ISTQB Vocabulary Flashcards
acceptance criteria
The criteria that a component or system must satisfy in order to be accepted by a user, customer, or other authorized entity.
acceptance testing
See Also: user acceptance testing
Formal testing with respect to user needs, requirements, and business processes conducted to determine whether or not a system satisfies the acceptance criteria and to enable the user, customers or other authorized entity to determine whether or not to accept the system.
accessibility
The degree to which a component or system can be used by people with the widest range of characteristics and capabilities to achieve a specified goal in a specified context of use.
accessibility testing
Testing to determine the ease by which users with disabilities can use a component or system.
actual result
The behavior produced/observed when a component or system is tested.
ad hoc reviewing
A review technique carried out by independent reviewers informally, without a structured process.
alpha testing
Simulated or actual operational testing conducted in the developer’s test environment, by roles outside the development organization.
anomaly
Any condition that deviates from expectation based on requirements specifications, design documents, user documents, standards, etc., or from someone’s perception or experience. Anomalies may be found during, but not limited to, reviewing, testing, analysis, compilation, or use of software products or applicable documentation.
audit
An independent examination of a work product, process, or set of processes that is performed by a third party to assess compliance with specifications, standards, contractual agreements, or other criteria.
availability
The degree to which a component or system is operational and accessible when required for use.
behavior
The response of a component or system to a set of input values and preconditions.
beta testing
Synonyms: field testing
Simulated or actual operational testing conducted at an external site, by roles outside the development organization.
black-box test technique
Synonyms: black-box technique , specification-based technique , specification-based test technique
A procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on an analysis of the specification, either functional or non-functional, of a component or system without reference to its internal structure.
boundary value
A minimum or maximum value of an ordered equivalence partition.
boundary value analysis
See Also: boundary value
A black-box test technique in which test cases are designed based on boundary values.
burndown chart
A publicly displayed chart that depicts the outstanding effort versus time in an iteration. It shows the status and trend of completing the tasks of the iteration. The X-axis typically represents days in the sprint, while the Y-axis is the remaining effort (usually either in ideal engineering hours or story points).
checklist-based reviewing
A review technique guided by a list of questions or required attributes.
checklist-based testing
An experience-based test technique whereby the experienced tester uses a high-level list of items to be noted, checked, or remembered, or a set of rules or criteria against which a product has to be verified.
code coverage
An analysis method that determines which parts of the software have been executed (covered) by the test suite and which parts have not been executed, e.g., statement coverage, decision coverage or condition coverage.
commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
Synonyms: off-the-shelf software
A software product that is developed for the general market, i.e. for a large number of customers, and that is delivered to many customers in identical format.
compatibility
The degree to which a component or system can exchange information with other components or systems.
complexity
See Also: cyclomatic complexity
The degree to which a component or system has a design and/or internal structure that is difficult to understand, maintain and verify.
compliance
The capability of the software product to adhere to standards, conventions or regulations in laws and similar prescriptions.
component
Synonyms: module , unit
A minimal part of a system that can be tested in isolation.
component integration testing
Synonyms: link testing
Testing performed to expose defects in the interfaces and interactions between integrated components.
component specification
A description of a component’s function in terms of its output values for specified input values under specified conditions, and required non-functional behavior (e.g., resource utilization).
component testing
Synonyms: module testing , unit testing The testing of individual hardware or software components.
condition
Synonyms: branch condition
A logical expression that can be evaluated as True or False, e.g., A>B.
configuration
The composition of a component or system as defined by the number, nature, and interconnections of its constituent parts.
configuration item
An aggregation of work products that is designated for configuration management and treated as a single entity in the configuration management process.
configuration management
A discipline applying technical and administrative direction and surveillance to identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a configuration item, contro changes to those characteristics, record and report change processing and implementation status, and verify compliance with specified requirements.
configuration management tool
A tool that provides support for the identification and control of configuration items, their status over changes and versions, and the release of baselines consisting of configuration items.
confirmation testing
Dynamic testing conducted after fixing defects with the objective to confirm that failures caused by those defects do not occur anymore.
