TTE Certified 'Embedded C' Programmer
We offer a popular Certification Service for C programmers.
This programme involves:
- Joining a training course on “Programming Techniques for Reliable Embedded Systems” on a “Distance Learning” basis.
- Working closely with your personal Certification Tutor as you complete a series of 10 carefully-designed exercises.
- Completing a formal written examination (under “university” conditions), usually in British Council offices.
- Receiving your certificate if you receive a mark of 70% or above in the above examination.
This challenging and highly-regarded certification service is offered on an international basis.
Further information is provided on this page.
Who should join this programme?
The programme is intended for anyone working in the field of embedded systems who wants to demonstrate their ability to produce reliable embedded systems quickly and cost effectively.
For example:
- Individual programmers who already have some experience in the embedded sector use this service to update their skills, increase their salaries and improve their job prospects.
- Organisations involved in the development of embedded systems in the automotive sector use this service to demonstrate that they have a “safety culture” within their organisation (as required — for example — to meet the requirements of ISO 26262).
- Organisations involved in other areas in the embedded sector use this service to demonstrate their commitment to the creation of high-quality, reliable products by ensuring that their whole development team completes the programme: they then use this information when bidding for new contracts.
- Programmers with “desktop” experience (only) use this service to gain entry to the huge employment opportunities in the field of reliable embedded systems.
There are no fixed timescales for completion of this programme — but developers who have limited experience with embedded systems should expect to take several months to prepare for the certification exam.
Trainer biodata
The seminars in this programme are delivered by Professor Michael J. Pont from the University of Leicester, UK.
Michael Pont holds a BSc (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) from the University of Glasgow and a PhD (Computer Science) from the University of Southampton. Michael is Professor of Embedded Systems and Head of the Embedded Systems Laboratory at the University of Leicester: he is also CEO of TTE Systems Ltd.
Michael was the recipient of the “Best Presenter” award at the Embedded Masterclass 2010.
Michael is author / co-author of more than 100 technical publications and author of three books (“Patterns for Time-Triggered Embedded Systems”, “Embedded C” and “Software Engineering with C++ and CASE Tools”).
All certificates are signed personally by Prof. Michael J. Pont.
What training materials are provided?
The following training materials are freely available:
- Four full-length training videos on YouTube®;
Once you have registered for the programme, you will also be provided with:
- A full set of course notes;
- A full set of exercises, to help you develop your skills and prepare for the certification exam;
- A full suite of RapidiTTy Lite software tools (for use while you complete the training exercises).
Introductory training material
If you have little experience developing embedded systems, we have assembed some introductory training material which will help you to prepare for certification.
What skills are demonstrated by the certificate?
This programme covers core embedded skills, including:
- The key concepts of “real-time” systems and the importance of timing behaviour when creating reliable embedded systems
- How to use the C programming language effectively when creating reliable embedded systems.
- The differences between event-triggered and time-triggered software architectures (and when each architectures should be used)
- Key design and programming techniques which can help to improve the reliability of embedded systems for use in a range of different market sectors (for example, effective use of timeout loops and ‘hardware timeouts’ when interacting with hardware)
- An understanding of the use of the “MISRA C” programming guidelines
- Key testing and debugging skills
How can you become a “TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer”?
This cost-effective programme involves the following steps:
- You need to apply to join the programme: your admission will depend on your academic background.
- You undertake a programme of private study, using publically-available training resources.
- You undertake a formal written examination (held under controlled conditions, in British Council offices in most cases).
What support is provided to help you to prepare for the certification exam?
To help you prepare for the certification exam:
- You will be allocated a personal Certification Tutor with whom you will be able to communicate by e-mail.
- You will be issued with 10 exercises (starting with introductory examples, gradually increasing in complexity).
Once you have attempted each exercise, you may submit this (up to a maximum of three times) to your Certification Tutor. You will receive feedback on each submission.
