Sample Exam ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst

You are testing software for a pet store. Customers can gain dog toy points and dog food points based on their purchases. A customer must have at least 5 dog food points before they can start accumulating dog toy points and they must maintain at least 5 dog food points, or they will lose their dog toy points. A customer can accumulate up to 20 dog food points and up to 5 dog toy points. Given this domain analysis table for these conditions, how many test cases will pass? a. 5 b. 7 c. 12 d. 15

A is correct. 5 test cases should pass and 10 should fail as shown in table D below.

You have recently started a new job as a Test Analyst for a company that specializes in providing books and magazines for visually impaired consumers. You have been assigned the usability area and the project started on the same day you arrived. The deployment date is in one week. What technique will you use on your first day? a. Review the test basis b. Interview the customer c. Verify the SUMI results d. Send a questionnaire to the target users

A is correct. Given that this is your first day, you first need to figure out what the software should do. After you know that, B would make sense to clarify what the customer is expecting. C and D will take too long.

You are testing a combination of non-interacting conditions that are used when a customer is selecting a toaster (color, brand, 2 or 4-slot). There are 3 options for color, 2 for brand and 2 for slots. How many test cases are needed to achieve singleton coverage? a. 3 b. 6 c. 7 d. 12

A is correct. Singleton coverage means that each item must be represented at least once. By using the number for the largest set of options, you are guaranteed that everything can be used once.

A recently hired tester has been reporting a large number of defects in a part of the code that has been traditionally stable. On further investigation, the developers have determined that these reports are all false positives. Which of the following would be the correct root cause for these defects? a. Tester error b. Logic error c. Documentation issue d. Configuration issue

A is correct. These are all false positives, meaning that a problem is reported when there isn't one. This is a tester error as the tester should have done further investigation before reporting the problem. B is not correct because there is not a problem with the code logic. C and D might be problems, but the tester should be checking for those before documenting the defect.

Which of the following is an activity the Test Analyst should perform to support monitoring and controlling the test project? a. Plan the testing to align with the software lifecycle b. Ensure accurate and timely information is recorded for root causes of defects c. Provide input to the test manager regarding test estimates d. Test the installation procedures

B is correct. This information can be used to monitor the project, determine trends and contribute to process improvement. A and C are both activities that should occur during the Planning phases of the project. D is a testing task that the TA performs as part of project testing.

You are testing a water dispensing system. It can give hot water or cold water from one tap. It can't give both at the same time and you can't change the temperature while dispensing. It can run out of water. The user can request the type of water and turn on the dispenser. When the water is running, the user can turn off the dispenser. When the water is not running, the user can turn on the dispenser. The following is the decision table for this system:

C is correct. 8 test cases are required, one for each row in the table. Since this is 0-switch coverage, only one transition is being tested, one event to move from a start state to an end state.

You are testing a water dispensing system. It can give hot water or cold water from one tap. It can't give both at the same time and you can't change the temperature while dispensing. It can run out of water. The user can request the type of water and turn on the dispenser. When the water is running, the user can turn off the dispenser. When the water is not running, the user can turn on the dispenser. a. State0, Condition, Event, Action, State1 b. Action, State, Condition, Result, End State c. Start State, Event, Condition, Action, End State d. Start State, Action, Condition, Event, End State

C is correct. These are the correct labels for the columns on a state transition table.

Which lifecycle model requires the earliest involvement from the Test Analyst? a. Agile b. V-model c. Embedded iterative d. Waterfall

A is correct. Agile models require the earliest involvement from the TA. B requires activity from the TA as soon as the requirements documents are ready for review. C is an iterative model within a V-model, so it works the same as B for the moment of involvement. D is usually the latest involvement, often not happening until the code is written.

User Story 1 - As a data entry clerk, I want to save and print my data sheet so that I can keep it for other uses. Based on the user story checklist provided in the syllabus, what is wrong with this user story? 19 a. The story contains more than one item of functionality b. The actors are not defined c. There is more than one main path d. There are dependencies between this story and others

A is correct. A user story should only contain one item of functionality. Save and print are two items and should be recorded in two separate stories. B and C are applicable to use cases not use stories. D is not a problem because there appear to be no dependencies.

You have received the following use case steps: 1. Returning user logs into the application. 1a. User is new and decides to create an account 1b. User creates account and is returned to login 2. User selects calendar duration (6, 12 or 18 months) 3. User selects standard day captions 3a. User chooses custom day captions 3b. User is taken to other application to define captions 3c. After captions defined, user is returned 4. User selects standard pictures 4a. User chooses custom pictures 4b. User is taken to other application to upload pictures 4c. After pictures are uploaded, user is returned 5. User enters shipping information 6. User purchases calendar 6a. User cancels purchase 7. User exits You have tested the following: 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5, 6, 7 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4, 5, 6, 7 What level of coverage have you achieved? a. 40% of minimum coverage b. 50% of minimum coverage c. 80% of minimum coverage d. 100% of minimum coverage

A is correct. 5 tests are needed for minimum coverage and only 2 of those have been executed.

