SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE

Two Marks with Answers

UNIT I

1) Write the statement of key management axiom.

A key management of axiom says that “what is not tracked is not done”

2) What is the prime benefit of an SQA program?

The prime benefit of an SQA program is ASSURANCE it provides management that the
officially established process is actually being implemented.

3) What are the goals of SQA?

a) To improve software quality by appropriately monitoring both the s/w and the
development process that produces it.
b) To ensure full compliance with the established standards and procedures for the software
process
c) To ensure that any inadequacies in the product, the process or the standards are brought
to management attention so that inadequacies can be fixed.

4) Write the responsibilities of SQA?

a) Review all development and quality plans for completeness

b) Participate as inspection moderators in design and code inspections
c) Review all test plans for adherence to standards
d) Periodically audit SCM performance to determine adherence to standards

5) Write the 8 steps for launching an SQA PROGRAM?

a) Initiate the SQA program

b) Identify SQA issues
c) write the SQA plan
d) Establish the standards
e) Establish the SQA function
f) Conduct training and promote the SQA program
g) Implement the SQA plan
h) Evaluate the SQA program.

6) Write the reason for software quality assurance organization fail to have much impact
on software quality.

a) SQA organizations are rarely staffed with sufficiently experienced or knowledgeable

people
 b) The SQA management team is often not capable of negotiating with development
c) Senior management often backs development over SQA on a large percentage of issues
d) Software development groups rarely produce verifiable quality plans.

7) Write short notes on SQAP.

“Software Quality Assurance Plan” that specifies its goal, the SQA tasks to be
performed, the standards against which development work is to be measured and the procedure
are organizational structure.

8) What are the points to be considered when SQA can be effective, while considering SQA
people?

a) The practice of starting new hires in SQA is a partial solution that can be effective only if
there are enough experienced people there already
b) Rotation schemes can also be effective from SQA.
c) New development managers be performed SQA
d) SQA to be effective, they must have good people and full management backing.

9) What are the roles of IV&V?

“Independent Verification and Validation”

a) IV&V role is to ensure that the customer’s needs are adequately reflected in the work.
b) To ensure that the right skills and attitudes are in place
c) To provide an independent development or maintenance organizations performance.

10) Write the minimum content for the section on standards, practices and conventions of
IEEE.

a) Documentation Standards
b) Logic structure standards
c) Coding standards
d) Commentary standards

11) Mention some potential pitfalls while SQA monitoring the responsibilities?

a) It is a mistake to ensure that the SQA people themselves can do anything about quality
b) The existence of an SQA function does not ensure that the standards and procedures are
followed
c) Unless management periodically demonstrates its support for SQA by following their
recommendation SQA will be ineffective.

12) What is the simple rule on SQA Reporting?

The one simple rule on SQA reporting is that it not be under the software development
manager. Project schedules are always tight, so these line managers are not likely to listen
sympathetically to reports of inadequate test plans, human factors problem or documentation
errors.

13) List out the key SCM tasks?

a. Change management
b. configuration control
c. Revisions
d. versions
e. deltas
f. conditional code

14) What are the roles of CCB?

“Change Control Board” or Configuration Control Board

 On moderate to very large projects, a central control mechanism is needed to ensure that
every change is properly considered and coordinated
 It is to ensure that every baseline change is properly considered by all concerned parties
and that every change is authorized before implementation

15) Mention any 4 general ground rules for SCM audits?

a) They are periodically needed to ensure the integrity of the software boundaries
b) A successful audit is performed before every major baseline change
c) The audit verifies that changes to the baseline are implemented as intended.
d) The auditing function is an integral part of the SCM system.

16) Define Software Quality.

Conformance to explicitly stated functional and performance requirements, explicitly

documented development standards, and implicit characteristics that are expected of all
professionally developed software.

17) Define SCM.

“Software Configuration Management”

SCM are the practices and procedures for administering source code, producing software
development builds, controlling change, and managing software configurations.

18) What is SCI?

