ISTQB - Chapter 6 Flashcards
What qualifies as a test tool?
Any tool that assists in testing (a spreadsheet is also a test tool in this meaning)
What does it mean for a test tool to be intrusive? What is this effect called?
It means it may affect the actual outcome of the test (e.g. response times may be slightly slower when using a performance testing tool). This is called the probe effect.
What are four potential benefits of automating testing via test execution tools?
- Reduction in repetitive manual work
- Greater consistency and repeatability
- More objective assessment
- Easier access to information about testing
The following is a list of what?
- Expectations for the tool may be unrealistic
- The time, cost and effort for the initial introduction of a tool may be under-estimated
- The time and effort needed to achieve significant and continuing benefits from the tool may be under-estimated
- The effort required to maintain the test work products generated by the tool may be under-estimated
- The tool may be relied on too much
- Version control of test work products may be neglected
- Relationships and interoperability issues between critical tools may be neglected
- The tool vendor may go out of business, retire the tool, or sell the tool to a different vendor
- The vendor may provide a poor response for support, upgrades, and defect fixes
- An open source project may be suspended
- A new platform or technology may not be supported by the tool
- There may be no clear ownership of the tool
Potential risks of using test tools
What kind of test tool are these?
- Test management tools and application lifecycle management tools (ALM)
- Requirements management tools (e.g., traceability to test objects)
- Defect management tools
- Configuration management tools
- Continuous integration tools (D)
Test management tools
What kind of test tool are these?
- Model-Based testing tools
- Test data preparation tools
Test design and implementation tools
What kind of test tool are these?
- Test execution tools (e.g., to run regression tests)
- Coverage tools (e.g., requirements coverage, code coverage (D))
- Test harnesses (D)
Test execution and logging tools
What kind of test tool are these?
- Performance testing tools
- Dynamic analysis tools (D)
Performance measurement and dynamic analysis tools
What do test execution tools do?
Test execution tools execute test objects using automated test scripts.
What are three possible approaches to test automation?
- Capturing test approach
- Data-driven test approach
- Keyword-driven test approach
What is the capturing test approach and what is its main drawback?
Capturing tests by recording the actions of a manual tester.
This approach does not scale to large numbers of test scripts.
What is the data-driven test approach?
It puts the test inputs and expected results into a spreadsheet and uses a more generic test script that can read the input data, so it can execute the same test script with different data.
What is the keyword-driven approach?
A generic script processes keywords describing the actions to be taken, which then calls keyword scripts to process the associated test data.
The following is a list of what?
- Assessment of the maturity of the organization, its strengths and weaknesses
- Identification of opportunities for an improved test process supported by tools
- Understanding of the technologies used by the test object(s), in order to select a tool that is compatible with that technology
- Understanding the build and continuous integration tools already in use within the organization, in order to ensure tool compatibility and integration
- Evaluation of the tool against clear requirements and objective criteria
- Consideration of whether or not the tool is available for a free trial period
- Evaluation of the vendor (including training, support and commercial aspects) or support for non-commercial (e.g., open source) tools
- Identification of internal requirements for coaching and mentoring in the use of the tool
- Evaluation of training needs, considering the testing (and test automation) skills of those who will be working directly with the tool(s)
- Consideration of pros and cons of various licensing models
- Estimation of a cost-benefit ratio based on a concrete business case (if required)
Things to consider when selecting a test tool
What is the final step in the tool selection process called? (where the organization establishes whether the tool performs effectively with the software under test and within the current infrastructure)
Proof-of-concept evaluation