Why would a tester use a cause-effect graph? a. To show decision logic in a graphical form b. To show state changes and events that drive transitions c. To show the results of domain analysis d. To show the tester how to proceed with error guessing

A is correct. A cause-effect graph is a graphical presentation of decision information that can be contained in a decision table.

You are testing software that will be used to purchase calendars. Customers have the following choices: Number of months (6, 12 or 18), captions for each day (standard, none, custom), picture for the calendar pages (standard, custom). You have been given the following classification tree to perform your testing of these combinations. What is the level of coverage you will achieve if you test all the test cases indicated by this classification tree? a. Pairs b. Triples c. Quads d. No specific coverage will be attained beyond singleton coverage

A is correct. Pairwise coverage will be achieved if each of the 9 test cases are run. Singleton coverage will also be achieved because each item will be tested at least once.

On the last project, insufficient resources were allocated for the configuration testing. When should this area be addressed for the next project? a. During planning b. During implementation c. During execution d. During closure

A is correct. Planning for the resources should occur during the planning stages and should be recorded in the test plan. B, C and D are too late.

Which of the following would normally be delivered by the Test Analyst as part of the Test Closure activities? a. Open defect reports and known workarounds b. Finalized requirements specifications c. Use cases and/or user stories depending on the SDLC d. Quality risk analysis

A is correct. This information is often turned over to the support and maintenance groups to help them with understanding the known defects and workarounds for those defects. B and C should be input to the Analysis activities. D should be an output from the Analysis activities and an input to the Design activities.

As a Test Analyst, what information must be clearly known after participating in a review of the requirements document? a. Enough information to support the test effort b. Enough information to complete the review c. Enough information to identify integration points d. Enough information to identify data elements

A is correct. When you leave the requirements review meeting you should have enough information to support the test effort. B is not correct and should happen during the review or with another scheduled review. C and D are information you would expect to get from a design review, not a requirements review.

You are testing an e-commerce application and are concentrating on testing the handling of debit and credit cards. Of particular interest is the handling of purchases that exceed or meet the credit card or debit card limit. There have been a number of defects documented regarding purchases that exceeded the limit on the card. Which of the following is the best set of techniques to use for this situation? a. Boundary value analysis and domain analysis b. State transition diagrams and decision tables c. Cause-effect diagrams and boundary value analysis d. Error guessing and checklist-based testing

A is the best choice here because you are concerned with the boundaries of the allowed purchase limits and it's likely that equivalence partitions may be helpful as well. Domain analysis gives you both BVA and EP. B would not be helpful because there are no states being transitioned here. C is not the best choice. Although decisions are being made, concentration around the particular values is needed and that will be covered better by A. D is not correct because, while error guessing might be useful, it is not the best technique.

You want to test a new e-commerce application using exploratory testing. Which of the following would be a good charter to use to guide the testing of a particular element of the software? a. Purchase a variety of items using valid and invalid credit and debit cards b. Log in and buy some items c. Log in, search, buy items, remove some from the shopping cart, buy more d. Test the e-commerce application by emulating a user

A is the most correct charter. It explains what areas to test and then specifies the valid and invalid card usage. This test session will result in some coverage information and could support traceability back to the requirements for credit and debit card handling. B and D are too vague to be useful. C doesn't really make sense because removing items after you buy them may not be allowed and it specifies steps rather than the purpose of the testing.

When working in a 24-hour testing model with an offshore team, which of the following is an example of a good communication practice? a. Deploy code at the end of the day to ensure the other team has new software to test b. Update defect reports and route them to the offshore testers as a way to communicate which fixes are ready for retest c. Use conference calls to update test execution status for shared tests and to review all new defect reports d. Divide up testing tasks to ensure there is no overlap between the onshore and offshore teams

B is a good communication practice that utilizes tools to ensure everyone has access to the information they need. A is not a good practice because it often leaves the offshore team with software or environments that aren't working. C is not a good practice because timezone differences may make conference calls inefficient and it is not a good use of tools. D is not correct because this won't facilitate communication.

You are testing a combination of non-interacting conditions that are used when a customer is selecting a toaster (color, brand, 2 or 4-slot). There are 3 options for color, 2 for brand and 2 for slots. How many test cases are needed to achieve pairwise coverage? a. 3 b. 6 c. 7 d. 12

B is correct per the following table: 1 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 2 Pairwise coverage means that each pairing of options is covered. In this case, the first column represents the 3 options for color. In column 1 and 2, all combinations of those two values are created. In columns 2 and 3, all combinations of brand and slot are covered. In columns 1 and 3, all combinations of color and slot are covered.

