture for over 20 years and passes on her knowledge as chief architect, consultant, lecturer, trainer and author. She deals with the design and implementation of medium to large software systems. In addition to her work as managing director of ITech Progress GmbH, she is co-founder and CEO of iSAQB e.V. and actively helps design curricula and exams.

Alfredo Delago Sánchez

Alfredo Delago Sánchez

Trainer for CPSA-F in Spanish

With more than 30 years of experience, Alfredo Delgado Sánchez is an expert in the development of IT solutions. In addition to his technical expertise in software architecture, he brings methodical and communicative skills from his activities as a lecturer and IT project manager. With his open-minded nature and know-how around good practices, agile methods, standards and processes, he has made it his mission to share expertise on software architecture.

We advise you on your further education plans and accompany you on your way to becoming a Certified Professional for Software Architecture! If you have any questions, we will be happy to help you at +49 621 595702 41 and training@itech-progress.com.

Developer documentation with PlantUML

Developer documentation with PlantUML

At one of our last night schools, I presented a new way of documenting IT systems in a development-oriented way. The Night Schools are our internal training events, in which a colleague alternately prepares and presents a current topic from the software architecture area for the team.

The Unified Modelling Language UML is the current standard for the documentation of static structures and dynamic processes in IT systems.  UML is also often used in architecture documentation.

However, UML does have its dark sides, as it is often created with complex modelling or drawing programs à la VISIO. The result of the modelling is then a series of Word or PDF files with embedded JPEG or PNG graphics. Developers, on the other hand, work with text files in a development environment that is often connected to a complex build pipeline and, if desired, can version and deploy all work results immediately. In this way, every change can be easily traced across all versions. Unfortunately, this approach fails with Office files, where each new version of a file is treated as an entirely new artifact. When modeling with UML, not only is there a media break, but the results of the work cannot be seamlessly integrated into the development pipeline. Plant-UML now jumps into this breach.

Die Idee von Plant-UML ist, mit Hilfe von einfachen Textdateien,

that use a specific Plant UML syntax, automatically generate UML diagrams and display them as PNG, SVG, or ASCII type. This is done interactively, so that the author can see the result of his work at the push of a button. On the Plant-UML Homepage you can easily try it out for free >> http://www.plantuml.com/plantuml/uml/. Supported are use case diagrams, class diagrams, sequence diagrams, activity diagrams, state machines, object diagrams, deployment diagrams, component diagrams and timing diagrams. All are defined using a simple syntax and automatically adopt the layout of the objects on the diagram. Nevertheless, a whole range of additional items can be used to make the UML diagrams even more meaningful. This ranges from configurable colors to legends and info boxes. What I like best is that Plant-UML can be integrated directly into the build process and that the UML diagrams can not only be inserted into ASCIIdoc documents, but that they are also generated anew with every build. This results in documentation that can be managed as easily and effectively as the source code itself. There is no media break.

Besides UML diagrams, Plant-UML can do even more: It is possible to describe database tables using entity relationship diagrams, to present new ideas in the form of mind maps and to describe work packages using work-breakdown diagrams (WBD). It is even possible to create project plans using Gantt diagrams as in MS Project. All these diagrams are defined just as easily with the help of text snippets. But the real highlight, in my opinion, is the possibility to create a wireframe of a surface from a text representation. Just give it a try and share your experience with us via the comments.

Axel Feix, Software Architekt & Managing Consultant bei ITech Progress