Effective Study Techniques for the ISTQB CTFL-Foundation Exam

From the decision table:

Carol has a student railcard and a Flexible Standard Class ticket, which means she is eligible to upgrade.

James has a senior railcard and a Super Saver ticket, which means he cannot use the service as per the conditions specified in the table.

Walkthroughs are a type of static technique used in software testing. According to the ISTQB CTFL syllabus v4.0, static techniques include activities such as reviews, inspections, and walkthroughs, where the evaluation of the software product is done without executing the code​​.

Debugging is the process where developers identify, locate, and correct defects. Testers are then responsible for confirming that the correction has resolved the original defect. This separation of responsibilities ensures that defects are properly fixed and verified.

Complete statement and branch coverage means that you have tested every statement and every branch in the program. Statement coverage ensures that every executable statement in the code is executed at least once, while branch coverage ensures that every possible path (true and false conditions) through the program's branches (such as IF statements) is executed. Achieving both covers a significant portion of the code, providing a thorough validation of its logic. Reference: ISTQB CTFL Syllabus V4.0, Section 4.3.2​​.

Reporting discrepancies as incidents is part of the Test Implementation and Execution phase. During this phase, any deviations from expected results, bugs, or issues discovered are logged as incidents. These incidents are then managed and tracked until they are resolved. This phase is crucial for identifying and documenting problems that occur during the testing process​​.

The test basis for integration testing typically includes technical specifications. According to the ISTQB CTFL syllabus v4.0, integration testing focuses on the interactions between components or systems, and the technical specification provides the necessary details about these interactions and interfaces​​.

Static analysis tools analyze the program code to identify potential issues such as syntax errors, unreachable code, and variables that are never used. These tools perform their analysis without executing the code, thus allowing early detection of defects. The ISTQB CTFL syllabus v4.0 highlights that static analysis tools focus on the code itself to find these types of defects​​.

The concept of introducing a small change to the program and having the effects of that change show up in some test is known as "introducing mutations." This is part of mutation testing, where small changes (mutations) are made to the code to see if the existing test cases can detect the errors introduced by these changes. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the test cases in identifying defects. Reference: ISTQB CTFL Syllabus V4.0, Section 4.3.4​​.

Sometimes time/money does signify the end of testing, but it is really complete when everything that was set out in advance has been achieved.

Testing is considered complete when sufficient information has been gathered to assess the quality of the software and to make an informed decision about its release. This includes understanding the risks of any remaining defects, the test coverage achieved, and the test results. It is not practical to wait until all possible test cases have been executed or until no defects remain, as these conditions are often impossible to meet within typical project constraints.

A risk-based approach to testing provides information on the types of test techniques to be employed. This approach prioritizes the testing of features and functions based on their risk of failure and their impact on the organization. By identifying the areas of highest risk, test managers can allocate resources and select test techniques that are most likely to uncover defects in these critical areas. This approach ensures that testing efforts are focused where they are most needed. Reference: ISTQB CTFL Syllabus V4.0, Section 5.2 .QUESTION NO: 85

When assembling a test team to work on an enhancement to an existing system, which of the following has the highest level of test independence?

A. A business analyst who wrote the original requirements for the system.

B. A permanent programmer who reviewed some of the new code, but has not written any of it.

C. A permanent tester who found most defects in the original system.

D. A contract tester who has never worked for the organization before.

Answer: D

In this scenario, the contract tester who has never worked for the organization before has the highest level of test independence. The three others are less independent as they are likely to make assumptions based on their previous knowledge of the requirements, code and general functionality of the original system.

Note that independence does not necessarily equate to most useful. In practice most test or project managers would recruit a permanent tester who has worked on the original system in preference to a contract tester with no knowledge of the system. However, when assembling a team it would be useful to have staff with varying levels of test independence and system knowledge.