ISO/IEC 24773-1:2019

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 24773-1
First edition
2019-03
Software and systems engineering —
Certification of software and systems
engineering professionals —
Part 1:
General requirements
Ingénierie du logiciel — Certification des professionnels de
l'ingénierie du logiciel —
Partie 1: Exigences·générales
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2019
© ISO/IEC 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Conformance . 3
5 Concepts relating to certification and qualification . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Certification and qualification . 4
5.3 Knowledge, BOK and cognitive level . 4
5.4 Skill and performance level . 5
5.5 Competence and proficiency level . 5
5.6 Assessment methods . 6
6 General requirements . 7
6.1 General . 7
6.2 Conformance to ISO/IEC 17024 . 7
6.3 Fundamental components . 7
6.4 Knowledge and skill . 8
6.4.1 General. 8
6.4.2 Identification of a BOK . 8
6.4.3 Cognitive level . 8
6.4.4 Skill . 9
6.5 Competence . 9
6.6 Code of ethics and professional practices . 9
6.7 Maintenance of certification.10
6.7.1 General.10
6.7.2 Renewal of certification .10
6.7.3 Continuing professional development .10
Bibliography .11
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that
are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through
technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of
technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also
take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see http: //patents .iec .ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso
.org/iso/foreword .html. This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1,
Information technology, Subcommittee SC 07, Software and systems engineering.
This first edition cancels and replaces ISO/IEC 24773:2008 which has been technically revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— normative reference has been made to ISO/IEC 17024, for general requirements related to
certifications and the certification of persons;
— a statement of general requirements or recommendations applicable to both software and systems
engineering has been added;
— a separation of software-engineering-specific requirements from the generic requirements has
been made;
— additional requirements for certifications in systems engineering have been included;
— additional recommendations concerning bodies of knowledge which form one element of a
certification scheme have been added; and
— additional guidance concerning the description of skills and competencies has been added.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 24773 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
iv © ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Over the past several decades, software systems have become critical components of most aspects of
life. At the same time, these systems have become increasingly complex. One response to this situation
has been the recognition and codification of effective practices for systems and software development
processes and products. This effort has led to the development of systems and software engineering
standards by ISO and IEC, by professional societies, and by national standards bodies. It has also led
[5]
to the definition of an internationally-recognized body of knowledge for software engineering and
[8]
systems engineering .
The increasing globalization of the industry implies that a systems engineering or software engineering
professional is likely to work in different countries over the course of a career. Currently individuals
around the world are working in these domains and they possess varying levels of knowledge and
skill. However, there is no single certification which is recognized for these domains – there are many
certifications and they differ in several respects.
It is therefore important to develop certifications for these domains which are more meaningful,
more readily comparable, and which are recognized internationally. An International Standard which
contains minimum requirements for the scope and content of certifications for professionals in these
domains can increase confidence in those certifications which conform to that International Standard.
Because conforming certifications meet the requirements contained in this document, the standard can
improve the recognition and acceptance of those certifications in countries and jurisdictions around the
world. This increased acceptance and recognition in turn can enhance the mobility of the professionals
holding a conforming certification.
This document responds to the needs of organizations that require software or systems engineers
whose skills and competence are attested by a certification that conforms to an International Standard.
At present, different countries have adopted different approaches regarding the required skills and
knowledge for professionals working in these domains – these may be implemented by means of
regulations and laws. The establishment of certifications for professionals in these domains, and the
definition for minimum requirements for such schemes are not intended to interfere with or override
such national regulations and laws. A certification for professionals in these domains, as described in
this document is not a licence to practice in any jurisdiction. However, licensing bodies and regulators
may consider various certifications of individual persons. The intention of this document is to be open
to these national approaches by providing a framework for expressing them in a common scheme that
can lead to understanding between different countries.
This document is part one of ISO/IEC 24773 (all parts), a multi-part standard that revises and replaces
ISO/IEC 24773:2008. The existing version of ISO/IEC 24773:2008 was intended to be used as a
framework for the comparison of certifications for software engineering professionals.
Many qualifications and some certifications exist for systems and software engineering. There is
currently no International Standard that defines the minimum requirements for such schemes. This
new revision of ISO/IEC 24773 addresses the certification of professionals in software engineering and
systems engineering.
ISO/IEC 17024 is a base standard containing general requirements for bodies performing certification
of persons. The revised ISO/IEC 24773 (all parts) contains requirements specifically related to
certifications for software and systems engineering professionals. ISO/IEC 24773 (all parts) also
contains guidance to certification bodies regarding the definition of knowledge, skill and competence
that are to be incorporated into a certification for such professionals. ISO/IEC 24773 (all parts) is
intended to be used in combination with ISO/IEC 17024.
ISO/IEC 24773 (all parts) is useful to industry organizations seeking to compare various certifications
for professionals in systems and/or software engineering; to individual professionals seeking to obtain
certification; and to employers who may choose or recognize such certifications. Such comparison is
important for the society and for various types of stakeholders, since many disparate certification
© ISO/IEC 2019 – All rights reserved v
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