The local golf club tradeshow application allows registered users to buy, sell or trade golf clubs across three participating golf facilities. Users are able to buy, sell, or trade golf clubs from the following manufactures: Nike, TaylorMade, Callaway, and Titleist. Payments are made with a credit or debit card only, no cash is accepted. Using the pairwise technique, what is the minimum number of test cases you would need to test these conditions? a. 8 b. 12 c. 16 d. 20

B is correct. 12 test cases are needed. The longest list (4) multiplied by the second longest (3) gives the answer needed. Table C shows the table that would be generated from a full pairwise expansion.

You are testing a wire transfer system for a large multi-national bank. There are up to 100,000 wire transactions in a day totaling millions of dollars and each of these transactions must be accurate up to 10 decimal places. Money is often transferred between currencies and rounding of the amount is critically important. Which of the following specification-based techniques would be the most useful when testing this application? a.Classification trees b.Boundary value analysis c.State transitions d.Decision tables

B is correct. BVA will be needed to ensure all the monetary transactions are handled properly, particularly with regards to rounding. A classification trees are applicable for non-interacting conditions. This question is dealing with determining accurate amounts based on rounding and transfer information. C is not correct because there is no indication that states are used in the wire transfers. D is not correct because there are no business rules cited in the question that would indicate that decision tables would be needed.

Which test design technique is often used to determine values for the nodes of the classification tree? a. Splicing b. Equivalence partitioning c. State transition tables d. Decision tables

B is correct. EP is often used to limit the options to create a reasonable number of nodes for the tree from all possible options, which could be very large.

You are working on an update to a legacy banking product that has been in production for five years. Over the course of that time, a large defect database has been built up including defects found during testing and defects that escaped into production. Your team is experienced with testing this product and is aware of many of the problem areas. What is the best way to approach the testing for this update? a. Apply experience-based testing, concentrating on the areas where the product experiences the most heavy usage based on the usage models b. Create a defect taxonomy from the known defects and apply defect-based testing c. Test from the legacy requirements to ensure the existing functionality is not broken by the new update d. Use pairwise testing to pair likely defects with the areas of the code in which those defects occur

B is correct. Given that there are a large number of known defect areas, it makes sense to create a taxonomy and conduct defect-based testing. A would make sense if the concentration were on known failure areas, but it's concentrating on heavy usage areas, which may or may not be high risk. C is not correct for the primary testing, although it might be useful for regression testing. D is not correct because that is not what pairwise testing does.

You are testing login software. If the user enters a valid username/password combination, they are taken to the welcome page. If they enter an invalid combination, they are taken to the Forgot password page where they can then request to be emailed their username or password. Which of the following state tables correctly shows the state changes from the Login state?

B is correct. It shows both state transitions, one for a valid combination of username/password, and one for an invalid combination. A is not correct because it doesn't show the transition for an invalid combination. C is not correct because the question states that it just wants the transitions from the Login state. D is not correct for the same reason and it duplicates the first transition. A state transition table should not have duplicate rows.

You have been given the following steps from your developers as a use case for your coffee maker product. The product receives a cartridge of pre-packaged coffee mixture and pushes boiling water through it to produce a cup of coffee. 1. Plug in machine 2. Insert cartridge 3. Push "make coffee" button 4. Place cup under spout 5. Remove cup 6. Drink coffee Based on the use case checklist provided in the syllabus, what is missing from this use case? a. The main flow b. Alternate flows c. Story points d. Accessibility requirements

B is correct. No alternate flows are shown in this set of steps. And you may need to wipe up the counter given the order of steps 3 and 4! A is not correct because this is the main flow. C is not correct because this would only be applicable to a user story. D is not correct because accessibility requirements are not normally shown at the use case level.

You are working on a product that is designed to be an application that will run in a browser on a desktop or a mobile device. The software looks fine on the desktop, but you are seeing issues with screen formatting when using mobile devices. It was clearly stated in the requirements that the application was to run on both desktop and mobile devices, along with a list of the browsers to be supported. Given this information, at what phase in the project was this defect likely introduced? a. Requirements b. Design c. Testing d. Deployment

B is correct. Since the requirements were clearly stated, it's not a requirements issue. It's likely that design decisions were made regarding the type of implementation that are causing the software to behave incorrectly on the smaller screens. If this were a problem with just a particular browser, it might be a coding issue, but since the problem is more wide spread, it's likely a design issue.

You are testing registration software that requires the user to create a password. The following are the rules for the password • Must be between 3 and 10 characters long • Must contain at least two of the following character types: o Special character o Lower case alpha o Number o Upper case alpha • If the password only contains two of the above, a weak symbol is displayed • If the password only contains three of the above, a strong symbol is displayed • If the password contains four of the above and is longer than 8 characters, a very strong symbol is displayed • If the password contains four of the above but is 8 characters or less, a strong symbol is displayed For these requirements, which of the following is the correct list of Results for a decision table?

