Free BCS TM3 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

In regulated, safety-critical domains with audits and strong traceability requirements, the syllabus emphasizes defining amethodical, documented test approachwithin test planning, includingselection of formal test design techniquesandrisk-based testingto focus effort on the most critical features. These elements are explicitly tied toV-modelcontexts, where traceability from requirements through test conditions and cases is expected, and evidence is essential for internal and external audits (CTAL-TM v3.0 Syllabus — Chapter 3, Test Planning; and Chapter 4, Risk-Based Testing and effort allocation).

Option B aligns with these needs: applyingrisk-based testingto prioritize safety-critical functions and usingformal techniquesto producetraceable, auditabletest assets.

Options A and D are practices typically associated with agile/ATDD and “definition of done,” which do not best fit asequential V-modelcontext. Option C (experience-based) may complement but isinsufficientas the primary approach wheretraceability and auditabilityare key.

(References: CTAL-TM v3.0 Syllabus — Chapter 3 “Test Planning, Monitoring, and Control” – defining the test approach and selecting test design techniques; Chapter 4 “Risk-Based Testing and Other Approaches for Test Prioritization and Effort Allocation” – prioritizing safety-critical areas; material on traceability/audit expectations in regulated contexts.)

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Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

Afalse-positivedefect is one where the reported behavior isnot actually a defect(e.g., intended behavior, misuse, environment/setup issue). In defect management, the appropriate disposition for “not a defect” is torejectthe report rather than accept, resolve, or defer it.

Rejected: used when the item is not a defect (e.g., “as designed,” duplicate, or cannot be reproduced).

Accepted/Resolved: used when confirmed and fixed.

Deferred: used when confirmed, but the fix is postponed to a later release.This aligns with the syllabus content ondefect lifecycle states and dispositionswithin defect management governance and reporting (CTAL-TM v3.0, Chapter 5: Test Monitoring, Test Control, and Test Reporting — defect management process, defect states, and reporting).

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Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

Pass rate = 24/43 = 55.8% →less than 70%⇒A =NOT OK.

Outstanding defects = 21 − 8 =13→not less than 5⇒B =NOT OK.

Defects per test case = 21/43 ≈0.49→less than 0.5⇒C =OK.The syllabus (Test Monitoring and Reporting) specifies using quantitative measures such as pass/fail rates, defect status (open vs. fixed), and defect detection metrics against exit criteria to evaluate test completion and readiness for release. These measures are used to decide whether exit criteria are met and to trigger control actions where they are not.

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Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

The syllabus lists multiple competence development approaches (training/education, coaching/mentoring, on-the-job learning, peer learning, andself-study) and explicitly characterizesself-studyas learning through materials such as books and recorded content. This aligns directly with the scenario of “reading books and watching recorded videos,” which isself-study(CTAL-TM v3.0, People Skills – competence development options).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

ii. Prioritisation of defects → A. Product owner involvement: The PO (or equivalent business authority) ensuresbusiness-value/risk-based prioritizationis consistent across teams.

i. Alignment of defect attributes → B. Tool synchronization: Toalign fields/attributes/statuses, teams synchronize or harmonize defect management tools and schemas.

iii. Alignment of approach for fixes → C. Transparent shared dashboards:Shared plans/dashboardssupport coordination onhow/whenfixes are implemented across teams, improving consistency and visibility.This mapping reflects the syllabus coverage oforganization-level test management, multi-team governance, tool alignment, and cross-team transparency practices in hybrid/Agile environments (CTAL-TM v3.0, Chapter 2: Test Management in the Organization; Chapter 5: defect management coordination and reporting).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

The syllabus introducesBelbin team rolesas a tool tobalance rolesin a team and improve collaboration. It notes the use ofself-assessmentandobserver feedbackand stresses aligning team composition and role usage withthe team’s goals and context. Therefore, statementDis incorrect: teamsshouldalign roles withteam goals and expectations; keeping them “independent” runs counter to the intended use of Belbin roles in Agile teams.