“Software Configuration Identification”

Uniquely identifies every project development item. SCI definitions are kept under configuration
control and expanded as more is learned about the product and its structure
19) What are the special SCM function needs in during implementation?

a) Source code change out and change in facilities

b) Read only access to specifications and object code
c) A procedure for making approved changes to module specifications.
d) An SCM procedure to ensure that any new source code is consistent with the module
specifications

20) What is SCMP?

“Software Configuration Management Plan”

A first step in establishing an SCM system. It includes objectives, responsibilities and the
approach and methods to be used

UNIT II

1) What are the basic principles of Project Management?

 Each project has a plan that is based on a hierarchy of commitments.

 A management system resolves the natural conflicts between the projects and between
the line of staff organization.
 An oversight and review system audits & tracks progress against the plans.

2) List at least four elements of an effective commitment?

a) The person making the commitment does so willingly.

b) There is agreement between the parties on what is to be done, by whom & when.
c) The commitment is openly & publicly started.
d) The person responsible tries to meet the commitment; even if help is needed.

3) What is the Contention Process?

Contention system is that the best decisions are based on a full understanding of the relevant
issues.
To encourage the open expression of differences and their rational resolution.

4) What is the need for Quarterly reviews?

It provides a forum for residing conflicts & monitoring progress against period and
product objectives. The topics should typically include an assessment of project performance
against plan & the organization performance against its goal.
5) Mention any four principles of phase reviews.

a) Before initiation & at predetermined points during the project. Detailed technical &
management reviews are conducted.
b) The reviews are conducted by the project manager.
c) All involved line and staff organization participate.
d) The meeting is not resolving issues but to identify them & assign resolution
responsibility.

6) What are the four basic quality principles?

a) Unless you establish aggressive quality goals, nothing will change.

b) If these goals are not numerical, the 6.5 quality program will remain just task.
c) Without quality plans, only you are committed to quality.
d) Quality plans are just paper unless you track & reviews them.

7) Write short notes on Error Seeding.

Error seeding is a potentially intersecting way to evaluate program quality. The idea is
to inject a known number of “dummy” defects into the program & then to track how many of
them are found by the various tests or inspections.

8) Define availability.

The system ability to perform the intended function whenever needed, this is called
availability.
Availability= (1-MTTR/MTTR+MTBF) X100

MTBF: Mean time between failures

MTTR: Mean time required to response
Availability is the perfect of total time that the system is available for use.

9) Write short notes on Removal Efficiency.

It indicates the cumulative percent of the previously injected errors that have been
removed by the end of each project phase since defect removal costs can be expected to roughly
double with each project phase, attention should be focused on early removal.

10) List at least two critical elements of Software Quality Management system?

a) A responsible authority is named to own the quality data and the tracking and reporting
system.
b) Quality performance is tracked and reported to this authority, during both development
and maintenance.
c) Resources are established for validating the reported data and retaining it in the process
database.
11) What are the principles of the Contention System?

a) All major decisions are reviewed with the involved parties in advance, and the parties are
requested to agree. Where possible, any issues are resolved before proceeding.
b) When the time comes for the decision, all dementing parties are present and asked to state
their views.
c) When there is no disagreement, the senior manager determines if there is knowledgeable
agreement.
If any disagreeing parties are absent or if more preparation is needed. In later two cases, the
decision is defined until the necessary homework has been done.

12) What are the principles of Software Defect Prevention?

a) The programmers must evaluate their own process

b) Feedback is an essential part of defect prevention
c) There is no single cure-all that will solve all the problems
d) Process improvement must be an integral part of the process
e) Process improvement takes time to learn.

13) What are the 6 categories of error suggested by Enders?

a) Technological
b) Organizational
c) Historic
d) Group dynamic
e) Individual
f) Other cases & inexplicable Causes

14) write at least 4 key action team responsibilities.

a) Prioritize all action items

b) Establish an implementation plan for the highest priority items.
c) Assign responsibilities
d) Track implementation
e) Report to management as progress
f) Continue with the next priority items.