B is correct. The errors that can occur are either that the password is the wrong length or that they didn't enter the right mix of characters. The proper symbol should be displayed depending on the combination of input characters. A symbol is only displayed if the password is valid, so no special result of valid password is needed. A is not correct because it doesn't define the reason for the invalid password and doesn't consider the symbols. C is not correct because these should be Boolean values so there is no need for valid length and invalid length. A "no" on one will always be a "yes" on the other. It also doesn't makes sense to indicate which characters are missing since that information as already supplied in the conditions - it's not the outcome of the decision. D is not correct because the length is a condition, not a decision result. It is also not a good practice to use a non-boolean for the symbol displayed.

How are exit criteria utilized? a. To reprioritize remaining tasks b. To determine when to stop testing c. To indicate when additional test coverage can be achieved d. To automatically determine the Go/No-Go decision

B is correct. The exit criteria determine when testing is done. A is not correct because the exit criteria don't define priorities, just goals to be met. C is not correct because the scope is defined by the exit criteria. D is not correct because human analysis is still needed.

What is the Test Analyst's primary role in creating keyword-driven automation? a. To supply data for the automated scripts b. To supply data and keywords that the automation software will use to drive the software to the point where it will use the supplied data c. To develop the test automation scripts in such a way as to reduce the maintenance costs d. The Test Analyst's role is limited to executing the developed scripts; all input is created by the Technical Test Analyst

B is correct. This is the job of the TA because they know the domain and so can supply accurate data and keywords for use with the automation. A is true for data-driven. C is the job of the TTA. D is not correct because the TA has an active role in defining the input parameters.

You are testing a login program that requires the password to be between 3 and 10 characters. Which of the following sets of test data should be used when applying two-value boundary value analysis? a. 333, 1234567890 b. 22, AAA, 1234567890, 12345678901 c. -1, 0, 55555, 123456789a! d. 22, 12345678901

B is correct. This provides one test for the value just over the lower boundary (2 characters), one for the lower boundary (3 characters), one for the upper boundary (10 characters) and one for just over the upper boundary (11 characters). Note, the question specifies "characters" so any alphanumeric or special characters could be used in the answer. A has two tests in the valid partition. C doesn't address the lower boundaries at all and just includes the value over the upper boundary. D includes the values outside the boundaries, but not the boundaries themselves.

During the final cycle of testing you are notified by your Test Manager that the Configuration Control Board (CCB) has approved a change. Based on your current schedule and remaining tasks you have estimated a "right on time" completion of your current tasks, not including the additional change. After initial analysis of the change you have determined the need for additional test cases. In addition, you have determined that this effort cannot be completed by the end of the scheduled final test cycle. As the Test Analyst, what must you ensure happens next? a. Inform the CCB that this change cannot be handled with the existing resources b. Raise the risk to the Test Manager and work on mitigation approaches c. Re-assess the test basis for re-prioritization opportunities d. Update the test schedule to add the new test cases

B is correct. This risk needs to be raised to the Test Manager because this is potentially a serious issue. You should also work on mitigation approaches, probably with the Test Manager. A is not correct because if anyone pushes back on the CCB, it should be the Test Manager. C is not correct because you're in the final cycle of testing so you won't have any benefit from re-prioritizing tests you've already run. D is not correct because this would result in not meeting the schedule and that may not be acceptable.

You executed your final 10 test cases to complete your test cycle. 4 test cases passed, 3 failed, 2 had exceptions and 1 is still in progress. What percent of execution should be indicated in your test progress report? a. 40% b. 70% c. 90% d. 100%

C is correct. 9 of the 10 test cases have been executed. Execution does not mean they have passed. The only test excluded is the one that is still in progress.

You have received the following use case steps: 1. Returning user logs into the application. 1a. User is new and decides to create an account 1b. User creates account and is returned to login 2. User selects calendar duration (6, 12 or 18 months) 3. User selects standard day captions 3a. User chooses custom day captions 3b. User is taken to other application to define captions 3c. After captions defined, user is returned 4. User selects standard pictures 4a. User chooses custom pictures 4b. User is taken to other application to upload pictures 4c. After pictures are uploaded, user is returned 5. User enters shipping information 6. User purchases calendar 6a. User cancels purchase 7. User exits What is the minimum number of test cases needed to test this use case? a. 2 b. 4 c. 5 d. 7

C is correct. A minimum of 5 cases are needed, one for the main path and one for each alternate path (1a, 3a, 4a, 6a). In reality, a good tester would have many more test cases than 5. You could test several of the alternate paths together, but then there is the risk of masking a failure. It's safer, when going for minimum coverage, to test each alternate path separately. For example, testing 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4, 5, 6, 7.

