Pass the iSQI ISTQB Foundation Level CTFL-AcT Questions and answers with CertsForce

Acceptance testing primarily focuses on verifying whether a system meets agreed-upon requirements and satisfies the business and user needs. Quality attributes (also known as non-functional requirements) play a vital role in defining the completeness of the acceptance testing process.

Let’s analyze the options:

ii. Functional suitability — directly relates to whether the system provides the correct functions as per business needs. Essential in acceptance testing.

v. Security — ensures that the system is protected against unauthorized access or data breaches. Often critical for business stakeholders.

vii. Maintainability — reflects how easily the system can be modified. Relevant in acceptance if maintainability requirements are part of contractual criteria.

Thus, Option B (ii, v, vii) contains three attributes that are very relevant for acceptance testing.

Other options:

A includes vi (cognitive ability), which is not a standard ISO 25010 quality attribute.

C includes i (commercializability) — not a system quality attribute defined in ISO 25010.

D includes iii (viability) — more of a business or market consideration, not system testability.

Answer: B. ii, v and vii

The ISTQB CTFL Acceptance Testing Syllabus emphasizes the importance of collaboration between business analysts and testers throughout the testing lifecycle, especially during test planning and risk identification. Business analysts contribute domain knowledge and business context, which is crucial in identifying business-critical areas, defining priorities, and ensuring that acceptance tests align with business goals.

Option A correctly identifies this collaboration. During test planning, business analysts help define acceptance criteria, identify risks from a business perspective, and support test prioritization to focus on high-value features. Their early involvement ensures that acceptance tests are meaningful and support stakeholder expectations.

Option B is incorrect as business analysts actively review acceptance tests to confirm alignment with business rules, regardless of technical complexity.

Option C is inaccurate because although testers seek to understand business needs, the responsibility for identifying those needs lies with business analysts.

Option D is incorrect; business analysts remain engaged throughout the project lifecycle, including test support and defect triage.

Exact Reference – ISTQB CTFL Acceptance Testing Syllabus (Section 1.4):

“Testers and business analysts collaborate during test planning and analysis activities to ensure the tests meet business needs and risk areas are adequately covered.”

Therefore, A provides the most accurate and comprehensive description.

User Experience (UX) requirement analysis is a critical component of acceptance testing and product development. According to ISTQB Acceptance Testing syllabus and industry-aligned UX design methodologies (e.g., ISO 9241-210 and BABOK guidelines), UX requirement analysis is typically structured around the following pillars:

User Analysis – Understanding who the users are (roles, goals, experience levels)

Task Analysis – Understanding what users do (tasks, workflows, pain points)

Context Analysis – Understanding where and how users interact with the product (environmental and contextual factors)

Competitor Analysis – Understanding how similar problems are solved in the market

Option B best describes Task Analysis, one of the most practical and impactful pillars. In task analysis, business analysts and UX researchers observe how users interact with current or comparable systems to understand workflow patterns, user frustrations, needs, and required system functionality. This method helps uncover implicit needs that users may not articulate in interviews.

This approach is aligned with ISTQB’s emphasis on understanding real-world usage and business processes as a foundation for deriving acceptance criteria and tests. It supports the creation of realistic scenarios that reflect actual user behavior, which is essential for verifying system fitness for use.

The other options are inaccurate:

A refers to psychological disposition, which is more aligned with user profiling or persona development, not a core focus of user analysis in requirement engineering.

C incorrectly ties context analysis with deriving security requirements, which is not its purpose.

D describes an unrealistic or incorrect method for competitor analysis.

Therefore, Option B is the best description of a key pillar of UX requirement analysis per industry and ISTQB standards.

Acceptance testing often relies on understanding and validating business processes and business rules. These are typically visualized and documented using business process modeling techniques such as BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) and decision tables (DMN – Decision Model and Notation).

Business Process Management (BPM) tools are specifically designed for modeling and managing such workflows and rules. These tools are commonly used during acceptance test design to align tests with business objectives and processes.

Option C is correct because it directly aligns with the use of business process modeling in acceptance testing activities.

Other options:

A is incorrect because requirements management tools are more focused on requirement traceability and prioritization, not managing test execution campaigns.

B confuses roles — test management/automation tools can assist with test generation, but “business process model-based” generation is more accurately linked to BPM or model-based testing tools.

D is incorrect — model-based testing tools are used for test case generation, not incident management.

Answer: C. Business process management tools for modeling business processes and rules.

Defect reporting is a core responsibility of testers. When a test fails, the tester must document the observed behavior and how it differs from the expected behavior. This allows developers, analysts, and stakeholders to assess whether the issue is a defect, and if so, prioritize and fix it.

Option B is correct because it accurately describes the core responsibility of a tester when logging a defect: report the mismatch between actual and expected outcomes clearly and objectively.

