Pass the iSQI CTFL2018 CTFL_Syll2018 Questions and answers with CertsForce

According to the syllabus, non-functional testing is a type of software testing that verifies non-functional aspects or attributes of a software product or system, such as performance, usability, reliability, security, etc. Non-functional testing evaluates how well a system operates or behaves under certain conditions or scenarios, rather than what functions or features it provides. The answer D is correct because it best exemplifies non-functional testing. Tests which capture the time it takes to save a file are examples of performance testing, which is a type of non-functional testing that measures how fast or responsive a system is under various workloads or situations. The other answers are incorrect because they exemplify functional testing or structural testing, which are not types of non-functional testing. Tests based on the internal structure of a component or system (A) are examples of structural testing, which is a type of software testing that verifies the implementation or code of a software product or system. Tests related to ‘what’ the system should do (B) are examples of functional testing, which is a type of software testing that verifies the functionality or behavior of a software product or system. Tests which calculate overtime pay for those employees entitled to such © are also examples of functional testing, as they verify a specific function or feature of a software product or system.

References: Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus, Section 1.2.1, page 10-11.

The version of the application is missing from the defect report. This is a valid criticism because it is important to specify which version of the software was tested when the defect was found, as this can help to identify and reproduce the defect, and to verify if it has been fixed in a later version.

Regression testing is testing of an already tested program after modification to discover any defects introduced or uncovered as a result of changes in software or its environment. Regression testing ensures that previously working functionality still works after changes are made3 defines regression testing as follows:

Regression Testing is defined as a type of software testing to confirm that a recent program or code change has not adversely affected existing features.

Regression Testing is nothing but full or partial selection of already executed test cases which are re-executed to ensure existing functionalities work fine.

I, III, IV, and V are incorrect statements about regression testing. Retesting of a fixed defect (I) is not regression testing, but confirmation testing or rework testing, which verifies that a specific defect has been resolved. Testing of new functionality in a program (III) is not regression testing, but functional testing or new feature testing, which verifies that new requirements are met by new code. Regression testing applies only to functional testing (IV) is not true, as regression testing can also apply to non-functional aspects such as performance or security. Tests that do not have to be repeatable, because they are only used once (V) are not regression testing, but exploratory testing or ad hoc testing, which are based on learning and discovery rather than predefined test cases.

Test analysis and design is the phase of the test process where test cases and test data are designed and prioritized, based on the test basis and test objectives. Therefore, option C is correct, as it includes tasks I, II, and III. Option A is incorrect, as it includes tasks IV and V, which are part of test implementation and execution phase. Option B is incorrect, as it includes task IV, which is part of test implementation and execution phase. Option D is incorrect, as it does not include task III, which is part of test analysis and design phase.

References: [Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus], Section 2.2

A use case is a description of how a user interacts with a system to achieve a goal or perform a task. A use case typically consists of a sequence of steps or actions that the user and the system perform to complete the goal or task. A use case can be used as a basis for designing test cases that verify the functionality and usability of the system under test. A test sequence that represents a possible use case should follow the logical order and flow of the user-system interaction and cover the main scenario and possible variations or exceptions. For example, based on the test cases given for a Library Management System, we can identify the following use cases:

UC1: Add a new borrower to the system

UC2: Update a borrower’s data

UC3: Remove a borrower from the system

UC4: Loan a book to a borrower

UC5: Return a book from a borrower

UC6: Reserve a book for a borrower

UC7: Send “reservation ready” message to a borrower

The test sequence that represents a possible use case is D. 1-2-6-7-4-5-3. This test sequence follows the logical order and flow of the user-system interaction and covers the main scenario and possible variations or exceptions. For example:

TC1: Add a new borrower to the system -> This is the first step of the use case, where the user registers as a new borrower in the system.

TC2: Update a borrower’s data -> This is a possible variation of the use case, where the user updates their personal or contact information in the system.

TC6: Reserve a book for a borrower -> This is the second step of the use case, where the user reserves a book that they want to borrow from the library.

TC7: Send “reservation ready” message to a borrower -> This is the third step of the use case, where the system sends a message to the user informing them that their reserved book is ready for pickup.

TC4: Loan a book to a borrower -> This is the fourth step of the use case, where the user picks up their reserved book from the library and loans it from the system.

TC5: Return a book from a borrower -> This is the fifth step of the use case, where the user returns their borrowed book to the library and returns it to the system.

TC3: Remove a borrower from the system -> This is a possible exception of the use case, where

the user decides to cancel their membership and remove their account from the system.

The other test sequences do not represent possible use cases because they do not follow the logical order and flow of the user-system interaction or they do not cover the main scenario and possible variations or exceptions. For example:

A. 1-4-2-7-5-6-3 -> This test sequence does not follow the logical order and flow of the user-system interaction because it performs some steps before or after they are supposed to happen. For example, it performs TC4 (Loan a book to a borrower) before TC6 (Reserve a book for a borrower), which does not make sense because the user cannot loan a book that they have not reserved yet.

B. 1-6-2-5-7-4-3 -> This test sequence does not follow the logical order and flow of the user-system interaction because it performs some steps before or after they are supposed to happen. For example, it performs TC5 (Return a book from a borrower) before TC4 (Loan a book to a borrower), which does not make sense because the user cannot return a book that they have not loaned yet.

C. 1-6-4-7-5-3-2 -> This test sequence does not cover the main scenario and possible variations or exceptions because it omits some steps that are essential for completing or terminating the use case. For example, it omits TC2 (Update a borrower’s data), which is a possible variation of the use case that allows the user to change their personal or contact information in the system.