contractual acceptance testing
Acceptance testing conducted to verify whether a system satisfies its contractual requirements.
control flow
The sequence in which operations are performed during the execution of a test item.
cost of quality
The total costs incurred on quality activities and issues and often split into prevention costs, appraisal costs, internal failure costs and external failure costs.
coverage
Synonyms: test coverage
The degree to which specified coverage items have been determined or have been exercised by a test suite expressed as a percentage.
coverage item
An attribute or combination of attributes that is derived from one or more test conditions by using a test technique that enables the measurement of the thoroughness of the test execution.
coverage tool
Synonyms: coverage measurement tool
A tool that provides objective measures of what structural elements, e.g., statements, branches have been exercised by a test suite.
data flow
An abstract representation of the sequence and possible changes of the state of data objects, where the state of an object is any of creation, usage, or destruction.
data-driven testing
See Also: keyword-driven testing
A scripting technique that stores test input and expected results in a table or spreadsheet, so that a single control script can execute all of the tests in the table. Data-driven testing is often used to support the application of test execution tools such as capture/playback tools.
debugging
The process of finding, analyzing and removing the causes of failures in software.
decision
A type of statement in which a choice between two or more possible outcomes controls which set of actions will result.
decision coverage
The coverage of decision outcomes.
decision outcome
The result of a decision that determines the next statement to be executed.
decision table
Synonyms: cause-effect decision table
A table used to show sets of conditions and the actions resulting from them.
decision table testing
See Also: decision table
A black-box test technique in which test cases are designed to execute the combinations of inputs and/or stimuli (causes) shown in a decision table.
decision testing
A white-box test technique in which test cases are designed to execute decision outcomes.
defect
Synonyms: bug , fault
An imperfection or deficiency in a work product where it does not meet its requirements or specifications.
defect density
Synonyms: fault density
The number of defects per unit size of a work product.
defect management
See Also: incident management
The process of recognizing and recording defects, classifying them, investigating them, taking action to resolve them, and disposing of them when resolved.
defect management tool
See Also: incident management tool
Synonyms: bug tracking tool , defect tracking tool
A tool that facilitates the recording and status tracking of defects.
defect report
Synonyms: bug report
Documentation of the occurrence, nature, and status of a defect
driver
Synonyms: test driver
A software component or test tool that replaces a component that takes care of the control and/or the calling of a component or system.
dynamic analysis
The process of evaluating behavior, e.g., memory performance, CPU usage, of a system or component during execution.
dynamic analysis tool
A tool that provides run-time information on the state of the software code. These tools are most commonly used to identify unassigned pointers, check pointer arithmetic and to monitor the allocation, use and de-allocation of memory and to flag memory leaks.
dynamic testing
Testing that involves the execution of the software of a component or system.
effectiveness
See Also: efficiency
Extent to which correct and complete goals are achieved.
efficiency
Resources expended in relation to the extent with which users achieve specified goals.
entry criteria
The set of conditions for officially starting a defined task.
equivalence partition
A portion of the value domain of a data element related to the test object for which all values are expected to be treated the same based on the specification.
equivalence partitioning
Synonyms: partition testing
A black-box test technique in which test cases are designed to exercise equivalence partitions by using one representative member of each partition.
error
Synonyms: mistake
A human action that produces an incorrect result.
error guessing
A test technique in which tests are derived on the basis of the tester’s knowledge of past failures, or general knowledge of failure modes.
executable statement
A statement which, when compiled, is translated into object code, and which will be executed procedurally when the program is running and may perform an action on data.
exercised
A program element is said to be exercised by a test case when the input value causes the execution of that element, such as a statement, decision, or other structural element
exhaustive testing
Synonyms: complete testing
A test approach in which the test suite comprises all combinations of input values and preconditions.
exit criteria
Synonyms: completion criteria , test completion criteria , definition of done
The set of conditions for officially completing a defined task.
expected result
Synonyms: expected outcome , predicted outcome
The predicted observable behavior of a component or system executing under specified conditions, based on its specification or another source.
experience-based test technique
Synonyms: experience-based technique
A procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on the tester’s experience, knowledge and intuition.
experience-based testing
Testing based on the tester’s experience, knowledge and intuition.
exploratory testing
An approach to testing whereby the testers dynamically design and execute tests based on their knowledge, exploration of the test item and the results of previous tests.