You have received the following use case steps: 1. Returning user logs into the application. 1a. User is new and decides to create an account 1b. User creates account and is returned to login 2. User selects calendar duration (6, 12 or 18 months) 3. User selects standard day captions 3a. User chooses custom day captions 3b. User is taken to other application to define captions 3c. After captions defined, user is returned 4. User selects standard pictures 4a. User chooses custom pictures 4b. User is taken to other application to upload pictures 4c. After pictures are uploaded, user is returned 5. User enters shipping information 6. User purchases calendar 6a. User cancels purchase 7. User exits You have tested the following steps: Test case 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Test case 2: 1a, 1b, 2, 3a, 3b 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5, 6a What is wrong with your testing approach? a. Nothing. You have achieved 100% coverage of this use case. b. Test case 2 skipped step 7 c. Test case 2 could be masking errors by testing all the alternate paths together d. Test case 1 covers the main path but test case 2 is missing several alternate paths

C is correct. Alternate paths should be tested individually if possible because this limits the risk of masking a defect. A is not correct because 100% coverage has not been achieved because the alternate paths were tested together. B is not correct because step 7 can't occur after step 6. D is not correct because test case 2 does cover all the alternate paths, but does them in one test case.

You are working with a set of business analysts who are having trouble understanding combinatorial testing. They are very concerned that the coverage will be insufficient and don't understand how tests are eliminated safely. Which combinatorial test design technique could you use to show them resulting combinations in a graphical form? a. Orthogonal arrays b. Pairwise graphs c. Classification trees d. Domain analysis

C is correct. Classification trees provide a graphical representation of the combinations and allow the user to see how the test values are derived. A and D are not graphical techniques. B is not real.

You are working on a project that has several levels of testing. The functional testing will be done by test analysts who are experienced with the project. They will be using existing test cases plus experience-based testing to conduct their testing. You have been asked to write the test cases that will be used for regression testing and for UAT. An outsourced test team will be used for the regression testing and they are not familiar with the product although they are familiar with testing in general. The business users will be conducting UAT and are experts in their areas. Because of the criticality of the project, there must be documented test cases for the UAT but the business users should be given the latitude to vary the data and actual steps in the business process being tested. Given this information, which type of test cases should be written? a. Concrete test cases for both regression testing and UAT b. Logical test cases for both regression testing and UAT c. Concrete test cases for regression testing and logical test cases for UAT d. Logical test cases for regression testing and concrete test cases for UAT

C is correct. Concrete test cases (with detailed steps and defined data) should be used for the inexperienced testers who will be running the regression tests. Logical or high-level test cases should be used for UAT because this will allow the business users to vary the steps and data within the tests but will still provide documented test cases.

You are testing an application that helps people file their taxes. There are many areas where the software will ask for additional information depending on the answer to a question. For example, if someone responds "yes" to the question "are you married", then the software prompts for the spouse's information. What is the best testing technique to apply when testing this application? a. Equivalence partitioning b. Domain analysis c. Decision tables d. Combinatorial techniques

C is correct. Decision tables would be the best approach because there are numerous rules embedded in the software. The other techniques may be useful for other parts of the software, but the example shown in the question would be best tested with decision tables.

Which of the following is a true statement about experience-based techniques? a. These techniques work well for new testers or those who are unfamiliar with the software b. These techniques are not appropriate for projects where there are detailed specifications c. These techniques work well for projects that have incomplete or no specifications d. These techniques provide good traceability and coverage metrics

C is correct. Experience-based techniques can be used to fill in the gaps of incomplete specifications. Exploratory testing is frequently used in this capacity. A is not correct because experience-based techniques should be used by experienced testers. B is not correct because these techniques work well to fill in the gaps of other techniques that are applied when there are good requirements. D is not correct. Experience-based techniques tend to give poor coverage and traceability information.

In the fundamental test process, when is test case priority / risk coverage assigned and when is that information used to determine execution sequence? a. Test Planning and Test Execution b. Test Analysis and Test Execution c. Test Design and Test Implementation d. Test Implementation and Test Execution

C is correct. Risk and priority assignment occur during test design as the test cases are designed to test particular test conditions. The test cases are ordered for execution, often based on priority/risk, during the Test Implementation step.

When a defect is found in the same phase in which it was introduced, what happens to the cost of the defect? a. It is increased b. It is eliminated c. It is minimized d. No change

C is correct. The cost of a defect is minimized when the defect is found in the same phase in which it was introduced. This is perfect phase containment.

