Prerequisites for Intermediate Concepts of CMMI Version 1.2 Course
Prerequisites for participation
| Course format
Completion Requirements
| Expectations for successful completion of the course
Prerequisites for Participation in the Intermediate CMMI Course Version 1.2
Before taking this course, participants must
- Complete a formal SEI-authorized offering of the Introduction to CMMI course.
- Obtain experience with using the model before applying for the Intermediate class (e.g., serving on an Engineering Process Group, mapping CMMI to the organization's processes, serving as a member of an appraisal team, etc.)
- Carefully study the full content of the CMMI-DEV, Version 1.2.
- Carefully study chapters 1-5 and Generic Goals and Practices, pp. 1-100 of the CMMI-DEV model, Version 1.2. You must understand both the continuous and staged concepts, before coming to the class.
- Complete and submit an assigned exercise before attending the course, according to instructions that will be supplied. This exercise will require 4-6 hours for most participants.
Note: It is very important that the participant be capable of communicating well in English.
Course Format
The Intermediate CMMI course is a required training component for the SCAMPI Lead Appraiser and Introduction to CMMI Instructor authorizations. These professional SEI authorizations require an in-depth understanding of CMMI models. The Intermediate Concepts of CMMI v1.2 course consequently is much more demanding than most adult learning experiences. Each participant is required to demonstrate adequate model knowledge and ability to explain CMMI-related concepts by preparing (this is the assigned exercise), submitting, and delivering a presentation on an assigned process area (PA), and by passing an end-of-course examination. The course is a balanced combination of student presentation, instructor-led presentation and discussion, and exercise that depends on active student participation in all aspects.
Completion Requirements
Participants are evaluated by the course instructors in two areas:- Class participation: Participants attend the entire course and contribute appropriately to class discussions.
- Ability to explain CMMI concepts: This ability is principally determined from the participants' presentation on their assigned PA, and secondarily through class participation.
It is expected that students will gain knowledge through both participation in the class activities and by researching,
preparing, and presenting information on the assigned PA.
That knowledge will be important to the student's ability to pass the closed book examination on the last day of class.
Should the student proceed to additional SEI training that has this course as a prerequisite, the student evaluation will be provided to subsequent instructors to help them focus on each student’s evaluated strengths and weaknesses.
This course has two options for completion. If the student does not wish to continue with Instructor or Lead Appraiser training, then only the first four days of training is required. However to pursue either of these training courses, the student must demonstrate their knowledge of the CMMI models by taking and passing a closed book examination. Remedial work is not offered for those who do not pass the exam. There are two ways to take the exam. The exam may be taken on the morning of the fifth day of the class, or the participant may choose to take the exam within 4 weeks of the last day of class at a testing center.
If the participant does not receive course completion credit and pass the exam and desires to take additional SEI training that has this course as a prerequisite, the participant will be required to re-take this course and pass the written examination.
Because of the amount of preparation and model understanding required to be successful in this course, a minimum 90-day period is expected between completing the formal Introduction to CMMI course and the start of the Intermediate Concepts of CMMI v1.2 course. During this period the participant is expected to have completed all the prerequisites identified above.
It is important that course participants conduct an in-depth study of Chapters 1-5 and Generic Goals and Practices, pp. 1-100, of the CMMI-DEV Version 1.2 prior to the start of the course. These chapters cover essentials of model structure, terminology, and generic goal and generic practice content. In addition, these chapters provide essential information regarding maturity levels (staged representation) and capability levels (continuous representation). A thorough study of the process area descriptions is also essential.
By the end of the course, participants should be able to do the following, based upon the course experience and their individual study of the CMMI-DEV models:
- Identify the category and maturity level within which each process area resides.
- List the generic practices associated with generic goals 1-5.
- State the requirements for achieving maturity levels and capability levels.
- State the equivalent staging requirements for each maturity level.
- List key relationships between process areas and between process areas and generic practices.
- Identify the process areas in which descriptive content is addressed, down to and including specific practices.
- Define and differentiate between terms that have special or specific meaning in the CMMI-DEV, as found in the glossary and in the informative material within the process areas.
Please note that course participants who have not prepared adequately prior to attending the Intermediate Concepts of CMMI v1.2 course often have to invest long hours of evening study during the course to achieve adequate model knowledge. This is very difficult to do after full days of instruction.
Expectations for Successful Completion of the Intermediate Concepts of CMMI Version 1.2 Course
The Course Participant will satisfactorily:
- Understand the CMMI model, address all prerequisites, and have experience working with the model prior to attending the course.
- Participate in class discussions and exercises.
- Present a pre-class assignment to the class, as a professional demonstration of your model application knowledge.
- Pass a closed-book CMMI model knowledge examination.
- Attend all class sessions.
How Instructors will Rate Course Participants:
Successful completion of the Intermediate Concepts of CMMI v1.2 course requires that the course participant demonstrate an acceptable working knowledge of CMMI in activities 2-3 described on the previous page.
Activities 2-3 will be rated according to the scale indicated below.
Rating Scale Key
| E=Excellent | Participant almost always exhibits expected knowledge and adequate performance in the activity; performs activity in a way that is frequently above and beyond expectations. |
| G=Good | Participant often exhibits expected knowledge and adequate performance in the activity; falling short of expectations infrequently. This rating is the usual rating given to those generally meeting our knowledge and performance expectations. |
| F=Fair | Participant sometimes exhibits expected knowledge and adequate performance, but fails to do so frequently, in the activity. |
| P=Poor | Participant very frequently fails to exhibit expected knowledge and adequate performance in the activity. |
We expect that most course participants will be given Good (G) ratings for most activities.
Participants that are still new to the CMMI models may demonstrate a few weaknesses in their knowledge of CMMI models and thus also in their performance of the described activities. Thus there will normally be only a few Excellent (E) ratings for course participants per activity.
Notification of ratings: participants will normally be notified of their ratings by email following the course to leave the instructors adequate time to each participant’s composite rating.
Participants who receive a passing score on the written examination will be sent a certificate of completion via surface mail.
Participants who do not pass the written examination may retake the exam at a testing center within 4 weeks of the last day of class. If a participant does not pass the retake exam, they must retake the class at their own expense.
You can get further information on the Intermediate Concepts of CMMI v1.2 end of course examination at the following link http://www.sei.cmu.edu/products/courses/exama02b.html
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