15) Write at least 4 process changes for defect prevention.

a) Kick off meeting

b) Task data from the process task is entered in the process DB.
c) All improvement suggestions are retained in the action tracking system.
d) A feedback system is established to ensure that the results are communicated to the
professionals and that their contributions are recognized.
 UNIT III

1. What is software Quality?

Software quality is the degree to which a system, component, or process meets Specified
requirements, and customer or user needs or expectations

2. List out some of the Characteristics of software quality?

 Characteristics
 Software Quality is not absolute
 Software Quality is multidimensional
 Software Quality is subject to Constraints
 Software Quality is about acceptable Compromises
 Software Quality Criteria are not independent, but interact with each other Causing
Conflicts

3. What are five different views of quality suggested by Garvin?

 Transcendental View
 User view
 Manufacturing View
 Product View
 Value-based View

4. What is Value-based view?

The value-based view sees quality as dependent on the amount a customer is willing to pay
for it

5. What is Transcendental View?

The Transcendental view sees quality as something that can be recognized but not defined in
some tractable form. A good quality object stands out, and it is easily recognized

6. What is user view?

The User view sees quality as fitness for purpose. Quality Concerns the extent to which a
product meets user needs and exceptions.

7. What is manufacturing view?

 The manufacturing view sees quality as conformance to specification.it focuses on product
quality during production after delivery

8. What is defect count?

Defect count is the total number of known defects recorded against a product during
development and use

9. what are the three areas addressed by McCall’ Model?

 Performance
 Design
 Adaptation

10. What are all McCall’s criteria of quality?

 Efficiency
 Integrity
 Reliablity
 Usability
 Correctness
 Maintainability
 Verifiability
 Expandability
 Flexibility
 Interoperability
 Portability
 Reusability

11. What is Correctness?

Correctness is the degree to which Software performs its desired function

12. Define Usability?

Reliability is a set of attributes that bear on the effort needed for use and on the individual
assessment of such use by a stated or implied set of users

13. Define Reliability?

Reliability is a set of attributes that bear on the capability of software to maintain its level of
performance under stated condition for a stated period of time.it is also defined as the probability
of failure-free Operation.
14. What is Maintainability?

Maintainability is a set of attributes that bear on the effort needed to make specified
modifications

15. Define MTTC

MTTC is the time it takes to analyze, design and implement the change. Maintainable
programs have a lower MTTC

16. What are the Criteria included in Maintainability?

 Consistency
 Simplicity
 Conciseness
 Self-descriptiveness
 Modularity

17. What is verifiability?

Verifiability deals with the capacity to verify that the software design and
implementation is in accordance with program specifications

18. List out the criteria of Verifiability

 Criteria include
 Consistency
 Simplicity
 Conciseness
 Self-descriptiveness
 Modularity

19. What is Expandability?

Expandability deals with the relative effort involved in increasing the capability of the software

20. What is Interoperability?

Interoperability is the ability of the software to work with other software system or to coexist
without causing difficulties.

21. What is portability?

 Portability is a setoff attributes that bera on the capability of software to be transferred from
one environment to another

22. Define Reusability

Reusability is the ability of components of the software to be used in other applications

23. What are the Criteria available for reusability?

 Generality
 Self-descriptiveness
 Modularity
 Simplicity
 Document Accessibility
 System Clarity
 Machine Independence
 Application Independence

24. Define TQM

Total Quality Management is a Management system for a customer focused organization

that involves all employees in continual improvement of all aspects of the organization

25. What are the principles of TQM?

 Be customer focused
 Insure Total Employee involvement
 Process Centered
 Integrated system
 Strategic and Systematic approach
 Continual Improvement
 Fact Based Decision Making
 Communication

26. What are the types of Failure Cost

Failure costs can be split in to those resulting from

Internal failure

External failure

27. When does an internal failure cost occur?

Internal failure costs occur when results fail to reach quality standards and are detected before
they are shipped to the customer

28. When does an external failure cost occur?

External failure costs occur when the products or services fail to reach quality standard,
but are not detected until after the customer receives the item

29. What is PDCA cycle?

PDCA(Plan-do-Check-act)is an iterative four-step management method used in business

for the control and continuous improvement of processes and products.it is also called:PDCA
cycle, Deming Cycle,Shewhart Cycle

30. What is the purpose of Software Quality Metrics?

The purpose of software metrics is to make assessments throughout the software life cycle as
to whether the software quality requirements are being met.

