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ISTQB CT-AT study materials
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ISTQB CT-AT practice questions

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Question 1Agile techniques and testing techniques

In an Agile project, which testing activity is most closely associated with the practice of test-driven development (TDD)?

  1. Writing an automated unit test before writing the production code that satisfies it Correct answer.
  2. Reviewing user stories for testability during backlog refinement
  3. Executing exploratory sessions without any written test basis
  4. Running a full regression suite at the end of every sprint

Explanation

TDD follows a short red-green-refactor cycle in which a developer first writes a failing automated test that expresses the desired behaviour, then writes just enough production code to make it pass, then refactors. The test therefore drives the design and is created before the code under test.

Question 2Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which statement best describes the role of acceptance criteria in Agile testing?

  1. They define the conditions a user story must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or product owner Correct answer.
  2. They record the defects found during the previous sprint
  3. They specify the internal code structure the developers must follow
  4. They replace the need for any regression testing once a story is done

Explanation

Acceptance criteria express the conditions of satisfaction for a user story and are the basis for designing acceptance tests and confirming the story is complete. They describe externally observable behaviour from the stakeholder perspective rather than internal design or historical defect data.

Question 3Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team uses behaviour-driven development. Which artefact is written in the Given/When/Then format to express expected behaviour?

  1. A risk register
  2. A scenario Correct answer.
  3. A test charter
  4. A burndown chart

Explanation

In BDD, scenarios are written in the Given/When/Then structure to describe a concrete example of behaviour: the initial context, the action, and the expected outcome. These scenarios are often automated and serve as both specification and tests.

Question 4Agile techniques and testing techniques

What is the primary purpose of a daily stand-up meeting in an Agile team?

  1. To synchronise the team on progress, plans, and impediments Correct answer.
  2. To execute the regression test suite together
  3. To perform detailed code reviews of the previous day's commits
  4. To demonstrate completed features to stakeholders

Explanation

The daily stand-up is a short coordination meeting where team members share progress, upcoming work, and blockers so the team can self-organise and adapt the plan for the day. It is a synchronisation event, not a technical review or a demonstration.

Question 5Agile techniques and testing techniques

In Agile, what does the whole-team approach to quality mean?

  1. All team members share responsibility for quality and collaborate on testing activities Correct answer.
  2. Only the dedicated testers are accountable for product quality
  3. Quality is verified solely by the customer at the sprint review
  4. Testing is deferred to a separate team after the sprint ends

Explanation

The whole-team approach means everyone in the Agile team, including developers, testers, and business representatives, contributes to quality and collaborates on testing activities. Responsibility is shared rather than delegated to a single role or an external group.

Question 6Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which technique is a black-box test design technique based on partitioning input data into classes from which test cases are derived?

  1. Equivalence partitioning Correct answer.
  2. Fault seeding
  3. Branch coverage
  4. Statement coverage

Explanation

Equivalence partitioning divides the input domain into classes that are expected to be processed in the same way, so one representative value per class is sufficient. It is a specification-based (black-box) technique, whereas coverage measures and fault seeding are structural or estimation approaches.

Question 7Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which test design technique systematically exercises combinations of input values by modelling conditions and actions?

  1. State transition testing
  2. Decision table testing Correct answer.
  3. Boundary value analysis
  4. Exploratory testing

Explanation

Decision table testing models combinations of conditions and the resulting actions, making it effective for business rules with interacting inputs. It captures which combinations produce which outcomes and helps identify gaps and contradictions.

Question 8Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which of the following is an experience-based test technique?

  1. Use case testing
  2. Error guessing Correct answer.
  3. Boundary value analysis
  4. Decision table testing

Explanation

Error guessing is an experience-based technique in which testers use their knowledge of typical defects to design tests likely to expose them. The other options are specification-based techniques derived from documented requirements or models.

Question 9Agile techniques and testing techniques

A field accepts integer ages from 18 to 65 inclusive. Using two-value boundary value analysis, which set of test values best targets the boundaries?

  1. 17, 18, 65, 66 Correct answer.
  2. 0, 100, 200
  3. 18, 40, 65
  4. 17, 66, 100

Explanation

Two-value boundary value analysis tests each boundary and its nearest neighbour outside the class. For the range 18 to 65 the relevant values are 18 and 65 (the boundaries) plus 17 and 66 (just outside), giving 17, 18, 65, 66.

Question 10Agile techniques and testing techniques

A system has three independent binary conditions in a decision table. How many rule columns does the complete decision table contain?