We recommend that you attempt each exercise in turn (and — in most cases — we will issue the exercises in sequence: for example, Exercse 2 will be issued when you have completed Exercise 1, and so on).
Once you have reached Exercise 10, your Certification Tutor will be able to inform you whether (in their view) you are ready to take the Certification Exam (or whether you should do some further preparation in your own time).
Please note that your Certification Tutor can only advise you: he or she will not be involved in the marking of your Certification Exam.
If you are more experienced then you are — of course — free to prepare for the examination without completing the exercises (or communicating with your Certification Tutor) if you wish to do so.
What are the entry requirements?
There are no formal entry requirements for this programme, but we strongly recommend that applicants should hold at least a good Second Class Honours BSc degree (or qualification of equivalent standard) in a subject with a substantial element of computing.
The training materials for this programme assume that:
- You already know how to program in C
- You have some familiarity with microprocessors / microcontrollers (for example, you know what an “interrupt” is).
If you watch the first training video you will obtain a clear understanding of the background required.
How can you apply?
Please proceed as follows:
- Please contact us, providing a brief description of your academic background.
- If you are appropriately qualified, you will be asked to send us a CV.
- We will review you CV and — if we feel you are appropriately qualified — we will offer you a place on the programme.
Please do not send any money with your application: if you are offered a place, you will be sent an invoice. Once full payment is received, your place on the programme will be confirmed.
Different routes to certification
There are a number of different ways in which you can become a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer.
Becoming a “TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer” by ‘Distance Learning’
You can prepare for the certification exam in your own time by “Distance Learning”: this involves reading the course notes, watching video lectures, completing exercises at home and interacting with a tutor by e-mail.
If you pass the exam at the appropriate level, you will receive a formal certificate (TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer).
The fee for this option is £250 (VAT may be chargeable depending on your location).
Additional fees of £100 apply where candidates take the certification exam outside the UK.
You should allow around 12-16 weeks to prepare for certification by Distance Learning.
Obtain a “Certificate of Attendance”
You can attend a 5-day training course in Leiceser, UK. This involves live seminars (during which you can answer questions), and completing a set of laboratory exercises with full assistance from an experienced training team.
In this case there is no examination involved, but you will receive a “Certificate of Attendance”.
Please note that the Certificate of Attendance will not give any indication of your level of ability (it simply provides evidence that you attended the training course).
The fee for this option is £500 + VAT.
Join a public training course and then take the certification examination
You can attend the 5-day training course in Leicester and then sit the certification exam.
If you pass the exam at the appropriate level, you will receive a formal certificate (TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer).
The fee for this option (training and examination) is £650 + VAT.
In this case, both training and examination are usually held in Leicester: please contact us if you wish to take the exam in a different location.
Additional fees of £100 apply where candidates take the certification exam outside the UK.
You should allow around 4-6 weeks to prepare for certification if you start the process by attending a 5-day training course.
On-site solutions for organisations
For organisations wishing to certify teams of developers, we can provide 5 days of intensive training on the company site (anywhere in the world), on agreed dates. Please contact us for further details.
Will joining this programme really improve your job prospects?
We are often asked by individuals whether we feel that this certification programme will improve their prospects of gaining a good job (or a better-paid job) in the field of embedded systems.
Becoming a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer can be particularly beneficial to developers at both the early stages and later stages of their careers in this sector.
If you have graduated recently and have limited experience working with embedded systems (for example, you may only have experience gained in university projects), then becoming a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer can help you in two main ways:
- it demonstrates your personal commitment to a career in the field of embedded systems;
- it demonstrates that you have the core skills needed to develop reliable, real-world systems.
In addition, people at a later stage in their careers (say 10-20 years after graduation) can also benefit from this programme. At this stage in their careers, people can get a little “rusty” and — sometimes — find that their skills are becoming out of date. In these circumstances, becoming a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer can help to demonstrate a willingness to make a personal investment (in both time and money) to ensure that you remain at the cutting edge of embedded systems technology.