UNIT IV

1. What is SQP?

SQP stands for software Quality Program. Software Quality program is a framework
for and performance have been achieved

2. Give the objective of the software quality program

The objective of the software quality program is to assure the quality of

.Deliverable software and documentation
.The process used to produce deliverable software
.non deliverable software

3. What are the tasks establish Software Quality program?

.Swift and accurate collection of data

.Develop a plan for Quality

4. What is the use of Quality plan?

A quality plan helps you schedule all of the tasks needed to make sure that your
project meet the needs of your customer

5. What are the parts of Quality plan?

Quality plan comprises two parts

.The Quality Assurance Plan lists the independent reviews needed and
 .The Quality Control Plan lists the internal reviews needed to meet your Quality Targets

6. Give the purpose of Software quality plan

The purpose of this Software Quality Plan is to define the techniques, procedure,
and methodologies that will used to assure timely delivery of the software and that the
development system meets the specified requirements within project resources

7. What are the technical definitions of Quality Plan contain?

The technical definitions Consists of the following three parts

1. Requirements:
The organization must develop, manufacture and distribute consistently
Low cost product and service
The products must be what Customers believe they want
2. Confidence:
The products must be supplied at the level of reliability which matches the
client’s needs
3. Constant improvement: Constant improvement of all products and all
processes must be made as integral part of the corporate culture for the
Client to continue to perceive a supplier as a Quality producer.

8. List out the basic system considerations for quality goals establishment.

 System Characteristics
 Trade-offs
 Caveats
 Quality Functions
 Training

9. What are the systems characteristics on which the quality goals for a system depend?

The quality goals for a system depend upon system characteristics which include
the following

 Functionality
 Performance
 Constraints
 Technological Innovativeness
 Technological and managerial risk

10. What is the scope of SQA plan (SQAP)?

 The scope of SQA plan (SQAP) is tailored to fit the current software development
effort and is related to the project planning and lifecycle description documents for this project. It
traces the all phases of this software development process and how the qualities of the product
are ensured.

11. What is the task of SQA group?

The SQA group ensures the quality of the software process and thereby ensures the
quality of the product. SQA group’s tasks cover the entire software lifecycle from conception to
delivery.

12. What is the objective of reviewing the software?

The objectives of reviewing software are:

 To reveal all kinds of code errors and bugs in project implementation

 To verify that the software meets its requirements
 To ensure that the software has been represented according to predefined
conventions and standards
 To achieve software to be developed in a uniform manner

13. List out the types of Errors.

1. Documentation errors

2. Program code errors

14. What are the factors that affect the SQA effort?

 System Size
 System Criticality
 Cost of correcting errors
 Type of release
 Relationship with the user

15. List out the effective leadership guidelines.

 Trust your subordinates

 Develop your vision
 Keep u cool
 Encourage risk
 Be an expert
 Invite dissent
 Simplify
16. Define system size.

System Size refers to the amount of effort needed to produce the system.

UNIT V

1. What is a Software standard?

Software standard is a standard, protocol, or other common format of a document, file,

or data transfer accepted and used by one or more software developers while working on one or
more than one software programs

2. Define ISO

ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization .It is a worldwide

federation of national standards bodies, at present comprising 140 members, one in each country

3. List out the purpose of ISO

The purpose of ISO are

Promote the development of standardization and related world activities to facilitate the
international exchange of goods and services

Develop Cooperation in intellectual, scientific and Economic activity

Ensure a quality standard and specific requirement to use

Show that a company is consistent in its input of product as well as the output of product
based on a customer’s requirements

Facilitate global consensus agreements on international quality standards.

4. What is ISO 9000?

The ISO 9000 is a generic name given to a family of standards represents an

international Consensus on good management practices with the aim of ensuring that the
organization can time and time again deliver the product or services that meet the client’s
Quality requirements

5. Give the objective of ISO 9000?

The ISO 9000 is a generic name given to a family of standards represent an

international Consensus on good management practices with the aim of ensuring that the
organization can time and time again deliver the product or services that meet the clients quality
requirements

6. What are the Older Standards of ISO 9000?

ISO 9001 – Model for quality assurance: design, development, production, installation

and servicing.

