Professional Conduct and Communication
Domain focus
Professional conduct and communication test whether you act with integrity, protect information, communicate findings objectively, and escalate appropriately.
Core conduct rules
- Be competent for the task; disclose limits and ask for help rather than bluffing.
- Report defects and test results honestly; never suppress, alter, or exaggerate evidence.
- Protect confidential data, credentials, and customer information; use only authorized environments and data.
- Avoid conflicts of interest; declare them.
- Base findings on evidence: test basis, steps, expected versus actual, logs, and reproducible conditions.
- Communicate with the audience: business stakeholders need impact and risk; developers need technical detail.
Communication in practice
Write defect titles that state the problem, not the person. Separate observation from interpretation. When disagreeing, return to requirements, risk, and evidence. Escalate blockers such as unavailable environments, unsafe releases, or unresolved critical defects through agreed channels and in writing. Do not promise a release date or quality level you cannot support.
Worked example
A tester finds that a discount code can be reused unlimited times. A developer replies, “It’s only a test code.” The tester avoids blaming language and re-states the test basis: the requirement says single use per customer. The report shows steps, expected result, actual result, order IDs, and timestamps. The tester classifies severity as high because of revenue loss, marks priority as high for the current release, and escalates to the product owner because the developer rejects the defect. The discussion stays on evidence and business impact, and the decision is recorded.
Traps
Personal attacks or “tester versus developer” framing. Hiding a failure to avoid conflict. Sharing screenshots with personal data. Escalating without first documenting and using the agreed channel. Overstating certainty or promising “zero defects.” Accepting pressure to change a severity without recording the rationale.