  1. 9
  2. 8 Correct answer.
  3. 6
  4. 3

Explanation

A complete decision table contains one column for each combination of condition values. With three binary conditions the number of combinations is 2 to the power 3, which equals 8 rule columns.

Question 11Agile techniques and testing techniques

A login process has states Logged Out, Logged In, and Locked. After three failed attempts the account becomes Locked. Which test design technique is most appropriate to verify the lockout behaviour?

  1. State transition testing Correct answer.
  2. Equivalence partitioning
  3. Pairwise testing
  4. Statement coverage

Explanation

The lockout depends on a sequence of states and events (failed attempts causing a transition to Locked), so state transition testing is the natural fit. It models states, events, and transitions and derives tests that cover valid and invalid transitions.

Question 12Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team applies pairwise testing to a configuration with four parameters, each having three values. What is the main benefit of pairwise over exhaustive combination testing?

  1. It substantially reduces the number of test cases while still covering every pair of values Correct answer.
  2. It converts a black-box problem into a white-box coverage problem
  3. It removes the need to define equivalence classes for each parameter
  4. It guarantees detection of all defects involving three or more interacting parameters

Explanation

Pairwise testing covers every combination of two parameter values at least once, which dramatically reduces the number of test cases compared with the full Cartesian product. It is based on the observation that most defects are triggered by interactions of at most two parameters.

Question 13Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which statement correctly distinguishes verification from validation?

  1. Verification checks that the product meets its specified requirements, while validation checks that it meets user needs Correct answer.
  2. Verification and validation are synonyms and are used interchangeably in ISTQB terminology
  3. Verification is performed only by testers, while validation is performed only by developers
  4. Verification checks that the product meets user needs, while validation checks that it meets specified requirements

Explanation

Verification asks whether the product was built according to its specification, whereas validation asks whether it satisfies the users' actual needs in their environment. Both are necessary because a product can meet its specification yet still fail user expectations.

Question 14Agile techniques and testing techniques

During a sprint review, a stakeholder reports that a delivered feature behaves correctly per the specification but is unusable in practice. Which conclusion is most appropriate?

  1. The feature should be rejected because verification failed
  2. The team should skip acceptance testing in future sprints
  3. Validation has revealed a gap that verification alone could not detect Correct answer.
  4. The defect is purely a documentation error with no testing implication

Explanation

The feature passed verification because it met the specification, but failed validation because it did not satisfy real user needs. This shows why both verification and validation are needed and why stakeholder feedback in the sprint review is valuable.

Question 15Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a retrospective in an Agile project?

  1. To re-estimate the remaining items in the product backlog
  2. To execute the acceptance tests for the current increment
  3. To demonstrate completed functionality to the product owner
  4. To inspect how the team worked and identify improvements for the next iteration Correct answer.

Explanation

The retrospective focuses on the team's process and collaboration, identifying what went well and what to improve in the next iteration. It is about how the team works rather than what was built.

Question 16Agile techniques and testing techniques

In Agile, what is the main testing implication of continuous integration?

  1. Automated tests are run frequently on every integration so that defects are detected quickly Correct answer.
  2. Manual regression testing replaces automated testing to save effort
  3. Only performance tests are executed on each integration
  4. Testing is postponed until the release candidate is built

Explanation

Continuous integration merges and builds changes frequently, and automated tests run on each integration to give fast feedback on regressions. This shortens the feedback loop and makes defects cheaper to fix because they are found soon after being introduced.

Question 17Agile techniques and testing techniques

A tester joins an Agile team and is asked to support the principle of early testing. Which activity best exemplifies this principle?

  1. Reviewing user stories for testability before development begins Correct answer.
  2. Running the full regression suite only before release
  3. Executing system tests after all code is frozen
  4. Writing the test summary report at the end of the project

Explanation

Early testing means starting test activities as soon as work products become available, such as reviewing stories and criteria during refinement. Finding problems in requirements before code is written prevents defects from propagating and reduces cost.

Question 18Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which statement about the test pyramid in Agile automation is correct?

  1. The pyramid recommends equal numbers of unit, service, and UI tests
  2. The pyramid recommends automating only UI tests and performing unit tests manually
  3. UI tests should form the base because they most closely resemble user behaviour
  4. Many fast unit tests should form the base, with fewer service and even fewer UI tests above Correct answer.

Explanation

The test pyramid advises a broad base of fast, cheap unit tests, a smaller layer of service or integration tests, and a thin top layer of slower UI tests. This balance gives fast feedback while keeping the overall suite maintainable and quick to run.

