CTFL-AT Sample Questions Answers

Continuous integration is a practice of integrating code changes frequently and automatically into a shared repository, and running automated tests to verify the integration. Continuous integration can introduce some risks to the testing process, such as:

• Testers sometimes have too many builds to test, which reduces the quality of testing. This can happen when the code changes are too frequent or too large, and the testers do not have enough time or resources to test each build thoroughly. This can lead to missed defects, incomplete test coverage, and reduced confidence in the product quality.
• Testers sometimes have to deal with unstable or broken builds, which affects the testability of the product. This can happen when the code changes introduce errors or conflicts that cause the build to fail or malfunction. This can waste the testers’ time and effort, and delay the feedback cycle.
• Testers sometimes have to cope with changing requirements and priorities, which affects the test planning and execution. This can happen when the stakeholders or customers provide new or modified requirements or feedback during the development cycle. This can require the testers to adapt their test strategy, test cases, and test data accordingly, and to balance the testing of new features and regression testing of existing features. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.2.3, page 14; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, page 15.

 Release planning is a process of defining the scope and timeline for an iterative or incremental product development project. It is used in agile or hybrid projects where a mid- to long-term planning of the product or system development or integration is required12. Release planning involves the following activities:

• Identifying testable user stories with acceptance criteria. User stories are short descriptions of the features or functionalities that the customer or user wants from the product. Acceptance criteria are the conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered done and acceptable. Identifying testable user stories with acceptance criteria helps to define the scope and quality of the release13.
• Prioritizing the user stories. User stories are prioritized based on the value they deliver to the customer or user, as well as the dependencies, risks, and costs associated with them. Prioritizing the user stories helps to determine the order and frequency of the releases13.
• Performing high level estimation for the release. High level estimation is a technique to estimate the effort, time, and resources needed to complete the user stories in the release. High level estimation can be done using various methods, such as analogy, expert judgment, planning poker, etc. Performing high level estimation for the release helps to set realistic and achievable goals and deadlines13.

Therefore, activities 1, 3 and 6 are done in release planning. Activities 2, 4 and 5 are done in iteration planning, which is a more detailed and short-term planning of the work to be done in each iteration or sprint13. References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.2, Fundamental Agile Testing Principles, Practices and Processes1; 2: Agile Release Planning in Hybrid and Agile Projects4; 3: How to Create an Agile Release Plan5

Acceptance test criteria are the conditions that a user story must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or the stakeholder. They are usually derived from the user story and its acceptance scenarios, and they should cover the functional and non-functional requirements of the user story. Acceptance test criteria should be clear, concise, testable, and agreed upon by the team and the customer or the stakeholder.

In this case, the user story describes the business rule for approving a loan request based on the customer’s income, repayment history, and loan amount. The user story also specifies the roles of the customer assistant and the bank manager in the process. Therefore, the acceptance test criteria should verify that the user story is implemented correctly and that the system behaves as expected for different scenarios and inputs.

The following test cases can be treated as acceptance test criteria for the above user story:

• As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and check the history of the customer account for the last year. This test case verifies that the customer assistant can access the system and view the customer’s income information, which is one of the factors for approving the loan request.
• As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and check the history of the customer debts and repayments. This test case verifies that the customer assistant can access the system and view the customer’s repayment history, which is another factor for approving the loan request.
• As a bank manager I can log in to the system and receive the information of all requests waiting for approval. This test case verifies that the bank manager can access the system and see the list of loan requests that have been prepared by the customer assistant, and that the system provides the necessary information for each request.
• As a bank manager I can log in to the system and decide whether to approve a loan for a customer. This test case verifies that the bank manager can access the system and perform the approval action for a loan request, and that the system applies the business rule correctly and updates the status of the request accordingly.

The following test cases cannot be treated as acceptance test criteria for the above user story:

• As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and change my password. This test case is not related to the user story, as it does not verify any of the functional or non-functional requirements of the user story. It is a generic test case that applies to any user of the system, not specific to the customer assistant role or the loan approval process.
• As a bank manager I can log in to the system within 10 seconds. This test case is not related to the user story, as it does not verify any of the functional or non-functional requirements of the user story. It is a performance test case that applies to any user of the system, not specific to the bank manager role or the loan approval process.

References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.3.1, pages 15-16; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, pages 2 and 3.

Testers replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts. Comprehensive Explanation: The integration of development and testing activities in Agile projects is based on the principle of cross-functional teamwork, where all team members collaborate and share their skills and knowledge to achieve a common goal. In the context of testing, this means that testing is not seen as a separate activity or phase, but as an integral part of the development process. Therefore, the following sentences are correct:

• While developers develop automated unit test scripts, testers write automated system level tests. This is an example of how developers and testers can work in parallel and complement each other’s testing efforts. Developers can focus on testing the internal quality of the code, while testers can focus on testing the external quality of the product.
• Developers write acceptance criteria and test cases, together with testers. This is an example of how developers and testers can work together to define and verify the user requirements and expectations. Developers can provide their technical expertise and input, while testers can provide their business and user perspective and feedback.
• Developers and testers may work as a pair to develop and test a feature. This is an example of how developers and testers can work closely and interactively to deliver a feature. Developers and testers can exchange ideas, suggestions, and information, and support each other in the coding and testing tasks.

