Fundamentals of Testing

Question 1

What are the typical test objectives?

Answer 1

Evaluating work products such as requirements, user stories, designs, and code
Triggering failures and finding defects
Ensuring required coverage of a test object
Reducing the level of risk of inadequate software quality
Verifying whether specified requirements have been fulfilled
Verifying that a test object complies with contractual, legal, and regulatory requirements
Providing information to stakeholders to allow them to make informed decisions
Building confidence in the quality of the test object
Validating whether the test object is complete and works as expected by the stakeholders

Question 2

Debugging is concerned with what?

Answer 2

Finding causes of failures (defects) and analyzing and eliminating them

Question 3

Testing can trigger what?

Answer 3

Failures that are caused by defects in the software OR find defects in the test object.

Question 4

What is the typical debugging process?

Answer 4

Reproduction of a failure
Finding the root cause
Fixing the cause

Question 5

Why is testing necessary?

Answer 5

Provides a cost-effective means of detecting defects
Provides a means of directly evaluating the quality of a test object at various stages of the SDLC
Provides users with indirect representation on the dev project
May also be required to comply with regulatory standards or meet contractual and legal obligations

Question 6

How are QA and testing different?

Answer 6

Testing is a form of Quality Control.
Quality Control is product-oriented, corrective approach.
QA is process-oriented, preventive approach that focuses on implementation and improvement of processes

Question 7

Who uses test results?

Answer 7

QA and QC

Question 8

Who is responsible for QA?

Answer 8

everyone on a project

Question 9

How are test results used by Quality Control?

Answer 9

They are used to fix defects

Question 10

How are test results used by QA?

Answer 10

They provide feedback on how well the development and test processes are performing

Question 11

What is an error?

Answer 11

A human made mistake caused by things like time pressure, complexity of work products, processes, infrastructure, interactions, lack of training, or tiredness.

Question 12

What is a defect?

Answer 12

A fault or bug caused by an error.

Question 13

What is a failure?

Answer 13

When the system fails to do what it should or shouldn’t do

Question 14

What is a root cause?

Answer 14

The fundamental reason for the occurrence of a problem.

Question 15

Where can a defect be found?

Answer 15

Documentation, source code, or supporting artifact

Question 16

How are root causes identified?

Answer 16

Through root cause analysis that is typically performed when a failure occurs or a defect is identified.

Question 17

What are the seven testing principals?

Answer 17

Testing shows the presence, not the absence of defects
Exhaustive testing is impossible
Early testing saves time and money
Defects cluster together
Tests wear out
Testing is context dependant
Absence of defects fallacy

Question 18

Explain the testing principle:
Testing shows the presence, not the absence of defects

Answer 18

Testing reduces the probability of defects remaining undiscovered but cannot prove test object correctness.

Question 19

Explain the testing principle:
Exhaustive testing is impossible

Answer 19

Except in trivial cases, testing everything is not feasible.

Question 20

How can testing efforts be focused to prevent exhaustive testing?

Answer 20

By using test techniques, test case prioritization, and risk based testing

Question 21

Explain the testing principle:
Defects cluster together

Answer 21

A small number of system components usually contain the most defects discovered or are responsible for most failures.

Question 22

Explain the testing principle:
Tests wear out

Answer 22

If a test is repeated many times, it can become ineffective in detecting new defects

Question 23

How can you overcome the effect of tests wearing out?

Answer 23

Existing tests and test data may need to be modified and new tests written.

Question 24

Explain the testing principle:
Testing is context dependant

Answer 24

There is no universally applicable approach to testing.

Question 25

Explain the testing principle:
Absence-of-defects fallacy

Answer 25

Just because there are no defects, does not mean the system will be successful. It may not meet the needs of the users, or could be inferior to other competing systems.

Question 26

Define test planning

Answer 26

Defining the test objectives and then selecting an approach that best achieves those objectives within constraints imposed by the overall project.

Question 27

Define test monitoring and control

Answer 27

Test monitoring involves the ongoing checking of all test activities and the comparison of the actual progress and the planned progress.
Test control involves taking the actions necessary to meet the objectives of testing

Question 28

Define test analysis

Answer 28

Analyzing the test basis to identify testable features and to define and prioritize associated test conditions together with the related risks and risk levels.
It answers what to test.