Question 19Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team uses specification by example. Which outcome best indicates the practice is being applied effectively?

  1. The product owner writes all test cases alone after development
  2. Concrete examples agreed with business stakeholders become automated acceptance tests Correct answer.
  3. Developers write unit tests without any business input
  4. Acceptance criteria remain abstract and are clarified only during testing

Explanation

Specification by example produces concrete, agreed examples that illustrate requirements and are then used as the basis for automated acceptance tests. Collaboration among business, development, and testing is central, and the examples become living documentation.

Question 20Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team estimates that a story will take three days but the sprint has only two days of capacity left. Which action best reflects Agile planning?

  1. Add the story anyway and rely on overtime to finish it
  2. Reduce the definition of done so the story counts as complete
  3. Move the story to the next sprint and keep the sprint goal achievable Correct answer.
  4. Split the story and skip all testing to meet the date

Explanation

Agile planning respects capacity and protects the sprint goal, so work that does not fit is returned to the backlog for reprioritisation. Committing to work beyond capacity or weakening quality standards undermines sustainable pace and the definition of done.

Question 21Agile techniques and testing techniques

An analyst derives test conditions from a use case describing an online order. Which approach best reflects use case testing?

  1. Test only the individual input fields in isolation
  2. Measure the percentage of code statements executed
  3. Exercise the main success scenario and each alternative and exception flow Correct answer.
  4. Apply boundary values to every numeric field without considering flows

Explanation

Use case testing derives tests from the use case's basic flow and its alternative and exception flows, exercising interactions between components from the user's perspective. It focuses on end-to-end behaviour rather than isolated fields or code coverage.

Question 22Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team wants to reduce the risk that a regression is introduced when refactoring legacy code covered by few tests. Which Agile practice most directly addresses this?

  1. Increasing the number of manual UI test scripts
  2. Building a safety net of automated regression tests before refactoring Correct answer.
  3. Relying on exploratory testing alone during refactoring
  4. Deferring all refactoring until the final release

Explanation

Automated regression tests act as a safety net that reveals whether refactoring has changed existing behaviour. Establishing these tests before refactoring lets the team change structure with confidence, which is a core element of technical excellence in Agile.

Question 23Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team writes acceptance tests before development and automates them so they fail until the feature is implemented. Which practice does this describe?

  1. Static analysis
  2. Acceptance test-driven development Correct answer.
  3. Exploratory testing
  4. Risk-based testing

Explanation

Acceptance test-driven development writes automated acceptance tests from the agreed criteria before implementation, so the tests fail until the feature is built and then confirm the behaviour. It aligns business, development, and testing around concrete, executable examples.

Question 24Agile techniques and testing techniques

A system must reject a transaction when the amount exceeds the limit OR the account is frozen. Which decision table outcome correctly represents the rule for rejection?

  1. Reject only when both conditions are true simultaneously
  2. Reject only when the account is frozen and the amount is within the limit
  3. Reject when amount exceeds limit regardless of frozen status, and also when the account is frozen Correct answer.
  4. Reject only when the amount is within the limit and the account is active

Explanation

Because the rule uses OR, rejection occurs whenever at least one condition is true. The decision table therefore shows rejection for the combinations where the amount exceeds the limit, where the account is frozen, and where both hold.

Question 25Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team measures branch coverage of 100 percent on a module yet a defect escapes to production. Which explanation is most consistent with testing theory?

  1. Coverage metrics are irrelevant to any white-box technique
  2. The escaped defect must have been caused by the test environment only
  3. Full branch coverage does not guarantee that all input combinations or logic errors are exercised Correct answer.
  4. Branch coverage of 100 percent proves the module has no defects

Explanation

Coverage measures how much of the code structure has been exercised, not whether the exercised logic is correct for all inputs. A defect can survive full branch coverage when it depends on input combinations, data values, or missing logic that the tests never trigger.

Question 26Agile techniques and testing techniques

In an Agile project, which practice most directly supports the principle of early testing by preventing defects before code is written?

  1. Holding a defect triage meeting after each release
  2. Executing the full regression suite nightly on the integration environment
  3. Running exploratory testing sessions on the completed build
  4. Reviewing user stories and acceptance criteria with the team before development starts Correct answer.

Explanation

Early testing in Agile means evaluating work products such as user stories, acceptance criteria, and designs before code exists, so misunderstandings are removed while they are cheap to fix. Reviewing stories before development is the clearest static-testing activity that prevents defects rather than detecting them.