The following sentence is incorrect:

• Testers replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts. This is not a valid example of the integration of development and testing activities in Agile projects, because it implies that testers take over the responsibility of developers, rather than collaborate with them. Testers should not replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts, because developers have more knowledge and experience in coding and debugging, and because unit testing is an essential part of the development process. Testers should instead work with developers to ensure that the unit test automation scripts are adequate, effective, and maintainable. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 1.2.1, page 9; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, pages 16 and 55.

 Planning poker is a consensus-based technique for agile estimation, using a deck of cards with predefined numerical values, usually based on the Fibonacci sequence or a modified version12. Therefore, statement 1 is correct. A high test estimate usually means that the user story or task is too complex, ambiguous, or risky, and should be broken down into multiple smaller stories that are easier to understand and estimate13. Therefore, statement 3 is correct. The risk level of each backlog item should be decided before the poker session, as it can affect the estimation process and the prioritization of the work14. Therefore, statement 5 is correct. Statement 2 is incorrect, as a low test estimate usually means that the user story or task is simple, clear, and well-defined, and does not need to be broken down further13. Statement 4 is incorrect, as planning poker can involve multiple rounds of estimation, reveal, and discussion, until the team reaches a consensus or agrees to defer the item12. References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation1; 2: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation2; 3: Planning Poker: An Agile Estimating and Planning Technique3; 4: Planning poker: The all-in strategy for Agile estimation - Asana4

The acceptance criteria for a sprint are the conditions that must be met for the user stories to be considered done and deliver value to the customer1. The acceptance criteria should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and testable2. In this case, the plan for the sprint is to increase performance of the system, so the acceptance criteria should reflect that goal. Therefore, the acceptance criteria that would be expected for Sprint 5 are:

• uk.co.certification.simulator.questionpool.PList@82442bd0

The other options are not relevant or appropriate acceptance criteria for Sprint 5:

• uk.co.certification.simulator.questionpool.PList@8072c1c0

As an agile tester, you should work together with the developer, suggesting reasons why the tests are failing. This is an example of the agile principle of collaboration and communication within the team, as well as the agile testing practice of early and frequent feedback. By working together with the developer, you can help to identify and resolve the root causes of the test failures, as well as share your testing knowledge and perspective. This can lead to faster and better quality delivery of the user story, as well as improved team relationships and trust.

Option A is not a good action, because reviewing and improving the design of the user story is not the tester’s responsibility, and it may not address the test failures. Option B is also not a good action, because creating bug reports for blocked tests is not an agile way of handling issues, and it may create unnecessary overhead and waste. Option D is not a good action, because it does not help to unblock the current user story, and it may distract you from the sprint goal and the team’s focus.

References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.3.1, page 171; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Sample Exam Questions, Question 2.3.1-2, page 82

Risk-based testing is a technique that prioritizes testing activities based on the level of risk associated with each feature or requirement. The level of risk is usually calculated by multiplying the probability and impact of each risk. The higher the risk level, the more testing effort should be allocated to mitigate the risk. In this case, the risk level for each option is as follows: A. Risk level = Low x Low = Low B. Risk level = Low x High = Medium C. Risk level = High x High = High D. Risk level = High x Low = Medium Therefore, the highest risk level is C, followed by B and D, and then A. The User Story for the Operator-Instructions module should be tested according to this risk order, starting with C, then B, then D, and finally A. Hence, the answer is B, as it is the second highest risk level and should be tested after C. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 16; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 18.

The best black box test design technique for verifying the accuracy of this user story is equivalence partitioning. Equivalence partitioning is a technique that divides the input domain of a system into classes or groups that are expected to behave similarly. By testing one value from each class, the tester can reduce the number of test cases while still achieving good coverage. In this case, the input domainof the system is the amount of income, which can be divided into classes based on the tax percentage applied to different income ranges. For example, if the tax percentage is 10% for income below 10,000, 20% for income between 10,000 and 20,000, and 30% for income above 20,000, then the equivalence classes are: low income (<10,000), medium income (10,000-20,000), and high income (>20,000). By testing one value from each class, such as 5,000, 15,000, and 25,000, the tester can verify that the system calculates the correct tax percentage for each income range. This technique is more efficient and effective than testing all possible values of income, or testing only one value of income, or testing the states of income entry, or testing the statements in income calculation. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.3.1, page 19; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Sample Exam Questions2, Question 5, page 6.