(ISTQB CTAL-TM v3.0 — Chapter “People Skills – Team Composition”: Belbin roles, use of self/observer assessments, and aligning role mix with team goals.)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

In theTesting Process(Test Completion and improvement), the syllabus directs the test manager to useproduction and operational feedback(includingdefects found in live operation) as key inputs tolessons learnedandtest process improvement. A retrospective held after two months in production wouldspecifically examine operational defect datato evaluate test effectiveness, coverage, and the adequacy of acceptance criteria and non-functional aspects (e.g., usability, localization).

OptionB(final/open defect list) is part oftest completiondeliverables at project close, not the primary new focus of apost-deployment retrospective.

OptionC(requirements engineering process) may be discussed, but themost directly relevant and new evidencefor improvement after release isoperational defects.

OptionD(planned vs. executed tests) is amonitoring/controlactivity during the project; it can inform improvement, butlive defect trendsare the principal post-release focus.Relevant syllabus areas:Testing Process—Test Completion(lessons learned; inputs from production and operations to improve future test planning and approach).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

The syllabus highlightscontinuous improvementpractices, includingretrospectivesin Agile lifecycles, encouragingcollaborative techniquessuch asbrainstormingto generateconcrete improvement ideas, often followingroot cause analysisof issues.

Effective retrospectives should involve thewhole team and relevant stakeholders, generatespecific actions(anaction plan), and recognize that some actions may requiresupport beyond the team.

Therefore,Cis a good practice.Ais incorrect (retrospectives should be cross-functional),Bis too narrow (some actions require organizational support), andDis incorrect (capturing concrete actions is recommended even in Agile contexts).

(References: CTAL-TM v3.0 Syllabus — Chapter 1 “Testing Process” – lessons learned and process improvement; Agile lifecycle considerations for retrospectives and collaborative improvement techniques; emphasis on actionable outcomes.)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

According to theISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 Syllabus (Chapter 7: People Skills – Team Composition), team performance can be significantly improved by ensuring that testers possess an appropriate mix ofdomain knowledge,technical skills, andinterpersonal skills.

“An effective test team requires a balance between technical knowledge, testing skills, and knowledge of the business domain.”

(ISTQB CTAL-TM v3.0 Syllabus, Chapter 7 – People Skills, Section: Test Team Dynamics and Skill Development)

When a team lacks understanding of thebusiness domain, such as payroll in this scenario, they may:

Struggle to interpret requirements or identify key risk areas.

Miss critical business logic defects.

Design test cases that fail to cover realistic user workflows.

Therefore, the most effective improvement would betraining in the payroll domain— strengthening theirdomain expertiseto enhance test design quality, communication with stakeholders, and defect detection effectiveness.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. Workshop on test design techniques– Enhances technical testing skill but does not address lack of domain understanding.

C. Specific training on the systems being tested– Improves system familiarity but still lacks insight into business rules and domain-driven testing.

D. Training on reviewing requirements– Improves requirement analysis, but without domain knowledge, reviewers cannot effectively validate correctness or completeness.

References (from ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 Syllabus):

Chapter 7:People Skills – Team Composition

Section:Test Team Dynamics and Skill Development

States thatdomain knowledge trainingis critical for tester effectiveness.

Emphasizes the need for balance amongtechnical, testing, and business knowledge.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Manager v3.0 syllabus:

UnderTest Tool and Automation, the syllabus explains thatcoverage tools(often calledcode coverage tools) measurewhich parts of the code or structure(e.g., statements, branches, conditions) have beenexecuted by tests. This directly answers the question about “which part of the test object has been exercised.”

Amanages requirements and traceability, not execution coverage.

Bexecutes tests but typically does not measure structural coverage of the code by itself.

Canalyzes code without executing it; it identifies defects or coding standard violations, not runtime coverage.Relevant syllabus areas:Test Tool and Automation—Coverage measurement tools(structural coverage for assessing extent of code exercised by testing).