Software Testing Principles Quiz

A statement that defines the goal or purpose of a test. It should clearly state what is being tested and what outcome is expected.

Involving testers in various SDLC activities, like requirements gathering and design reviews, helps them identify defects early on in the development process.

This principle suggests that regression tests can become ineffective over time as software changes. If no new defects are found, it might indicate the tests are outdated and don't reflect the current state of the software.

The process of analyzing the requirements, design, and other relevant documents to determine the testing scope, test objectives, and test cases.

Factors that significantly influence the test approach include the development lifecycle model, product risks, and new regulatory requirements.

Tasks that primarily belong to a testing role include designing test plans and analyzing the test basis, which provides the foundation for testing.

The most important skills for a tester include domain knowledge, critical thinking, and being a good team player.

The whole team approach encourages collaboration between testers and business representatives. Testers help business representatives define test strategy and create effective acceptance tests.

The rule

ATDD focuses on creating tests based on acceptance criteria, driving development towards meeting those criteria. Acceptance criteria are written in a clear format like given/when/then.

Shift left approach refers to moving testing activities earlier in the SDLC. This includes reviewing requirements before acceptance and writing component tests before coding.

Retrospectives are valuable to identify process weaknesses and areas for improvement. This helps the organization continuously improve their software development process.

Acceptance testing focuses on verifying the system meets user needs and business requirements, while component testing focuses on validating the functionality of individual modules or components.

Regression tests are executed on each new software version to ensure that changes made did not introduce new defects or break existing functionality.

Static testing involves analyzing code, designs, or requirements without actually executing the software. Benefits include early defect detection, reduced testing costs, and improved requirements quality.

Early feedback helps to catch requirements misunderstandings, prevent problems from escalating, and provide a measure of change quality.

A technical review is a formal review process where participants evaluate the quality of a work product. It involves preparation, a facilitated meeting, and a review report.

Successful reviews require adequate time, breaking down large work products, avoiding negative behaviors, and objectively addressing failures.

Experience-based test techniques rely on the tester's knowledge of the software and domain to design test cases. This approach leverages the tester's expertise to identify potential issues.

Equivalence partitioning (EP) divides input values into equivalent classes, where each value within a class is expected to behave the same. The goal is to minimize the number of test cases while covering all possible behaviors.

Boundary value analysis (BVA) identifies potential defects at the boundaries of input values. It focuses on testing values at the edges of each range, where errors are more likely to occur.

Decision tables represent complex decision logic in a tabular format. Each row represents a specific rule, and columns define conditions and actions. This approach helps ensure all possible combinations of conditions are considered during testing.

State transition diagrams illustrate the different states a system can be in and the transitions between them. Testing focuses on ensuring valid transitions are handled correctly and invalid transitions are prevented.

Statement coverage measures how many lines of code have been executed during a test. Achieving 100% statement coverage means every line of code has been executed at least once, but it doesn't guarantee complete testing.

White-box testing involves examining the internal structure and logic of the software. It uses techniques like statement coverage and branch testing to ensure all code paths are tested.

Error guessing is a test technique that relies on the tester's experience and knowledge of common defects and developer errors to design test cases. It focuses on guessing potential issues that might occur.

Exploratory testing is a flexible and adaptive test approach. It emphasizes the tester's freedom to explore the system, uncover unexpected issues, and adapt their testing strategy based on observations and findings.

Acceptance criteria are documented statements that clearly define the requirements for a user story. They provide a specific set of conditions and expectations to be met to ensure the user story is considered complete and working as intended.

Testers can add value to iteration and release planning by participating in risk assessments, identifying testing needs, and defining realistic test estimates.

Exit criteria define the conditions that must be met before a testing phase can be considered complete. They might include achieving a specific defect density or resolving high-priority defects.

The three-point estimation technique involves estimating a task by considering three values: optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic. The final estimate is calculated using a weighted average of these values, reflecting both optimism and potential challenges.

Test cases can be prioritized based on their criticality and dependencies. Executing high-priority test cases first helps ensure the most critical features are tested and validated.

Agile testing quadrants categorize test activities based on their purpose and focus. Q1 supports development, Q2 supports business, Q3 critiques the product from a business perspective, and Q4 critiques the product from a technology perspective.

Risk mitigation involves taking steps to reduce the likelihood or impact of identified risks. Performance testing to verify response times and alpha/beta testing with end users are examples of mitigation strategies.

A burndown chart visually represents the amount of work remaining in a given iteration. It helps track progress and identify potential issues or delays.

Configuration management involves managing changes to testware, such as updating test scripts based on new requirements. This ensures traceability, version control, and accountability for changes made.

When reporting a defect, it's crucial to include information such as expected and actual results, test environment details, and the test item. This provides developers with the necessary information to reproduce and fix the defect.

Data preparation tools support test design and implementation by automating tasks like generating test data or creating test environments. This improves efficiency and reduces manual effort.

Test automation can introduce risk. One potential risk is insufficient maintenance of testware, which can lead to outdated or ineffective tests. This requires allocating resources to ensure testware remains current, maintainable, and reliable.

The overall development approach used (like Waterfall or Agile) has a significant impact on testing strategies. It also includes how testing is integrated into the development process.

Product risks, identified during the analysis of the product, highlight areas that need extra testing focus. For example, if a critical feature is identified as risky, testing will be concentrated on that area.