You are testing software that controls the amount of water sprayed by an automatic sprinkler system. The amount to be sprayed in an hour is determined by the weather conditions for the previous 3 days. The weather conditions can be either sunny, cloudy or rainy. The maximum amount of water will be sprayed if the previous conditions were sunny, sunny, sunny. No water will be sprayed if there were two rainy days in the previous three days. Varying amounts will be sprayed depending on the mix of the previous days. For example, rainy, sunny, sunny will get more water than sunny, cloudy, rainy. The software also determines the type of spray to use based on the type of grass being sprayed. There are five different categories of grasses that are supported. By applying equivalence partitioning to the weather conditions, how many test cases will be needed to cover the weather conditions and spray types? a. 9 b. 15 c. 21 d. 27

C is correct. The only equivalence partition is for three day combinations with two or more rainy days. There are 7 of these possible (rainy, rainy, sunny/cloudy; rainy, sunny/cloudy, rainy; sunny/cloudy, rainy, rainy; rainy, rainy, rainy). All other combinations must be tested. There are 27 total combinations. Of these, 7 are the same so only one has to be tested. As a result you need 20 test cases for the other combinations and 1 test case for the 2+ rainy days). Within these 21 tests, only one will have no water, so the 5 combinations of spray types can be tested within the 21 tests for the weather combinations that result in water.

You have been testing a web application that takes airline reservations. There has been a problem that occurs when an existing user logs in and makes a reservation. If they query first, then select a particular flight and confirm the reservation, they are allowed to cancel the reservation. If they don't query but enter a particular flight number, then select it from the matched list, then confirm and try to cancel, the cancel fails. What technique should you use to do further testing and to look for similar issues? a. State transition testing, particularly with 0-switch b. State transition testing, particularly with 1-switch c. State transition testing, particularly with 2-switch d. State transition testing using state tables to check for invalid transitions

C is correct. The problem seems to be occurring with 3 transitions, which will be tested with 2-switch testing. D is not correct because invalid transitions don't seem to be the problem. The problem seems to be with not allowing valid transitions.

What is the primary purpose of root cause analysis? a. To reduce the costs of defects by finding them quickly b. To determine which developer has caused the problem c. To improve the process by learning from common causes of issues d. To improve time to market by identifying areas that do not need testing

C is correct. The purpose of root cause analysis is to find common causes of problems and eliminate those problems, thus improving the overall process. A is not correct because although you may find the defects earlier because you know what to look for, this isn't the purpose of RCA. B is definitely not correct because we are not trying to target the developer but rather look for patterns. D is not correct because root cause analysis tells us what causes problems, not where they are.

You are working on an Agile project which is using 2 week sprints. You have received the following user story for review: As a customer I want to register for my club card so I can get discounts on dog food. This story has been prioritized as a 2 (out of 5), has story points of 13, and has the following acceptance criteria: A1: A new user can register for a club card after entering valid information A2: An existing user cannot register again A3: The user's purchases are recorded and points are awarded based on the purchase amount A4: The user can use points to get discounts on dog food A5: The software will be usable and efficient You are using the following checklist for story reviews: 1. Is the story appropriate for the target iteration/sprint? 2. Are the acceptance criteria defined and testable? 3. Is the functionality clearly defined? 4. Are there dependencies between this story and others? 5. Is the story prioritized? 6. Does the story contain one item of functionality? After you have applied this checklist, which of the following indicates all the items that should be marked as failed? a. 2, 3, 6 b. 1, 2, 4, 5 c. 1, 2, 3, 6 d. 3, 4, 5, 6

C is correct. The story is too big for a two-week sprint. The acceptance criteria are not all defined (for example, is there a limit to the number of points? Can you split the points between purchases?) and are not all testable (usable? Efficient?). The functionality is not clearly defined and the story contains multiple items of functionality (registration as well as using the points). 5 is done correctly, there is a priority on the story. 4 is unknown, but since it is not defined, one would probably conclude there aren't any dependencies (of course, that could be dangerous...).

You are currently working with a web-based retail company that recently created an online shopping portal. The user is only allowed to use one form of payment, credit card or debit card (with PIN). The system interfaces with the warehouse software system to verify items are in- stock prior to confirming the order. In addition, a third party credit/debit card vendor validates the credit/debit card and confirms available funds to cover the transaction prior to the final sale. Given this information, using the decision table technique, what is the minimum number of test cases you would need to test the full decision table and what is the minimum number of test cases you would need to test the collapsed decision table? a. 8, 4 b. 12, 6 c. 16, 6 d. 32, 16

C is correct. There are 16 columns required in the full decision table. (see table A). The collapsed decision table requires 6 columns. (see table B). Please note, the use of the tildas indicates that any value could be there - it doesn't affect the test. Also remember there are multiple ways to collapse a table so if different columns were collapsed, that can be right too as long as the logic is followed. Testers always make assumptions on collapsing a table.

You have been testing an application that tracks real estate transactions. There have been repeated issues with "corner cases" in production. You have determined that these problems are due to issues with a particular set of addresses - those having a space in the name of the city. Which of the following would be a valid root cause classification for these defects? a. Missing requirement b. Incorrect design implementation c. Data handling d. Calculation error

C is correct. This is a data handling problem. It might have been due to a missing requirement, but incorrect data handling is a more clear classification and immediately indicates that further testing is needed with a wider variety of data.

