CTAL-TA_Syll2019 Questions and Answers

Low-level test cases are more suitable for testing software that controls the braking mechanism for commuter trains, as they provide more detail and specificity for verifying the functionality and safety of the system1. Low-level test cases also use predefined data, which is more reliable and consistent than tester-created data, and can be easily traced to the test conditions and requirements2. High-level test cases are more abstract and vague, and may not cover all the possible scenarios and risks involved in testing such a critical system3.

References = 1: Test Case Design: a Guide for QA Engineers With Examples 2: How to Write Test Cases in Software Testing with Examples 3: Test Case vs Test Scenario – Difference Between Them

The correct answer is C. All the expected environments and combinations.

All the expected environments and combinations

Interoperability testing should target all the expected environments and combinations that the system will interact with in the real world.This will ensure that the system can function correctly and reliably with different hardware, software, network, and external factors that may affect its communication and compatibility with other systems1.

References=

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Test Analyst2, Section 3.2.2 Interoperability
• ISTQB Test Analyst Syllabus and Study Guide3, Section 3.2.2 Interoperability
• A Simple Guide to Interoperability Testing (with Examples)4, Section 2. How to do Interoperability testing

A decision table is a technique that shows the possible combinations of conditions and actions for a given problem. To achieve 100% coverage of the decision table, all the combinations of conditions must be tested. The decision table has four conditions: debit card valid, PIN valid, amount approved, and dates available. Each condition has two possible values: yes or no. Therefore, the number of test cases for the decisiontable is 2^4 = 16. However, some of these test cases are invalid or redundant, as they do not reflect the logic of the problem. For example, if the debit card is not valid, then the PIN and the amount are irrelevant. Similarly, if the PIN is not valid, then the amount is irrelevant. Therefore, these test cases can be eliminated from the decision table. After eliminating the invalid or redundant test cases, only eight test cases remain, as shown in the table below:

Table

Debit card valid

PIN valid

Amount approved

Dates available

Actions

No

No

No

No

Reject reservation

No

No

No

Yes

Reject reservation

No

No

Yes

No

Reject reservation

No

No

Yes

Yes

Reject reservation

Yes

No

No

No

Reject reservation

Yes

No

No

Yes

Reject reservation

Yes

No

Yes

No

Reject reservation

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Reject reservation

Yes

Yes

No

No

Prompt for lower purchase

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Prompt for lower purchase

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Prompt for different date

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Create reservation

References =

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst1, page 2
• Decision tables - IBM2, section “Decision table overview”

A decision table is a technique that shows the possible combinations of conditions and actions for a given problem. A decision table that is not collapsed has one test case for each combination of conditions, regardless of whether the actions are the same or different. The tax system specification has three conditions: salary less than €20,000, married, and number of children between three and four. Each condition has two possible values: true or false. Therefore, the number of test cases for a non-collapsed decision table is 2^3 = 8. References =

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst1, page 2
• Decision tables - IBM2, section “Decision table overview”

 System integration testing (SIT) is a type of testing that verifies the interactions and functionality of different components or systems within a larger system. The developers, who are responsible for developing and integrating the components or systems, need to understand the tests to review them for accuracy, completeness, and feasibility. The auditors, who are responsible for ensuring the compliance and quality of the system, need to understand the tests to approve them for execution and reporting. References =

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst1, page 2
• System Integration Testing: A Complete Guide2, section “Who Performs System Integration Testing?”
• System Testing vs Integration Testing: Key Differences3, section “What is System Integration Testing?”

State transition is a technique that analyzes the behavior of an application for different input conditions and how it changes from one state to another in response to events. It is useful for testing scenarios where the date of reservation is a critical factor that affects the system state and output1

References =

• ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus 2019, Section 3.2.2.3, page 432
• State Transition Testing – Diagram & Technique (Example) - Guru993
• State Transition Testing - GeeksforGeeks4

State transition testing is a technique that models the behavior of a system as a finite number of states and the transitions between them. It is suitable for testing systems that have different outcomes depending on the previous history of inputs and events. In this case, the ATM system has different states depending on whether the user has entered a valid or invalid PIN code, and how many times they have tried. 1-switch coverage is a criterion that requires testing all possible pairs of transitions from one state to another. This can help to find failures that occur when the system changes from one state to another, or when the system does not change state when it should. For example, 1-switch coverage would test the following scenarios:

• User enters a valid PIN code on the first try and requests a cash advance (valid transition from unauthenticated to authenticated state)
• User enters an invalid PIN code on the first try and then a valid PIN code on the second try and requests a cash advance (valid transition from unauthenticated to authenticated state after one invalid attempt)
• User enters an invalid PIN code on the first and second try and then a valid PIN code on the third try and requests a cash advance (valid transition from unauthenticated to authenticated state after two invalid attempts)
• User enters an invalid PIN code on the first, second, and third try and the system rejects the card (valid transition from unauthenticated to rejected state after three invalid attempts)
• User enters a valid PIN code on the first try and then requests a cash advance twice (invalid transition from authenticated to authenticated state without inserting the card again)
• User enters a valid PIN code on the first try and then removes the card and inserts it again and requests a cash advance (invalid transition from authenticated to unauthenticated state without entering the PIN code again)

References = ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus 2019, section 3.2.3; How to Design Test Cases Using State Transition Testing Technique?; 0 and 1 - Switch Coverage in State Transition Testing?

The correct answer isD.Automate the testing for the credit card exploratory tests so they can be used for confirmation testing after the defect is fixed.

A.Enter your exploratory test cases with detailed test steps into the Test Management System

This is incorrect because entering the test cases into the Test Management System is not enough to document and track the exploratory testing process. The test cases should also include the expected results, actual results, and defects found during the testing. Moreover, the test cases should be organized into a clear and logical structure that reflects the test charter and scope.

B.Close the session and start a new session with a new charter

This is incorrect because closing and starting a new session with a new charter would mean losing all the information and data collected during the previous session. This would make it difficult to resume and continue the testing process from where it left off. Instead, it would be better to use a consistent and stable session with a single charter that covers all the requirements and features of the system.

C.Continue the session and conduct the testing for debit cards

This is incorrect because continuing the session and conducting only one type of card (debit) would not provide a comprehensive coverage of all possible scenarios and outcomes of accepting credit cards. It would also limit the scope of testing to only one aspect of payment processing, which may not reflect all the business rules, validations, exceptions, or integrations involved in this domain.

D.Automate the testing for the credit card exploratory tests so they can be used for confirmation testing after the defect is fixed

This is correct because automating some or all of the exploratory tests can help to save time, effort, and resources by reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency. It can also help to improve accuracy, consistency, and reliability by eliminating human errors and biases. Moreover, automating some or all of the exploratory tests can enable them to be reused for confirmation testing after fixing any defects found during exploratory testing.Confirmation testing is a type of functional testing that verifies that all requirements are met by performing regression tests on previously tested functionality1.

Pairwise testing is a technique that reduces the number of test cases by testing only pairs of values for each data item, instead of testing all possible combinations. Pairwise testing is based on the assumption that most defects are caused by interactions of at most two factors. Pairwise testing can be applied to this problem using the classification tree, which shows the data items and their values. By using pairwise testing, the number of test cases will be lower than exhaustive testing, which would require testing every combination of values for each data item. References =

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst1, page 2
• Data Combination Test (DCoT) | TMap2, section “Coverage level”
• Pairwise Software Testing - GeeksforGeeks3, section “Introduction”

Interoperability is the degree to which two or more systems or components can exchange and use information. It is a crucial quality characteristic for an e-commerce product that needs to interface with backend applications, such as finance, stock control and order delivery. The test plan must include tests to verify that the COTS package can communicate and integrate with the existing systems and applications, and that the data and functionality are consistent and accurate across the interfaces. References = ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst, page 10, section 1.2.2.2.

Classification trees are a visual way of identifying test objects and data, and pairwise testing is a technique of generating test cases that cover all possible pairs of values from different classifications. Classification trees support pairwise testing by:

• Helping to identify inputs to be used by the pairwise test technique, as each class represents a possible value for a test parameter.
• Showing the combinations needed to cover all-pairs, as each test case is a selection of one class from each classification.
• Helping to identify particular combinations of interest, as the test engineer can use the tree structure to group or prioritize classes based on their relevance or risk. References = ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus 2019, section 3.2.3; Smarter Test Design with Classification Trees and Pairwise Techniques, slides 6-12.

The correct answer isA.The user should not experience an error that does not have a clear explanation and instructions for correction.