Other options:

A refers to meetings, which are useful but not a replacement for clear defect reports.

C incorrectly assigns the role of defect routing to business analysts — this is typically handled by test or defect management tools.

D suggests the tester analyzes impact before reporting — which could delay the defect being logged and is not always the tester's role (impact analysis is often done collaboratively later).

Answer: B. Testers should provide accurate information regarding the difference between the expected test result and the actual result.

Security requirements specify how a system should handle access control, data protection, confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. In acceptance testing, validating that users cannot access data or functions they are not authorized for is a critical test objective when dealing with security.

Option D is correct because it directly relates to access control — a fundamental aspect of security. Ensuring that “normal users shall have restricted access to private data” reflects both a security requirement and a condition that must be tested for compliance.

Other options:

A relates to performance (response time).

B refers to architecture or platform (web-based system).

C is about UI design and usability (style compliance).

Only D addresses security specifically.

Answer: D. Normal users shall have restricted access to private data.

The best Gherkin-style acceptance tests are business-oriented, behavior-driven, and avoid unnecessary technical or UI details. They describe actions in a way stakeholders can understand, focusing on system behavior rather than implementation mechanics.

Option A follows Gherkin conventions:

GIVEN clearly describes the system state (account balances).

WHEN describes a user action (transferring funds).

THEN describes a verifiable outcome (account balances updated correctly).

Option B includes unnecessary UI actions like clicking buttons or field names, which are implementation-specific and violate the abstraction level expected of acceptance tests.

Option C uses appropriate structure but introduces incorrect balances in the THEN step (possibly a typo; $4500 on X is wrong if funds were transferred from Y to X).

Option D uses improper syntax — WHEN is misused as another GIVEN, and THEN describes a computation rather than a system behavior.

Exact Reference – ISTQB CTFL Acceptance Testing Syllabus (Section 2.2.2):

“Acceptance criteria in BDD are best captured through Gherkin scenarios that are understandable by business stakeholders and focus on expected outcomes, not implementation details.”

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Traceability is a key principle in requirements and test management. It ensures that all features, requirements, and tests are linked and accounted for. Including traceability to user stories in BPMN diagrams or DMN tables supports transparency, auditability, and maintenance.

Option B is correct because embedding or referencing traceability information within business models improves communication across stakeholders, ensures proper test coverage, and helps during change impact analysis.

Let’s evaluate other options:

Option A is incorrect. Trying to place all model elements in one diagram can lead to cluttered and unreadable models.

Option C is misleading. While separation of concerns is useful, traceability (links to requirements, risks) should be integrated or closely accessible from the models.

Option D is incorrect. Acceptance testers should be involved early to collaborate and review models. Waiting until models are finalized contradicts agile and ATDD principles.

Answer: B. BPMN diagrams and DMN tables should include information such as traceability to user stories.

Decision Model and Notation (DMN) is a standardized approach used to model decision logic, often represented in decision tables that evaluate inputs and determine outputs. In this scenario, the entitlements granted to a candidate are based on the total score from two exams, where:

Each exam can be graded as either 0 or 1.

The combined score can be 0, 1, or 2.

The entitlements depend on the combined result:

0 → No entitlements

1 → Partial entitlements

2 → Full entitlements

Among the given diagrams:

Option A simply lists test cases but lacks explicit logic modeling.

Option B shows a mapping from total score to entitlements but doesn't model how the total is derived from the two exams.

Option C redundantly splits outputs into multiple Boolean fields and doesn't reflect how the decision is made from exam inputs.

Option D is the correct representation.

Option D uses:

e1 and e2 as inputs for Exam #1 and Exam #2.

Result as the sum of e1 + e2.

A final Output mapped based on the Result:

0 → No

1 → Partial

2 → Full

This structure accurately follows the DMN standard by expressing inputs, a derived result, and the corresponding decision output, making Option D the correct and most complete decision model.

Exact Reference – ISTQB CTFL Acceptance Testing Syllabus (Section 2.3):

“Decision tables are commonly used to express business rules that determine outputs based on combinations of inputs. DMN formalizes this structure to support automated reasoning.”

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation (Approx. 200 words):

Building a new team with members from diverse backgrounds requires activities that foster shared values, identity, and trust. Designing a team emblem with values, goals, and a motto is a well-known team-building technique often used in Agile kick-offs. It engages creativity, sparks discussion about shared purpose, and reinforces a collective team identity.

Option A is correct because it supports both vision and team spirit — crucial for newly formed teams.

Other options:

B focuses on individual backgrounds but may not build a collective vision.

C risks highlighting negative views about the organization and may not foster trust at the early stage.

D uses a “staircase” metaphor but incorrectly locates the team at the top of the stairs — potentially signaling an endpoint rather than a beginning, making it inappropriate for a new team.

Answer: A. You invite the team members and ask them to design their own emblem…