Question 27Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which statement best describes how a tester contributes to a sprint planning meeting in an Agile team?

  1. The tester approves the final release date for the product owner
  2. The tester assigns development tasks to individual programmers
  3. The tester rewrites all user stories so that they contain no technical detail
  4. The tester identifies test conditions, risks, and estimation input for the selected backlog items Correct answer.

Explanation

In sprint planning the whole team selects backlog items and agrees how to deliver them, and the tester contributes a testing perspective: which conditions must be covered, where the risks lie, and how much effort testing needs. This shapes both the commitment and the task breakdown.

Question 28Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team practices whole-team approach to quality. Which behaviour is most consistent with that principle?

  1. Developers and testers jointly define acceptance criteria and automate checks together Correct answer.
  2. Only testers are accountable for the quality of the increment
  3. Testing is deferred to a separate QA group at the end of the release
  4. Testers write all acceptance criteria alone and hand them to developers

Explanation

Whole-team approach means every team member shares responsibility for quality, so developers, testers, and business representatives collaborate on acceptance criteria and automation. Jointly defining and automating checks embeds testability and shared ownership into daily work.

Question 29Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which statement correctly characterizes a burndown chart in an Agile iteration?

  1. It records the number of defects found per day during system testing
  2. It documents the traceability between requirements and test cases
  3. It shows remaining work against time and makes the trend of progress visible Correct answer.
  4. It lists the individual tasks assigned to each team member for the sprint

Explanation

A burndown chart plots the work remaining in the iteration against elapsed time, so the team can see whether it is on track to finish by the end of the sprint. Its value is the visible trend rather than a detailed task list or defect count.

Question 30Agile techniques and testing techniques

Which of the following is an example of a white-box test design technique?

  1. Decision table testing
  2. Equivalence partitioning
  3. Boundary value analysis
  4. Statement testing Correct answer.

Explanation

White-box techniques derive tests from the internal structure of the code, and statement testing measures which executable statements have been exercised. Equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, and decision tables all derive tests from a specification rather than from code structure.

Question 31Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team wants to record concrete examples of desired behaviour so that business, development, and testing share one understanding of a story. Which Agile practice fits this goal best?

  1. Specification by example Correct answer.
  2. Test-driven development
  3. Pair programming
  4. Continuous deployment

Explanation

Specification by example captures realistic examples of required behaviour that become the shared reference for the story and can be turned into acceptance tests. It is precisely the collaboration technique for agreeing on behaviour through concrete cases.

Question 32Agile techniques and testing techniques

In Agile testing quadrants, which type of testing is placed in the quadrant for business-facing tests that support the team?

  1. Unit tests written by developers
  2. Story-level acceptance tests Correct answer.
  3. Performance and security tests
  4. Component integration tests

Explanation

The quadrant for business-facing tests that support the team contains story-level acceptance tests and examples that guide development. Technology-facing tests supporting the team, such as unit and component tests, occupy a different quadrant.

Question 33Agile techniques and testing techniques

A tester uses a checklist of typical failure modes for a login screen and relies on experience to decide which checks to run. Which test design approach is being applied?

  1. Error guessing Correct answer.
  2. Branch coverage
  3. State transition testing
  4. Decision table testing

Explanation

Error guessing is an experience-based technique in which the tester anticipates likely defects and designs tests to expose them, often guided by a checklist of known failure modes. It relies on the tester's knowledge rather than on a formal model of the specification or code.

Question 34Agile techniques and testing techniques

A discount rule states: if the customer is a member AND the order exceeds 100, apply a 10 percent discount; otherwise apply no discount. Which pair of test inputs covers the two rules of this decision table?

  1. Member with order of 50, and non-member with order of 150
  2. Non-member with order of 150, and member with order of 150
  3. Member with order of 100, and non-member with order of 50
  4. Member with order of 150, and member with order of 50 Correct answer.

Explanation

The decision table has two rules: both conditions true (member and order over 100) gives the discount, and any case where a condition is false gives no discount. A member ordering 150 exercises the discount rule, and a member ordering 50 exercises the no-discount rule through the failed amount condition.

Question 35Agile techniques and testing techniques

A module has the code sequence: read A; if A > 0 then X else Y; read B; if B > 0 then Z else W. Which set of test cases achieves 100 percent statement coverage with the fewest cases?