The user should not experience an error that does not have a clear explanation and instructions for correction

User error protection is the degree to which a system protects users against making errors. It includes providing clear and helpful error messages, preventing or minimizing the consequences of errors, and allowing users to recover from errors.In this case, the test condition verifies that the application provides adequate feedback and guidance to the user when an error occurs, such as entering an invalid word, losing network connection, or encountering a system failure1.

References=

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Test Analyst2, Section 3.2.2 Usability
• ISTQB Test Analyst Syllabus and Study Guide3, Section 3.2.2 Usability
• Usability - ISO 250004, Section User error protection

I have searched the web for the ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst EXT 2019 documents and study resources, and based on the information I found, I have verified the answer to your question as follows:

Option D

Option D accurately represents the tuition payment rules for both undergraduate and graduate students at Acme University, taking into account the different tuition fees for part-time and full-time students as well as the additional fee for undergraduate students taking more than 18 credit hours. Option D also uses the correct notation for decision tables, such as Y for yes, N for no, and - for don’t care.

References=

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst1, Section 3.2.2 Decision Tables
• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Test Analyst2, Section 3.2.2 Decision Tables
• ISTQB Test Analyst Syllabus and Study Guide3, Section 3.2.2 Decision Tables
• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Overview of Syllabi4, Section 1.3 Content

Use cases can be used for performance testing to measure the response time and throughput of the system under different workloads and scenarios. Use cases describe the process flows through the system based on its most likely use, which can help to simulate realistic user behavior and identify potential bottlenecks and performance issues.

References =

• ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus 2019, Section 3.2.2.2, page 411
• How to write a performance test case | MyLoadTest2
• Performance Testing Types, Steps, Best Practices, and Metrics - Stackify3

Experience-based test techniques rely on the tester’s knowledge, intuition, and creativity to design and execute tests. They are useful when there are no or poor specifications, limited time, or high-risk areas. Examples of experience-based test techniques are error guessing, exploratory testing, and checklist-based testing. References = ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst, page 67, section 4.5.2.2.

The acceptance criteria are the conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered done and acceptable by the user. They should be defined and testable, meaning that they are clear, measurable, and verifiable. The acceptance criteria for the user story are not well-defined and testable, because they do not specify how the payment is made, how the registration is verified, andhow the monthly limit is enforced. These details are important for testing the functionality and quality of the user story, and should be included in the acceptance criteria. References = ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Test Analyst, Section 2.2.1, Use Case Testing1; How to Write a Good User Story, Section Acceptance Criteria2; Test User Stories with these 10 Tests, Section Testable3

The correct answer isB.The information exchange between each system and its environment.

The information exchange between each system and its environment

The information exchange between each system and its environment refers to the compatibility and functionality of the systems with respect to the hardware, software, network, and other external factors that may affect their interaction.This type of testing is important to ensure that the systems can operate smoothly and reliably in different scenarios and conditions1.

References=

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Test Analyst2, Section 3.2.2 Interoperability
• ISTQB Test Analyst Syllabus and Study Guide3, Section 3.2.2 Interoperability
• A Simple Guide to Interoperability Testing (with Examples)4, Section 2. How to do Interoperability testing

The correct answer isA.Functional correctness testing.

Functional correctness testing

Functional correctness testing is the type of testing that measures the degree of accuracy in a mortgage rate calculation module of the software you are testing. It verifies that the module produces the correct results for different inputs and scenarios, such as different interest rates, loan terms, payment frequencies, etc.It also checks that the module complies with the specifications and requirements of the mortgage rate calculation1.

References=

• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst2, Section 3.2.2 Functionality
• ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Test Analyst3, Section 3.2.2 Functionality
• ISTQB Test Analyst Syllabus and Study Guide4, Section 3.2.2 Functionality

 Equivalence partitioning is a black-box test technique that divides the input domain of a system into partitions of equivalent data. Boundary value analysis is a technique that tests the boundaries of these partitions, where errors are more likely to occur. These techniques are suitable for testing the processing functionality of a critical traffic control system, as they can ensure that the system handles the input variables within the defined ranges and detects any invalid or out-of-range values. References = Black Box Testing Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide (Section 5.1 and 5.2), ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Syllabus Technical Test Analyst (Section 3.2.1 and 3.2.2)