ISTQB - Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is the purpose of a test technique?
To help in identifying test conditions, test cases, and test data.
What is the basis for black-box test techniques?
Black-box test techniques are based on an analysis of the appropriate test basis (e.g., formal requirements documents, specifications, use cases, user stories, or business processes).
What is the basis for white-box test techniques?
White-box test techniques are based on an analysis of the architecture, detailed design, internal structure, or the code of the test object.
“Test cases may be used to detect gaps between the requirements and the implementation of the requirements, as well as deviations from the requirements.”
What test technique is this describing?
Black-box testing
What is the basis for experience-based test techniques?
The knowledge and experience of testers, developers, users and other stakeholders.
What kind of test technique is equivalence partitioning?
Black-box test technique
What are valid values in equivalence partitioning?
Values that should be accepted by the component or system. An equivalence
partition containing valid values is called a “valid equivalence partition.”
What are invalid values in equivalence partitioning?
Values that should be rejected by the component or system. An equivalence partition containing invalid values is called an “invalid equivalence partition.”
How many equivalence partitions can a single value belong to?
Each value must belong to one and only one equivalence partition.
Is it okay to combine invalid equivalence partitions when testing?
No, when invalid equivalence partitions are used in test cases, they should be tested individually, i.e., not combined with other invalid equivalence partitions, to ensure that failures are not masked.
How would you achieve 100% coverage using equivalence partitioning?
Test cases must cover all identified partitions (including invalid partitions) by using a minimum of one value from each partition.
What kind of test technique is boundary value analysis?
Black-box test technique
What kind of equivalence partition can boundary value analysis be applied to?
BVA can only be used when the partition is ordered, consisting of numeric or sequential data.
What are the boundary values of a partition?
The minimum and maximum values (or first and last values) of a partition are its boundary values.
How is coverage measured for boundary value analysis?
Boundary coverage for a partition is measured as the percentage of boundary values tested (number of boundary values tested divided by the total number of identified boundary test values)
What kind of test technique is decision table testing?
Black-box test technique
What must the tester identify in order to create a decision table?
The tester identifies conditions (often inputs) and the resulting actions (often
outputs) of the system.
What do columns typically represent in a decision table?
Each column corresponds to a decision rule: it defines a unique combination of
conditions which results in the execution of the actions associated with that rule.
How can you decrease the number of test cases required when performing decision table testing?
Deleting columns that do not affect the outcome and columns containing impossible combinations of conditions.
How is coverage measured for decision table testing?
Coverage is measured as the percentage of decision rules tested by at least one test case.
What kind of test technique is state transition testing?
Black-box test technique
What kind of applications is state transition testing commonly used for?
Menu-based applications
How is coverage commonly measured in state transition testing?
Coverage is commonly measured as the percentage of identified states or transitions tested.
What kind of test technique is use case testing?
Black-box test technique
What are use cases?
Use cases are a way of designing interactions between actors (human users, external hardware, or other components or systems) and subjects (the component or system to which the use case is applied) in order to test software requirements.
What are the typical variations in behaviour for a use case that tests should exercise?
Basic, exceptional or alternative, and error handling
How is coverage measured in use case testing?
Coverage can be measured by the percentage of use case behaviours tested
What is statement testing?
A white-box test technique that exercises the potential executable statements in the code.
How is coverage measured in statement testing?
Coverage is measured as the percentage of total executable statements executed by the tests.
What is decision testing?
A white-box test technique that exercises the decisions in the code.
How is coverage measured in decision testing?
Coverage is measured as the percentage of total of decision outcomes executed by the tests.
Why does decision testing provide more coverage than statement testing?
A decision point (e.g. IF or CASE statement) in the code is a single statement, meaning you may only need one case to exercise the statement but will need multiple cases to exercise all decision outcomes for that statement. Therefore, 100% statement coverage does not ensure 100% decision coverage, but 100% decision coverage does guarantee 100% statement coverage.
What test level are code-related test techniques like statement and decision testing typically applied to?
Component testing
What kind of test technique is error guessing?
Experience-based test technique
How can you approach error guessing more methodically?
Create a list of possible errors, defects, and failures (based on experience, data, and common knowledge), and design tests that will expose those failures and the defects that caused them.
What kind of test technique is exploratory testing?
Experience-based test technique
How are tests executed during exploratory testing?
Tests are designed, executed, logged, and evaluated dynamically during test execution.
How is session-based exploratory testing conducted?
In session-based testing, exploratory testing is conducted within a defined time-box, and the tester uses a test charter containing test objectives to guide the testing.
When is exploratory testing most useful?
When there are few or inadequate specifications or significant time pressure on testing.
What is checklist-based testing?
An experience-based test technique where testers design, implement, and execute tests to cover test conditions found in a checklist.
How are checklists typically built for checklist-based testing?
Such checklists can be built based on experience, knowledge about what is important for the user, or an understanding of why and how software fails.
How can checklists help with testing in the absence of detailed test cases?
Checklist-based testing can provide guidelines and a degree of consistency. As these are high-level lists, some variability in the actual testing is likely to occur, resulting in potentially greater coverage but less repeatability.