  1. A=5, B=-5 only
  2. A=5, B=5 only
  3. A=5, B=5 and A=-5, B=-5 Correct answer.
  4. A=-5, B=5 and A=5, B=-5 and A=-5, B=-5

Explanation

Statement coverage requires every executable statement, including the X, Y, Z, and W branches, to run at least once. One case with both values positive runs X and Z, and one case with both negative runs Y and W, so two cases suffice.

Question 36Agile techniques and testing techniques

A workflow has states Draft, Submitted, Approved, and Rejected. From Draft the event submit leads to Submitted; from Submitted approve leads to Approved and reject leads to Rejected; from Rejected the event revise leads back to Draft. Which test case achieves valid transitions from Rejected back to Draft?

  1. Draft, submit, approve
  2. Submitted, approve, revise
  3. Draft, submit, reject, revise Correct answer.
  4. Rejected, approve, submit

Explanation

To reach Rejected the workflow must pass through Draft and Submitted with a reject event, and then the revise event returns it to Draft. The sequence Draft, submit, reject, revise is a valid path that exercises that transition.

Question 37Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team applies test-driven development. Which sequence matches the TDD cycle?

  1. Write production code, write a test, then refactor
  2. Write a test, refactor, then write production code
  3. Write a failing test, write code to pass it, then refactor Correct answer.
  4. Refactor, write a test, then write production code

Explanation

The TDD cycle starts with a test that fails because the behaviour does not exist, then the minimum code is written to make it pass, and finally the code is refactored while the test guards the behaviour. The failing test first is what makes the cycle test-driven.

Question 38Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team holds a daily stand-up. Which question is appropriate for the tester to answer at that meeting?

  1. Which features will be dropped from the product roadmap
  2. Which team member caused the most defects last sprint
  3. What testing work was completed, what is planned next, and what is blocking progress Correct answer.
  4. Whether the product owner approves the current design

Explanation

A stand-up is a short synchronization meeting in which each member reports progress since the last meeting, planned work, and impediments. The tester uses it to surface testing progress and blockers so the team can react quickly.

Question 39Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team wants a lightweight way to ensure that the most valuable and risky stories are tested first within an iteration. Which Agile testing practice best supports this?

  1. Testing only the stories the product owner mentions in the review
  2. Executing all test cases in the order they were written
  3. Risk-based prioritization of test conditions during iteration planning Correct answer.
  4. Deferring all testing until the end of the sprint

Explanation

Risk-based prioritization ranks test conditions by likelihood and impact of failure, so the highest-risk stories are tested first when time is tight. This keeps limited iteration time focused where failure would hurt most.

Question 40Agile techniques and testing techniques

A story is estimated at five days and the iteration has three days of testing capacity left. Which action is most consistent with Agile planning?

  1. Extend the iteration by two days without informing stakeholders
  2. Reduce the story scope in collaboration with the product owner so it fits the remaining capacity Correct answer.
  3. Move the entire story to the next iteration without any discussion
  4. Skip testing and release the story as it is

Explanation

Agile planning responds to capacity limits by renegotiating scope with the product owner so a valuable slice still fits the iteration. This preserves the timebox while delivering the highest-value part of the story.

Question 41Agile techniques and testing techniques

An Agile team automates acceptance criteria as executable tests that run on every build. Which benefit is most directly obtained?

  1. Manual test design is no longer required for new stories
  2. The need for exploratory testing is eliminated
  3. The product owner no longer needs to review results
  4. Regression feedback on agreed behaviour is fast and repeatable Correct answer.

Explanation

Automated acceptance tests provide quick, repeatable confirmation that previously agreed behaviour still works after each change, which is exactly the regression feedback loop Agile teams need. Human judgement is still required for design and interpretation.

Question 42Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team applies the test pyramid. Which distribution of automated tests is consistent with the pyramid?

  1. Many unit tests, fewer service or integration tests, and few end-to-end UI tests Correct answer.
  2. Many end-to-end UI tests and few unit tests
  3. Equal numbers of unit, service, and UI tests
  4. Only end-to-end UI tests, because they cover the most functionality

Explanation

The test pyramid places a broad base of fast, cheap unit tests, a smaller middle layer of service or integration tests, and a thin top layer of end-to-end UI tests. This shape balances fast feedback with confidence in integrated behaviour.

Question 43Agile techniques and testing techniques

A tester derives test conditions from a use case for withdrawing cash at an ATM, including the main flow and the alternative flow for insufficient funds. Which statement best reflects use case testing?