You can find more information about use cases and test sequences in [A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus], Chapter 4, Section 4.2.

How to fix the defect is not needed to specify in a defect report because it is not part of the information that is required to describe, reproduce, and prioritize the defect. How to fix the defect is part of the solution or resolution that is provided by the developers or maintainers who are responsible for correcting the defect. A defect report is a document that records and communicates the details of a defect found during testing. A defect report typically includes the following information:

Defect ID: A unique identifier for the defect

Summary: A brief description of the defect

Severity and priority: An indication of how serious and urgent the defect is

Test environment details: A description of the hardware, software, network, data, tools, etc., that were used when the defect was found

How to reproduce the defect: A step-by-step procedure to recreate the defect

Expected and actual results: A comparison of what should have happened and what actually happened when the defect occurred

Attachments: Any additional information or evidence that can help understand or resolve the defect, such as screenshots, logs, files, etc.

You can find more information about defect reports in [A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus], Chapter 5.

Regression testing is a type of testing that is performed after a software system has been changed or modified to verify that the changes have not introduced any new defects or adversely affected the existing functionality of the system. Regression testing can be performed when the software system undergoes different types of changes, such as:

Corrective changes: Changes that fix defects or errors in the software system

Adaptive changes: Changes that adapt the software system to new platforms or environments

Perfective changes: Changes that improve the performance or usability of the software system

Preventive changes: Changes that avoid potential problems or issues in the software system

In this case, the software system was re-deployed because the backend database was changed from one vendor to another, which is an example of an adaptive change. Therefore, the test manager decided to perform some functional tests on the re-deployed system to ensure that the change did not affect the functionality of the system. This is an example of regression testing.

The other types of testing mentioned in the question are not relevant for this scenario. For example:

Non-functional testing: This type of testing verifies the non-functional aspects of the software system, such as reliability, performance, security, usability, etc.

Structural testing: This type of testing verifies the internal structure or implementation of the software system, such as code, architecture, design, etc.

Unit testing: This type of testing verifies individual components or units of software in isolation from other components or systems.

You can find more information about regression testing in [A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus], Chapter 2, Section 2.4.

The fundamental test process activity where the sufficiency of testing and resulting information are assessed is Evaluating exit criteria and reporting. This activity involves checking whether the test objectives have been met and whether there are any unresolved issues or risks that could affect the release or deployment decision. This activity also involves preparing and communicating a test summary report that summarizes the test activities and results and provides recommendations and feedback for improvement. You can find more information about Evaluating exit criteria and reporting in [A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus], Chapter 3, Section 3.5.

Test metrics are quantitative measures that are used to monitor, control, and improve the test process and its outcomes. Test metrics can be collected at different levels of testing (test case, test suite, test project, etc.) and can be used for different purposes (planning, estimation, execution, evaluation, etc.). Some examples of common test metrics are:

Percentage of work done in test environment creation: This metric indicates how much effort has been spent on setting up and maintaining the test environment, which includes hardware, software, network, data, tools, etc., that are required for conducting the test activities.

Number of test cases run: This metric indicates how many test cases have been executed during a given period or phase of testing.

Deviation from test milestone dates: This metric indicates how much delay or ahead of schedule the test activities are compared to the planned dates.

Defect density: This metric indicates how many defects have been found per unit of size or functionality of the system under test.

Average number of expected defects per requirement is not a common test metric because it is not easy to estimate or measure how many defects are likely to be found for each requirement. Moreover, this metric does not provide useful information for improving the test process or evaluating the test results. You can find more information about test metrics in A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus, Chapter 5, Section 5.41.

The requirement given in the image specifies a field asking for the number of group members, which can be anywhere from 2 to 20 visitors. To test this requirement, we can use boundary value analysis, which is a specification-based test technique that involves testing the values at or near the boundaries of an equivalence partition. An equivalence partition is a set of values that are expected to be treated in the same way by the system under test. For example, based on the requirement, we can identify two equivalence partitions for the input group size:

EP1: Group size < 2 (invalid)

EP2: Group size = 2 (valid)

EP3: 2 < Group size < 20 (valid)

EP4: Group size = 20 (valid)

EP5: Group size > 20 (invalid)

The boundary values for each equivalence partition are the values at or near the edges of the partition. For example, the boundary values for EP1 are -1 and 1. The boundary values for EP2 are 1 and 2. The boundary values for EP3 are 2 and 19. And so on.

To test this requirement using boundary value analysis, we need to select one value from each boundary and test it with different combinations of valid and invalid inputs. For example, we can select the following values:

BV1: Group size = -1 (from EP1)

BV2: Group size = 1 (from EP1 and EP2)

BV3: Group size = 2 (from EP2 and EP3)

BV4: Group size = 19 (from EP3 and EP4)

BV5: Group size = 20 (from EP4 and EP5)

BV6: Group size = 21 (from EP5)

We can then create test cases using these values and different combinations of valid and invalid inputs. For example:

TC1: Group size = -1 -> Invalid input

TC2: Group size = 1 -> Invalid input

TC3: Group size = 2 -> Valid input

TC4: Group size = 19 -> Valid input

TC5: Group size = 20 -> Valid input

TC6: Group size = 21 -> Invalid input

Therefore, we need a minimum of 6 valid test cases to achieve 100% boundary value coverage based on input group size.

You can find more information about boundary value analysis in [A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus], Chapter 4, Section 4.2.