CDGT study plan

Map each phase of the game Software Development Life Cycle (concept, pre-production, production, alpha, beta, certification, launch, post-launch) to the testing activities and entry/exit criteria typical at that phase.

Define the core testing terminology (verification vs. validation, severity vs. priority, smoke vs. sanity, regression vs. retest) and give one game-specific example of each.

Compare black-box, white-box, and grey-box approaches in game testing and identify which is most practical for a given gameplay feature.

Apply equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis to a character stat system (e.g., health, damage, level caps) by deriving test cases from a written rule set.

Write a traceability matrix linking at least five game requirements to designed test cases.

Design test cases for a combat system using decision tables to cover hit/miss, critical hit, blocking, and damage-type interactions.

Use state transition testing to model a player state machine (idle, run, jump, attack, stunned, dead) and derive transition coverage cases.

Write a reusable test case template that includes preconditions, steps, expected results, test data, and platform variables.

Create a pairwise (combinatorial) test set for a character creation screen with at least four independent options.

Review a peer's test cases against a checklist and log at least three concrete improvements.

Test a core gameplay loop (e.g., quest accept, objective completion, reward grant) and document positive, negative, and edge-case results.

Verify save/load and checkpoint behavior across at least three scenarios: mid-mission save, save corruption, and version mismatch.

Test economy and progression systems (currency gain/spend, inventory limits, level-up thresholds) against the design specification.

Exercise AI and physics behaviors (pathfinding, aggro range, collision, ragdoll) and record deviations from expected behavior.

Identify and document at least two gameplay exploits or sequence breaks found through exploratory testing.

Summarize the certification requirements for at least two major console platforms, focusing on terminology such as TRC, TCR, XR, and Lotcheck.

Map common compliance categories (save data handling, user accounts, parental controls, network error handling, suspend/resume) to testable checkpoints.

Draft a compliance test checklist with pass/fail criteria for ten certification requirements.

Explain the consequences of certification failure and the resubmission process, including typical timelines and waiver requests.

Differentiate platform compliance testing from first-party publisher requirements and internal quality gates.

Test multiplayer session flows (host, join, invite, migrate host, disconnect, reconnect) and document observed behavior.

Simulate adverse network conditions (latency, packet loss, jitter) using a network emulator and record the impact on gameplay.

Measure and compare frame rate, frame time, and memory usage on at least two target configurations during a defined stress scenario.

Run a stability soak test for a sustained period and log crashes, memory leaks, or performance degradation.

Build a compatibility matrix covering OS versions, GPU tiers, and input devices, and execute a smoke test on each configuration.

Create a localization test pass for one language, checking text expansion, truncation, font rendering, and cultural appropriateness.

Test accessibility features (subtitles, colorblind modes, remapping, screen reader support) against platform and WCAG-informed guidelines.

Write a defect report that includes clear reproduction steps, expected vs. actual results, severity, priority, and supporting evidence.

Classify a set of sample defects by severity and priority and justify each classification using impact and likelihood.

Describe a triage workflow including roles, cadence, deferral criteria, and regression risk assessment.

Select appropriate automation candidates for a game project and explain why some tests should remain manual.

Build a small automated smoke test (e.g., launching the game, loading a save, verifying a UI element) using a scripting or record-and-playback tool.

Define test metrics such as defect density, test execution rate, pass rate, and escape rate, and calculate them from sample data.

Interpret a test coverage and defect trend report to recommend where to focus remaining testing effort.

Revisit test design techniques by converting one manual test set into parameterized automated checks.

Complete two full-length practice exams under timed conditions and score them by domain.

Review every missed question and write a corrected explanation referencing the relevant domain concept.

Revisit the two lowest-scoring domains and produce a condensed study sheet for each.

Walk through an end-to-end release readiness review, integrating test results, open defects, compliance status, and risk assessment.

Finalize a personal exam-day strategy covering time allocation, question triage, and common trap patterns.