The INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) rating offers a special extension for US DoD employees and contractors. The CSEP-ACQ extension requires passing an examination on the DoD Acquisition Guidebook (DAG), and is a useful and coveted milestone in the career of an acquisition-oriented systems engineer. This one-day course provides you with the detailed knowledge and practice that you need to pass the CSEP-ACQ examination.

This course walks through the CSEP-ACQ requirements and the DoD Acquisition Guidebook to cover all topics that might be on the CSEP-ACQ exam. Interactive work, study plans, and sample examination questions help you to prepare effectively for the exam. Participants leave the course with solid knowledge, study plans, and a sample examination.

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What you will learn :

• How to pass the CSEP-ACQ examination!
• Details of the DAG Chapter 4, the source for the exam
• Your own strengths and weaknesses, to target your study
• The key processes and definitions in the DoD SE language of the exam and differences from INCOSE handbook terminology
• How to tailor the DoD SE processes
• Six rules for test-taking

The course is aimed at

• Qualified systems engineers who wish to attain the CSEP certification with Acquisition extension
• Those taking our CSEP Preparation course, as an immediate follow-on course.
• (Prerequisite: This course assumes that the student has or is seeking the CSEP first.)

Introduction – What is the CSEP Acquisition and what are the requirements to obtain it? Terms and definitions. Basis of the examination. Study plans and sample exam questions and how to use them. Introduction to the DAG.

Differences between CSEP and CSEP Acquisition Exams – Terminology, philosophy, policy, and approaches between the DoD DAG Chapter 4 and INCOSE V3.1 and 3.2 SE Handbooks.

DoD Systems Engineering Overview – From user capability needs to system specifications to system deployed and eventually disposal. This section covers section 4.0 of DAG.

Systems Engineering in DoD Acquisition Process - The DoD processes that take a system from concept to operation, maintenance and disposal. Stakeholder requirements and technical requirements, including concept of operations, requirements analysis, requirements definition, requirements management. Later SE deals with architectural design, including functional analysis and allocation, system architecture and synthesis. Finally SE includes implementation, integration, verification, transition, validation, operation, maintenance and disposal of a system. This section covers 4.1 in the DAG.

SE Process Implementation and Activities - Technical management and the role of systems engineering in guiding a project. Project planning, including the Systems Engineering Plan (SEP), Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD), Integrated Product Teams (IPT), and tailoring methods. This section covers 4.2 in the DAG.

SE in System Life Cycle Phases - DoD Life Cycle phases and what activities should happen in each phase and prior to the next milestone. This is the exam largest area and section covers 4.3 in DAG.

SE Decisions - DoD Systems Engineering decisions and design considerations like Open Systems, Human System Integration, RMA, Supportability, COTS, ESOH etc. This section covers 4.4 in the DAG.

SE Execution - It includes technical, cost and schedule oversight methods and techniques. Also covers general knowledge management. This section covers 4.5 in the DAG.

SE Resources - This provides links to resources in government, industry and academia. This covers section covers 4.6 in the DAG.

After-Class Plan – Study plans and methods. Using the self-assessment to personalize your study plan. Five rules for test-taking. How to use the sample examinations. How to reach us after class, and what to do when you succeed.

Continuing Education: This course qualifies for 0.7 CEUs or 7 PDUs