You are testing software for an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for a bank and you have noticed that anytime a withdrawal is made an email is sent to the card holder informing them that the withdrawal has been made. You have checked the requirements and this feature is not mentioned anywhere. What should you do? a. Nothing, this is probably an added feature that did not make it into the requirements b. Update the test case to include steps for verifying the email c. Document the anomaly as this is an example of the software doing something it is not supposed to do d. Make a note in the test case for future testers to check for the email generation

C is correct. This is an example of the software doing something that is not specified in the requirements and should be documented as an issue. A is not correct because the tester can't assume that the feature should be there if it's not specified. B is not correct because the test case is correct per the requirements. D is not correct because this should be documented and investigated to see if it's a defect, not a note in the test case.

You have just attended a project meeting and have been assigned the following risk items to test: You will be using the breadth-first approach. What is the order in which the items should be tested? a. A1, A2, A3, U2, D1, U1 b. U1, D1, U2, A1, A2, A3 c. A3, U2, D1, A2, A3, U1 d. A1, D1, U1, A2, U2, A3

C is correct. This is breadth-first because it is testing across all areas while looking at the priorities within each area. A is depth-first (pure priority order). B is reverse priority order. D covers breadth, but doesn't consider priorities within the areas (U2 should come before U1).

You are a Test Analyst for company that provides grading software for the local school districts. The grade boundaries are: 75% pass, 85% distinctive, 95% honorable. Using the three-value boundary value analysis technique, how many test cases would be required to cover the valid grade transitions? a. 3 b. 6 c. 9 d. 12

C is correct. You will need to test 74%, 75%, 76%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 94%, 95%, 96% to achieve 100% three-value boundary coverage.

You have been instructed to test the syntax and semantics of an application that allows people to register for a grocery store club card. Which of the following provides an example of a syntax test and a semantics test? 1. Test the number of characters allowed in a customer's last name 2. Test the steps required to complete a registration action 3. Test how easy it is for a user to remember what actions are required to register a friend 4. Test the accessibility aspects of the registration process for someone who is visually impaired 5. Test the appropriateness of an error message that appears when you try to register someone who already exists a. 2 is syntax, 3 is semantics b. 4 is syntax, 2 is semantics c. 5 is syntax, 4 is semantics d. 1 is syntax, 5 is semantics

D is correct. 1 is a test for syntax (what can be entered in an input field). 5 is a test for semantics (reasonable and meaningful error message). 2 is testing navigation. 3 is testing learnability. 4 is testing accessibility.

You have recently worked on a project that launched a new web site. The usage of the web site is lower than expected in the first three months since it was deployed. You are concerned that there may be usability issues. You have checked the abandonment rate and it doesn't appear to be higher than comparable sites. What should you do to get more information regarding possible usability issues on this product? a. Conduct a formative analysis b. Conduct a usability lab and observe potential users to identify any learnability issues c. Conduct an accessibility scan to determine if there are accessibility issues d. Conduct a survey of the users to see what they like/dislike about the site

D is correct. A survey would be the best way to get this information since it is deployed and there are a number of users out there who will respond. A is not correct because this should have been done when the interface was being designed. B is not correct because the lab is quite restricted in the number of participants and D gives a wider set of inputs from real users. C is not correct because there is no indication that the customers who are not interested might have accessibility issues. Also, the abandonment rate is not high, indicating that once people figure out the site, they stay there.

You are preparing tests for UAT. There is a large set of existing test cases that have been used for the functional testing and you'd like to use those as a guideline for the UAT testers, allowing them to determine the data and exact steps they will use. Which of the following test techniques would be most suitable to use in this situation? a. Error guessing b. Exploratory c. Use case d. Checklist

D is correct. Checklist testing would be the most suitable because you already have the outline of what you want to test and that can easily be made into a checklist for these experienced users who will be doing the testing. A is not correct because there is nothing in the question about known error patterns or scenarios. B is not correct because the testing will use the existing test cases for guidelines allowing the user to determine the data and steps, but within the confines of the existing test cases. C is not correct because there are no use cases but if there were they would have the steps defined.

You are working on a new project that is designed to be a mobile application with a high degree of usability. During testing, you are repeatedly having issues with not knowing what the application should do. It doesn't appear to be operating correctly. The prompts were all defined correctly and the screen layouts were specified and implemented according to the specifications. What is one item on the usability checklist that was likely skipped in the user interface design sessions? a. Definition of the user prompts b. Tab order of the fields c. Keyboard alternatives to mouse actions d. Definition of error messages

D is correct. It's likely that the error messages weren't defined and either weren't implemented correctly or are misleading. A is not correct because the question stem says they were defined. B and C should not be significant for a mobile application.