  1. Tests are limited to the performance of the ATM network
  2. Tests cover only the boundary values of the withdrawal amount
  3. Tests are derived only from the code paths of the withdrawal module
  4. Tests exercise the main flow and each alternative and exception flow described in the use case Correct answer.

Explanation

Use case testing derives tests from the use case's main flow plus its alternative and exception flows, so realistic end-to-end business scenarios are exercised. Each flow represents a behaviour the system must handle.

Question 44Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team wants to verify that a refactoring of legacy code did not change existing behaviour, and the legacy code has few automated tests. Which approach is most appropriate?

  1. Rely on manual testing only after the refactoring is complete
  2. Increase branch coverage thresholds without writing new tests
  3. Add characterization tests that capture the current behaviour before refactoring Correct answer.
  4. Delete the legacy code and rewrite it without tests

Explanation

Characterization tests record the current observable behaviour of the legacy code so that any change introduced by refactoring is detected immediately. They create the safety net that makes refactoring safe when existing tests are scarce.

Question 45Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team uses behaviour-driven development. Which artefact is written in the Given/When/Then format to express a concrete example of desired behaviour?

  1. A performance baseline report
  2. A defect report describing a production incident
  3. A scenario describing preconditions, an action, and the expected outcome Correct answer.
  4. A unit test of a private helper method

Explanation

In BDD a scenario states the Given preconditions, the When action, and the Then expected outcome, forming an executable example of behaviour. This structure keeps examples understandable to business and technical readers alike.

Question 46Agile techniques and testing techniques

A rule states that an application is rejected when the applicant's age is under 18 OR the applicant has no verified identity. Which decision table rule yields rejection when the age condition is false and the identity condition is true?

  1. Age under 18 true, identity verified true
  2. Age under 18 false, identity verified true
  3. Age under 18 true, identity verified false
  4. Age under 18 false, identity verified false Correct answer.

Explanation

The rejection rule fires when either condition is true, so with age under 18 false the rejection must come from the identity condition being false, that is, identity not verified. The combination age false and identity false therefore yields rejection.

Question 47Agile techniques and testing techniques

A module reports 100 percent branch coverage, yet a defect escapes to production. Which explanation is most plausible?

  1. Branch coverage measures exercised branches, not whether outputs were checked against expected results Correct answer.
  2. The defect must have been introduced after the coverage run in an unrelated module
  3. Branch coverage cannot be measured on modules with loops
  4. Branch coverage guarantees the absence of defects, so the report must be wrong

Explanation

Coverage metrics show which code structures were executed, not whether the executed results were validated against expectations. A test can take both branches of a decision and still assert nothing about the outputs, allowing a defect to pass unnoticed.

Question 48Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team must test a feature whose specification contains contradictory statements about how refunds are calculated. Which action is the most appropriate first step from a testing perspective?

  1. Write tests for both interpretations and report the contradiction to the product owner for resolution Correct answer.
  2. Select one interpretation silently and test only that one
  3. Stop all testing of the feature until a formal change request is raised
  4. Escalate directly to the development manager to decide the refund rule

Explanation

Contradictory requirements are a defect in the specification, and testing should surface it while documenting the ambiguity with tests for each interpretation. The product owner is the right person to resolve the business rule.

Question 49Agile techniques and testing techniques

A team wants to decide between exploratory testing and scripted regression testing for a newly released complex feature. Which reasoning is most sound?

  1. Scripted regression checks known behaviour, while exploratory testing investigates unknown risks and new areas Correct answer.
  2. Exploratory testing is only useful when no requirements exist
  3. Exploratory testing should replace scripted regression because it finds more defects
  4. Scripted regression is always preferable because it is repeatable

Explanation

Scripted regression is efficient for confirming that known behaviour still works, while exploratory testing uses tester skill to probe areas where risks and unknowns are highest. The two complement each other rather than compete.

Question 50Agile techniques and testing techniques

An Agile team measures escaped defects per iteration and notices the number rising while automated acceptance tests pass. Which analysis is most useful?

  1. Assume the metric is unreliable and stop measuring it
  2. Shorten the iteration length to reduce the defect count
  3. Investigate whether acceptance tests cover the riskiest scenarios and whether exploratory testing is being reduced Correct answer.
  4. Increase the number of unit tests without reviewing their assertions

Explanation

Rising escaped defects despite passing acceptance tests suggest a gap between what is automated and where the real risk lies, or reduced exploratory effort that would have found unanticipated problems. Investigating coverage of risky scenarios and the balance of test approaches targets the likely cause.