Memory-safe c and c++ to CERT and MISRA standards

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 7 details that are specific to your organisation.

Length
45 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At onboarding of C and C++ developers
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Pointers and arrays safely
What would you do?

A 16-byte buffer receives 40 bytes from a message

Try it: this is one of 17 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 45 minutes
  • Scenario, sorting activity, timeline, tabs and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, poll, ranking, word cloud slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 350.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
SO 350.1Describe stack, heap and object lifetime and what happens when a lifetime endsBest practiceWhole course
SO 350.2Use pointers and arrays safely, with bounds checksSEI CERT C and C++ Coding Standards [check before build]Whole course
SO 350.3Recognise common memory-safety flaws: overflow, use after free, double free, leaksCWE Top 25 (reference) [check before build]Whole course
SO 350.4Apply a coding rule set in practice and read a rule violation + your infoMISRA C/C++ (commercial, voluntary) [check before build]; organisation rulesWhole course
SO 350.5Use static analysis results in code review + your infoOrganisation's analysis tool policyWhole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 7 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 45 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

A crash from one stray pointer

3 pages

9 min
Before you beginNoteList
The field crashTextImage
What went wrongTimelineQuiz
2

Memory layout: stack, heap and lifetimes

3 pages

8 min
Where things liveTabs
Where does it live?Sorting activity
CheckFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

Pointers and arrays safely

3 pages

8 min
Safe habitsChecklist
PredictTextQuiz
The overflowScenarioQuiz
4

Common memory-safety flaws

3 pages

8 min
Name the flawSorting activity
Leak or not?ScenarioQuiz
CheckMulti-select quiz
5

Coding rules in practice

2 pages

6 min
How a rule set helpsAccordionYour info
Read the findingScenarioQuiz
6

Static analysis and final assessment

2 pages

6 min
Static analysis in reviewChecklistNoteYour infoKey fact
PracticeQuizKey factNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "bring a crash you could not reproduce
PollWhich memory flaw have you met?
QuizA pointer is used after its memory was released. This is… (Use after free ✔ · Leak · Double free · Overflow)
Content · customiseStack, heap and static; the safe habits {{CODING_STANDARD_LINK}}
RankingRank by risk: overflow in a network message, leak in a test tool, dangling pointer, unused variable, missing null check
Quiz40 bytes copied into a 16-byte buffer. The risk? (Buffer overflow ✔)
Word cloudThe bug that took longest to find
ScaleHow confident are you reading pointer code?
Q&AAsk the trainer anything
Content · customiseClosing {{HELP_CONTACT}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. Confidence in memory layout · pointers · flaws · coding rules · static analysis grid
  6. Do you run static analysis on every change? multiple choice
  7. Which memory bug was hardest to find? short text
  8. I can say ‘I am not sure this pointer is valid’ without feeling judged. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the coding standard and static analysis policy? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

7 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Link to the C and C++ coding standard in use{{CODING_STANDARD_LINK}}
  • Who to ask for help or to report a concern{{HELP_CONTACT}}
  • Where completion is recorded{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Link to the post-course and 30-day survey{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Link to the self-paced course{{COURSE_URL}}
  • List of approved tools and versions{{APPROVED_TOOLS}}
Show all 7 fields
  • Link to the baseline survey{{SURVEY_1_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run memory-safe c and c++ to CERT and MISRA standards training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At onboarding of C and C++ developers, and before a coding standard is adopted.

Who needs this training?

C and C++ developers in embedded, systems and finance teams; run by engineering leads with L&D.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.