You have just finished the last cycle in system testing for a project. The exit criteria states that 90% of the test cases must pass. You have provided your manager with the following information: Test cases passed: 70 Test cases failed: 5 Test cases passed with exception: 25 What problem is your manager likely to have with this information? a. A 90% pass rate was required so the project has not met the exit criteria b. Only 5% of the test cases failed, so the 90% pass rate has been exceeded and people may think the product was tested too much c. There is no risk rating associated with the test cases, so determining if 90% of the high risk test cases has passed is not possible d. The 25 test cases that "passed with exception" may contain problems that will affect the product in production so the 90% pass rate may not have been met

D is correct. The 25 test cases that "passed with exception" may be harboring significant defects even though the test case functionality has "passed". These test execution results will need to be researched to determine if the test cases should be considered "passed" or "failed" for the exit criteria. A is not correct because some number of the "passed with exception" cases should probably be classified as "passed". B is not correct because some number of the "passed with exception" cases should probably be classified as "failed". C is not correct, although it's a really good point and risk should also be a factor in evaluating exit criteria. Risk assessment was not stated in the exit criteria though, so it is not a factor with this answer.

Which part of a user story is used to verify test coverage? a. The story points b. The business priority c. The 'I want to' part of the story narrative d. The acceptance criteria

D is correct. The acceptance criteria are used to measure coverage of a story. Of course, the accuracy of this method depends on how well the acceptance criteria have been defined.

You are a Test Analyst for a company that provides incentives to its customers based on how much money they spend online shopping: Category 1: $1 - $100 = 5% Category 2: $100.01 - $500 = 7.5% Category 3: Over $500 = 10% The company recently discovered that their competitors were offering better incentives for the same amounts of money spent and now want to update their current incentive rate to match the competitor's. Using the equivalence partitioning test design technique, which of the following is the correct set of test cases to achieve 100% coverage with the minimum number of test cases? a. $50, $150 b. $0, $50, $150, $500 c. $0, $1, $100, $500, $550 d. $0, $50, $150, $550, max amount + $50

D is correct. There are 5 partitions you need to test. Invalid too low, $1 - $100, $101 - $500, >$500 and invalid too high (if possible).

You are a Test Analyst for a company that provides incentives to its customers based on how much money they spend online shopping: Category 1: $1 - $100 = 5% Category 2: $100.01 - $500 = 7.5% Category 3: Over $500 = 10% The company recently discovered that their competitors were offering better incentives for the same amounts of money spent and now want to update their current incentive rate to match the competitor's. Using the two-value boundary value analysis test design technique, which of the following is the correct set of test cases to achieve 100% coverage with the minimum number of test cases? a. $0, $1, $100, $500, max spend b. $1, $100, $100.01, $500, $500.01, max spend, max spend+$0.01 c. $0, $1, $100, $150, $500, $550, max spend, max spend+$50 d. $0, $0.99, $1, $100, $100.01, $500, $500.01, max spend, max spend+$0.01

D is correct. This covers all the boundaries with two- value coverage. The boundaries to consider are 0, 1, 100, 500, and max spend (which might push the max integer value and cause corruption).

You are testing a login program that requires the password to be between 3 and 10 characters. Which of the following sets of test data would provide coverage for all the equivalence classes with the least number of tests? a. 333, 1234567890 b. 22, AAA, 1234567890, 12345678901 c. -1, 0, 55555, 123456789a! d. 1, 55555, 12345678901

D is correct. This provides one test for the invalid low partition (too few characters), one for the valid partition, and one for the invalid high partition (too many characters). Note, the question specifies "characters" so any alphanumeric or special characters could be used in the answer. A has two tests in the valid partition. B tests the boundaries, but has two tests in the valid partition. C has two tests in the invalid too low partition (too few characters). The negative value doesn't matter.

Which of the following test techniques is most applicable for interoperability testing? a. Error guessing b. Domain analysis c. Defect-based testing using taxonomies d. Combinatorial testing

D is correct. With interoperability testing it is likely that many combinations of environments will need to be tested and these should not influence the behavior of the software in an adverse way. Combinatorial testing is well suited for this. A might be used, but would likely only be used as a final check, not a primary technique. B is not applicable since it concentrates more on EP and BVA combinations. C may be useful, but only if there is a taxonomy available from prior interoperability testing.

You are testing registration software that requires the user to create a password. The following are the rules for the password • Must be between 3 and 10 characters long • Must contain at least two of the following character types: o Special character o Lower case alpha o Number o Upper case alpha • If the password only contains two of the above, a weak symbol is displayed • If the password only contains three of the above, a strong symbol is displayed • If the password contains four of the above and is longer than 8 characters, a very strong symbol is displayed • If the password contains four of the above but is 8 characters or less, a strong symbol is displayed For these requirements, which of the following is the correct list of Conditions for a decision table?

D is correct. You have to check that the length is valid (3-10) and you need to know if it's >8. You also need to check the characters in the password. A is not correct because it doesn't check the characters and doesn't check for a password that is 9 or 10 characters. B is not correct because it can't differentiate between a password that is too long and one that is valid but more than 8 characters. C is not correct because it is mixing conditions and results.