New regulations or legal requirements often demand rigorous testing procedures. This could involve specific types of tests like security testing or compliance testing.

Setting up the test environment is important, but it's not the primary driver of the overall testing approach. Testing methodology is more important.

Testers are responsible for creating test plans, which outline the testing objectives and strategies. Analyzing the test basis, which includes requirements and design documents, is a core task to define the scope of testing.

Domain knowledge is essential for understanding the system and identifying potential issues. Critical thinking helps analyze test results and uncover defects. Collaboration ensures effective communication and problem-solving.

Testers can help business representatives define test strategies and acceptance criteria, helping them to be more actively involved in the testing process. This ensures the product meets their needs.

The "whole team" approach involves collaboration between testers and other stakeholders, such as developers and business representatives. This is vital for maximizing effectiveness throughout the software development lifecycle.

A test that verifies the functionality of a user story based on its acceptance criteria. It is often written using a given/when/then format. It should be automated for faster execution and repeatability.

This technique involves breaking down user stories into smaller, more manageable components. It helps to identify dependencies between stories and prioritize testing efforts. This helps to ensure that the most important features are tested first.

Conditions that must be met before testing can be considered complete. It depends on the project's requirements, complexity, and risk. Ensures a quality baseline before releasing the software.

A technique that uses a 3-point estimation for test effort calculation: the most optimistic estimate, the most likely estimate, and the most pessimistic estimate.

It involves defining the desired level of quality for the software before development starts. This includes identifying the critical areas of the system that must be thoroughly tested, and identifying possible risks.

A valuable tool that allows testers to quickly identify the most critical features of the system. Helps prioritize test cases and effectively allocate testing time and resources.

The root cause is the underlying reason for a defect. It is the specific action or condition that led to the defect being introduced into the system. For example, in the scenario, the root cause is the programmer being distracted by a ringing phone, leading to improper code.

A failure is when a system or component fails to perform its intended function as specified. In the scenario, the failure is the input field accepting invalid values, which is not the expected behavior.

An error refers to a mistake made in the software code or design, which could lead to a defect. In the scenario, the error is the incorrect programming of the upper boundary logic, which is a mistake in the code.

A defect is a deviation from the expected behavior of the software, often caused by an error. In the scenario, the defect is the input field accepting invalid input values, which is a deviation from the intended behavior.

Test design is the process of creating test cases that cover the specified requirements and test objectives. This includes identifying the test data, defining the test steps, and specifying the expected outcomes.

Traceability in testing helps to establish a clear link between the test cases and the requirements they are intended to verify. This allows the tester to ensure that all requirements are covered by the tests and helps to identify the impact of changes.

Independent testing helps to ensure objectivity and reduces bias in the testing process. When the testers are independent from the developers, they are more likely to uncover defects that may have been missed by the development team.

Test monitoring and control involves keeping track of the progress and quality of the testing process. This includes reviewing the test plans, managing the defects, and reporting the test results.

Testing focused on evaluating the system's performance based on predefined metrics like response time, resource usage, or load capacity.

The process of reviewing documents like requirements, design specifications, or code without executing the software.

A test level that involves verifying the functionality of individual software components or modules in isolation.

Testing performed to assess the system's ability to handle a large volume of concurrent users or transactions.

Testing that focuses on identifying security vulnerabilities and ensuring the system is protected against unauthorized access or data breaches.

A test type that examines how the system handles unexpected or invalid input, including extreme values or incorrect data formats.

A test type that ensures the system works correctly when integrated with other components or systems.

During formal reviews, various individuals play specific roles, contributing to a comprehensive assessment of the work product. The review process involves a defined sequence of activities aimed at identifying potential defects and improving the quality of the deliverable.

Management plays a crucial role in formal reviews by ensuring the review process is executed effectively. Their responsibilities include defining the scope of review, overseeing the review process, and managing the review team.

Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) is a test technique that focuses on testing input values at the boundaries of their valid ranges. This is because errors are more likely to occur at these boundary points.

Branch testing involves testing all possible paths or branches within the code. This technique ensures all code paths are executed and checked, aiming to identify potential defects within each path.

Three-Point Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) is a test technique that involves testing three values: the minimum value, the typical value, and the maximum value of an input range. This technique ensures that the system behaves correctly across the entire range of possible values.

A control device is tested to make sure it operates as expected to maintain the desired temperature, alerting the user if it deviates from the optimal setting.

The test input data should cover all possible scenarios based on the operational rules, ensuring all combinations are tested.

A group testing technique where members provide individual estimates for the effort needed to complete a specific task. The team iteratively reconciles individual estimations to reach a consensus.

A group testing technique where, when full agreement can'tbe reached and the variation in results is minimal, the estimation with the most votes is accepted. The technique offers flexibility but is less precise than full consensus.

A testing framework that prioritizes the type and number of tests conducted, aiming for a balanced pyramid shape. Smaller, faster unit tests form the base, while larger, slower end-to-end tests make the top.

The likelihood of an identified risk occurring. It can be high (likely to happen), medium, or low (unlikely to happen). It reflects the probability of the risk event happening.

The impact of a risk event if it happens. A high impact means the consequences are severe, affecting the project significantly. Medium impact means moderate consequences, and low impact means minimal consequences.

A form of testing that focuses on verifying that the system meets the user's needs based on requirements and specifications. It ensures the software works as intended in its specific environment.