ISO 9002 – Model for quality assurance : production, installation and servicing

ISO 9003 – Model for quality assurance : final inspection and test.

7. What are the Current Standards of ISO 9000?

The family of ISO 9000 Standards has been developed by Iso and it is made up of four
core standards:

ISO 9000:2005 – Fundamentals and Vocabulary

ISO 9001: 2008 – Quality Management Systems – Requirements

ISO 9004:2009 – Quality Management Systems – Guidelines for performance

improvements

ISO 19011:2002 – Guidelines for quality and / or environmental management systems

auditing

8. Why is the Quality System needed?

To satisfy customers through a quality product

To gain self-confidence - we get what we planned

To achieve competitiveness in both the local and overseas markets

As a blueprint for efforts to improve the quality system of the organization

9. Mention the eight quality management principles?

Focus on your customers

Provide leadership

Involve your people

Use a process approach

Take a systems approach

 Encourage continual improvement

Get the facts before you decide

Work with your suppliers

10. Mention the elements of ISO 9000.

The standards of ISO 9000 detail 20 requirements for an organization’s quality

management system in the following areas:

 Management Responsibility
 Quality System
 Order Entry
 Design Control
 Document and Data Control
 Purchasing
 Control of Customer Supplied Products
 Product Identification and Tractability
 Process Control
 Inspection and Testing Control of Inspection, Measuring and Test Equipment
 Inspection and Test Status
 Control of Nonconforming Products
 Corrective and Preventive Action
 Handling, Storage, Packaging and Delivery
 Control of Quality Records
 Internal Quality Audits
 Training
 Servicing
 Statistical Techniques

11. List out the advantage of ISO

9000.
Increased customer satisfaction

Improved internal communication and raises

morale Improved customer service

Reduction of product – liability risks

12. Give the structure of CMM.

 The CMM is structured as follows:

 Maturity Levels (Staged Representation)
  Key Process Area (KPA)
 Goals: Generic and Specific
 Common Features
 Key Practices: Generic and Specific

13. What is Maturity Level?

A maturity level is a well-defined evolutionary plateau toward achieving a mature

software process.

14. What is CMMI?

CMMI or CMM Integration is developed to integrate current and upcoming models. It is

sort of an upgrade from the CMM Model and describes process improvement for organizations
especially in software development.

15. What are the benefits of CMMI?

Expand the scope of and visibility into the product life cycle and engineering activities ot
ensure that the product or service meets customer expectations.

Incorporate lessons learned from additional areas of best practice. Example -

Measurement, Risk Management and Supplier Management

Implement more robust high – maturity practices

16. How is CMM Maturity Level organized?

The CMM is organized into five maturity levels:

 Level 6: Initial
 Level 7: Repeatable
 Level 8: Defined
 Level 9: Managed
 Level 10: Optimizing
17. Difference between CMM and CMMI

CMM CMMI
CMM stands for capability maturity model CMMI stands for capability maturity model
integration
CMM designed only for Software Industry CMMI designed for all other industries like
call centre etc..,along with software
It is initial model provide baseline toCMMI It is upgraded model of CMM
CMM focus attention on processes, but the CMMI focus attention on result-Oriented
new Process
CMM describes about the software engineering CMM Integrated describes both software and
alone system Engineering

18. List out the common feature of ISO 9000 and SEI’S CMM

Capability to deliver with consistency

Aim at Quality Improvement of the products or services

Stress that Quality assurance should be a planned activity

Require management commitment to quality expressed through appropriate explicit

policy statement(s)

19. Give the relationship of the SQA group role to SEI’S CMM

SEI Maturity level Role of SQA

Initial Testing
Repeatable Quality Hurdle
Defined Oversight, Metrics
Managed Process and Management
Optimizing Reference, Oversight

20. Compare the process elements of ISO9000 and CMM

Process elements unique to ISO 9000 Process elements unique to CMM

1.Contract Management 1.Project tracking and oversight
2.Purchase and Customer Supplied 2.Process and Technology Change
Components Management
3.Personnel issues 3. Intergroup coordination to meet customer
4.Package,Delivery and Installation requirements
4. Organization-Wide Process Focus, Process
Development and Integrated Management