Introduction to ISO/IEC 25010:2023 — Product Quality Model (SQuaRE)

ISO/IEC 25010:2023 is the second edition of the SQuaRE product quality model, replacing the 2011 edition. It defines nine quality characteristics — functional suitability, performance efficiency, compatibility, interaction capability, reliability, security, maintainability, flexibility and safety — together with the sub-characteristics beneath them, giving engineering, test and procurement teams a shared vocabulary for stating what 'good' means for a product and for proving it was delivered.

The course runs in the order a practitioner meets the subject: the five SQuaRE divisions from 2500n to 2504n and the scope and limits of 25010; the architecture of the model and its separation from the quality-in-use model now held in ISO/IEC 25019; what changed from 2011; then the nine characteristics across three modules, sub-characteristic by sub-characteristic, with worked measurement examples. Later modules cover writing measurable requirements, building measures from quality measure elements, weighting characteristics for a given system, and applying the model in procurement, supplier evaluation, acceptance testing and a first-90-days adoption path.

It is written for software engineers, testers and QA leads, product managers, architects, and procurement and contract staff. No prior knowledge of the ISO/IEC 25000 series is assumed. This is a course about the standard, not an auditor qualification: audit programme management and certification-body process are out of scope, and the ISO/IEC 25040 evaluation methodology is covered only in outline.

Every lesson carries worked examples, a short scenario drawn from practice and reflection questions. Assessment is a 30-question online exam with a 70% pass mark; successful learners receive a verifiable certificate. Approximately 9.5 hours of self-paced study.