Explore KSACs by Pathway
Explore Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Credentials (KSACs) by IT Pathway.
In late 2025, the Partnership pulled together members of industry from across tech to share how the in-demand skillsets for entry-level roles in their fields have changed in the last two years. The KSACs below reflect their feedback on entry-level expectations, especially in a tech workplace increasingly shaped by AI.
8. Software Tools and Environment
| Label | KSAC Description | Bloom's Taxonomy Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Describe the issues that are important in selecting a set of tools for the development of a particular software system, including tools for requirements tracking, design modeling, implementation, build automation, and version control. | knowledge | 2 |
| b | Construct, execute and debug programs using a modern IDE and associated tools such as unit testing tools and visual debuggers. | ability | 4 |
| c | Describe how version control can be used to help manage software release management. | knowledge | 3 |
| d | Ability to use Github or similar version control systems. | ability | 2 |
| e | Ability to use Jira or other similar issue tracking tools. | ability | 2 |
| f | Ability to use npm, maven or similar package management tools (e.g. npm, maven, or similar). | ability | 2 |
| g | Ability to use a source code control tool to manage configuration items in a small team-based project. | ability | 3 |
| h | Explain the use of software integration tools. | knowledge | 2 |
| i | Describe the benefits of integrating static and dynamic test tools into the software development environment. | knowledge | 2 |
| j | Demonstrate the capability to use software tools in support of the development of a software product of small size. | ability | 3 |
| k | Explain the benefits of and appropriate uses cases for the usage of containers. | knowledge | 2 |
| m | Use AI-assisted development tools while validating results. | ability | 1 |
| n | Apply CI/CD pipelines in practice, not just identify CI tools. | ability | 2 |
| o | Use containerization for development, testing, and deployment workflows. | skill | 2 |
| p | Understand modern package management ecosystems (pip, pnpm, Go modules). | knowledge | 1 |
Credentials
- N/A