Question 29

Define test design

Answer 29

Changing test conditions into test cases and other test ware. It often involves the id of coverage items to specify test case input, defining the test data requirements, designing the test environment.
It answers how to test

Question 30

Define implementation

Answer 30

Creating or acquiring the testware necessary for test execution.
Test cases can be organized into test procedures and are often assembled into test suites.
Manual and automated test scripts are created
Test procedures are prioritized and arranged within a test execution schedule for efficient test execution
The test environment is built and verified to be set up correctly

Question 31

Define test execution

Answer 31

Running the tests in accordance with the test execution schedule.
May be manual or automated.
Can take many forms including continuous testing or pair testing sessions
Actual test results are compared with the expected results.
The test results are logged.
Anomalies are analyzed to id their likely causes allowing for reporting the anomalies based on the observed failures

Question 32

Define test completion

Answer 32

Usually occur at project milestones (release, end of iteration, test level completion) for any unresolved defects, change requests, or backlog items created.
Any testware that may be useful in the future is id’d and either archived or given to the appropriate teams.
The test environment is shut down to an agreed upon state.
Test activities are analyzed to ID lessons learned and and improvements for future iterations, releases, or projects.
A test completion report is created and communicated to the stakeholders.

Question 33

What are some contextual factors that will affect how testing is carried out?

Answer 33

Stakeholders (needs, expectations, requirements, willingness to cooperate)
Team members (knowledge, skills, level of experience, availability, training needs)
Business domain (criticality of the test object, ID’d risks, market needs, specific legal requirements)
Technical factors (type of software, product architecture, technology used)
Project constraints (scope, time, budget, resources)
Org factors (Org structure, existing policies, practices used)
SDLC (engineering practices, development methods)
Tools (availability, usability, compliance)

Question 34

What are some way the different contextual factors can impact test related issues?

Answer 34

Test strategy
Test techniques used
Degree of test automation
Required level of coverage
Level of detail of test documentation
Reporting

Question 35

What is testware?

Answer 35

It is created as output work products from test activities and may vary in how different organizations produce, shape, name, organize, and manage those products.

Question 36

What do test planning testware products include?

Answer 36

Test plan
Test schedule
Risk register (list of risks together with risk likelihood, impact, and info on risk mitigation)
Entry and exit criteria

Question 37

What do test monitoring and control testware products include?

Answer 37

Test progress reports
Documentation of control directives
Risk information

Question 38

What do test analysis testware products include?

Answer 38

Prioritized test conditions (acceptance criteria)
Defect reports regarding defects in the test basis if not fixed directly

Question 39

What do test design testware products include?

Answer 39

Prioritized test cases
Test charters
Coverage items
Test data requirements
Test environment requirements

Question 40

What do test execution testware products include?

Answer 40

Test logs
Defect reports

Question 41

What do test completion testware products include?

Answer 41

Test completion report
Action items for improvement of subsequent projects or iterations
Documented lessons learned
Change requests

Question 42

Why is maintaining traceability valuable?

Answer 42

Accurate traceability supports coverage evaluation and criteria can be used to show to what extent the test objectives have been achieved.
It makes it possible to determine the impact of changes, facilitates test audits, and helps meet IT governance criteria.
Makes test progress and completion reports more easily understandable by including the status of test basis elements
Allows for easier communication of the technical aspects of testing to stakeholders
Provides info to assess product quality, process capability, and project progress against biz goals

Question 43

What are two principal roles in testing?

Answer 43

Test management role and testing role

Question 44

What responsibilities are included in the test management role?

Answer 44

Overall responsibility for the test process, test team, and leadership of the test activities.
Mainly focused on activities of test planning, test monitoring and control, and test completion

Question 45

What is the testing role responsible for?

Answer 45

Overall responsibility for the engineering aspect of testing.
Mainly focused on the activities of test analysis, test design, test implementation, and test execution

Question 46

What are some generic skills required for testing?

Answer 46

Testing knowledge
Thoroughness, carefulness, curiosity, attention to details, being methodical
Good communication skills, active listening, being a team player
Analytical thinking, critical thinking, creativity
Technical knowledge
Domain knowledge

Question 47

What is the Whole Team Approach?

Answer 47

Any team member with the necessary knowledge can perform any task and everyone is responsible for quality. This allows testers to work closely with other team members to ensure the desired quality levels are achieved.

Question 48

What are the advantages of the Whole Team Approach?

Answer 48

Improves team dynamics
Enhances communication and collaboration
Creates synergy by allowing the various skill sets of team members to be leveraged for the benefit of the project

Question 49

What are some benefits to independence of testing?

Answer 49

Independent testers are likely to recognize different kinds of failures and defects compared to developers because of different backgrounds, technical perspectives, and biases.
Independent testers can verify, challenge, or disprove assumptions made by stakeholders during specification and implementation of the system.

Question 50

What are some drawbacks to independence of testing?

Answer 50

Independent testers may be isolated from the department team leading to a lack of collaboration, communication problems, or adversarial relationship with the development teams.
Developers may lose a sense of responsibility for quality.
May be seen as a bottleneck or be blamed for delays in release