The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

Assessment must confirm sufficient knowledge of object-oriented methodology to carry out test. Assessment must confirm the ability to meet client requirements by successfully validating the test object and documenting the results.

To demonstrate competency in this unit the person will require access to:

Suitable test plan

Specific requirements

Design documents used in the analysis of the test

A suitable class to test

Top-down testing may mean that user representatives should be present at a unit testing session if predicates and pathways are being tested.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

The breadth, depth and complexity of knowledge and skills in this competency would cover a broad range of varied activities or application in a wider variety of contexts most of which are complex and non-routine.

Assessment must ensure:

Performance of a broad range of skilled applications including the requirement to evaluate and analyse current practices, develop new criteria and procedures for performing current practices and provision of some leadership and guidance to others in the application and planning of the skills would be characteristic.

Method of assessment

The purpose of this unit is to define the standard of performance to be achieved in the workplace. In undertaking training and assessment activities related to this unit, consideration should be given to the implementation of appropriate diversity and accessibility practices in order to accommodate people who may have special needs. Additional guidance on these and related matters is provided in ICA05 Section 1.

Competency in this unit should be assessed using summative assessment to ensure consistency of performance in a range of contexts. This unit can be assessed either in the workplace or in a simulated environment. However, simulated activities must closely reflect the workplace to enable full demonstration of competency.

Assessment will usually include observation of real or simulated work processes and procedures and/or performance in a project context as well as questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills. The questioning of team members, supervisors, subordinates, peers and clients where appropriate may provide valuable input to the assessment process. The interdependence of units for assessment purposes may vary with the particular project or scenario.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

An individual demonstrating this competency would be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of a broad knowledge base incorporating some theoretical concepts

Apply solutions to a defined range of unpredictable problems

Identify and apply skill and knowledge areas to a wide variety of contexts, with depth in some areas

Identify, analyse and evaluate information from a variety of sources

Take responsibility for own outputs in relation to specified quality standards

Take limited responsibility for the quantity and quality of the output of others

Maintain knowledge of industry products and services

Required skills

Problem solving skills for a defined range of unpredictable problems involving participation in the development of strategic initiatives (e.g. when: memory leakage, global name space pollution, static variables are specifically addressed for each object)

Plain English literacy and communication skills in relation to analysis, evaluation and presentation of information (e.g. when details/comments are logged and signatures are gained)

Object-oriented programming (e.g. when objects containing lower level class instances are tested separately, i.e. declaration of class within the class to be tested, and when presence of scripts to test dynamic binding on all relevant functions is ensured, if inheritance has been used to generate object)

Questioning and active listening skills (e.g. when details/comments are logged and signatures are gained)

Required knowledge

Detailed knowledge of an object-oriented programming language

Broad knowledge of automated test tools, with detailed knowledge of features and processes in some areas

Detailed knowledge of underlying test data

Detailed knowledge of input/output requirements

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Test environment may include:

data

program libraries

network/communications and other equipment

operating system

other support software

Appropriateperson may include:

supervisor

project leader and/or programmer responsible for code

Quality benchmarks may include:

organisational standards or those that may be based on products such as PSM or SPICE

Test criteria

Procedural language criteria may encompass:

Procedures

Parameters

Return values

Behaviour that affects the attributes of the program

Object-oriented language criteria may encompass procedural language criteria as well as:

Inheritance between classes

Proper instantiation of classes

Interaction between methods of the classes