We must make it clear that becoming a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer will not help everyone. For example, if you are applying for jobs in the embedded sector and can already demonstrate that you have had 5 years of real, practical experience in this area (gained in advanced organisations which develop high-quality products), then certification will add little to your CV and is unlikely to improve your job prospects significantly. In these circumstances, we don’t recommend that you join this programme.
What’s the best way to study for the exam?
Everyone learns in different ways, but our programme is flexible and can adapt to your background, experience and available time.
Many people seem to find the following procedure effective:
1. View all of the seminars in sequence
Many people start by viewing all of the seminars, in sequence.
In most cases, we suggest you view one seminar per day ay this stage, and that you have a printout of the course notes in front of you as you watch the seminar.
You should expect to have to use the WWW, library and other resources to fill in any gaps in your understanding as you watch the videos — when you get stuck, please ask your Certification Tutor for comments / advice / assistance.
2. View each seminar again (one at a time).
This time, after viewing each seminar, you should attempt the exercises associated with that seminar (one at a time, in sequence).
Again, consult your Certification Tutor, if required, as you complete the exercises.
After completing each exercise, please submit the solution to your Certification Tutor.
Please wait for feedback before you attempt the next exercise (we aim to provide feedback within 2 business days in all cases).
Note: You should expect to take 1-2 days of full-time effort to complete most exercises: allowing for feedback, revisions, etc, most people take an average of 1-2 weeks to complete each exercise to an appropriate standard.
3. Once you have completed all of the exercises …
Once you have completed all of the exercises, please review your results with your Certification Tutor and agree a date for your examination.
Reviewing all of the training videos, the course notes and exercises again will help you to prepare for the exam.
Answers to other common questions
What course materials will I receive?
The training videos) are publically available.
Once you register, you will receive full course notes, software and exercise sheets. Most importantly, you will be assigned a Tutor to assist you (by e-mail) as you complete the exercises and prepare for the exam.
Is there a time frame in which you have to take the exam?
You take the exam when you are ready (your Tutor will be able to advise you).
Please note that the exam is not easy. We recommend that you allow 12-16 weeks of work with your tutor before you take the examination if you are studying by Distance Learning. If you are able to attend one of the training courses (in the UK or an on-site course in your organisation) the time required to prepare for certification can often be reduced to 4-6 weeks.
How do I pay the fee?
You can pay by bank transfer.
Can I pay the fee in instalments?
I’m afraid that we cannot accept payment by instalments for this programme.
However — if you decide to join the full DL MSc — you can pay on a module-by-module basis.
Certification Examinations
To become a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer, you must sit a formal 2-hour written examination, held under strict “University Conditions”. The exam papers are all marked (by hand) in the UK by an experienced team of assessors (following a rigorous marking scheme).
There are five questions on the examination paper from which the candidate must select (and complete) three. The candidate needs to allow 40 minutes to complete each question.
A sample (dummy) examination question is provided to registered candidates to help them to understand what is required in the examination.
The examination is “closed book”: no notes, books, computers, calculators or mobile phones may be taken into the room.
The examination format and level is identical to that used on the MSc programme in Reliable Embedded Systems. To become a TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer, you must obtain a mark of 70% or more in this examination: this is equivalent to a “Distinction” level on the equivalent MSc module.
Certificate
A certificate will be issued to applicants who achieve a mark of 70% or above in the written examination, identifying the holder as a “TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer’.
To prevent fraud, all certificates are signed, have a unique ID and record the name and date of birth of the TTE Certified ‘Embedded C’ Programmer. Full ID checks are also performed before candidates take the examination at the British Council offices.
Course cancellation and refunds
If you register for the Certification Programme, pay your fees and then change your mind before you start (and before you receive any course notes, exercise sheets, etc), your fees for the programme will be refunded, after deduction of an administration fee of £50 (+ VAT where applicable).
If you decide not to complete the Certification Programme after you have started, any refunds are entirely at our discretion.
Further information
Please contact us if you have any questions about this programme.