Extreme Programming (XP)
See Also: Agile software development
A software engineering methodology used within Agile software development whereby core practices are programming in pairs, doing extensive code review, unit testing of a code, and simplicity and clarity in code.
facilitator
See Also: moderator
The leader and main person responsible for an inspection or review process.
fail
A test is deemed to fail if its actual result does not match its expected result.
failure
An event in which a component or system does not perform a required function within specified limits.
failure rate
The ratio of the number of failures of a given category to a given unit of measure.
feature
Synonyms: software feature
An attribute of a component or system specified or implied by requirements documentation (for example reliability, usability or design constraints).
finding
A result of an evaluation that identifies some important issue, problem, or opportunity.
formal review
A form of review that follows a defined process with a formally documented output.
functional integration
See Also: integration testing
An integration approach that combines the components or systems for the purpose of getting a basic functionality working early.
functional requirement
A requirement that specifies a function that a component or system must be able to perform.
functional suitability
Synonyms: functionality
The degree to which a component or system provides functions that meet stated and implied needs when used under specified conditions.
functional testing
Testing conducted to evaluate the compliance of a component or system with functional requirements.
GUI
Acronym for Graphical User Interface.
high-level test case
See Also: low-level test case
Synonyms: abstract test case , logical test case
A test case without concrete values for input data and expected results.
IDEAL
An organizational improvement model that serves as a roadmap for initiating, planning, and implementing improvement actions. The IDEAL model is named for the five phase it describes: initiating, diagnosing, establishing, acting, and learning.
impact analysis
The identification of all work products affected by a change, including an estimate of the resources needed to accomplish the change.
incident report
Synonyms: deviation report , software test incident report , test incident report
Documentation of the occurrence, nature, and status of an incident.
incremental development model
See Also: iterative development model
A development lifecycle model in which the project scope is generally determined early in the project lifecycle, but time and cost estimates are routinely modified as the projec team understanding of the product increases. The product is developed through a series of repeated cycles, each delivering an increment which successively adds to the functionality of the product.
independence of testing
Separation of responsibilities, which encourages the accomplishment of objective testing.
informal group review
See Also: informal review
An informal review performed by three or more persons.
lifecycle model
See Also: software lifecycle
A description of the processes, workflows, and activities used in the development, delivery, maintenance, and retirement of a system.
load testing
See Also: performance testing, stress testing
A type of performance testing conducted to evaluate the behavior of a component or system under varying loads, usually between anticipated conditions of low, typical, and peak usage.
low-level test case
Synonyms: concrete test case
A test case with concrete values for input data and expected results.
maintainability
The degree to which a component or system can be modified by the intended maintainers.
maintenance
The process of modifying a component or system after delivery to correct defects, improve quality attributes, or adapt to a changed environment.
maintenance testing
Testing the changes to an operational system or the impact of a changed environment to an operational system.
master test plan
See Also: test plan
A test plan that is used to coordinate multiple test levels or test types.
maturity
(1) The capability of an organization with respect to the effectiveness and efficiency of its processes and work practices. (2) The degree to which a component or system mee needs for reliability under normal operation.
measure
The number or category assigned to an attribute of an entity by making a measurement.
measurement
The process of assigning a number or category to an entity to describe an attribute of that entity.
memory leak
A memory access failure due to a defect in a program’s dynamic store allocation logic that causes it to fail to release memory after it has finished using it, eventually causing the program and/or other concurrent processes to fail due to lack of memory.
metric
A measurement scale and the method used for measurement.
milestone
A point in time in a project at which defined (intermediate) deliverables and results should be ready.
model-based testing (MBT)
Testing based on or involving models.
moderator
See Also: facilitator
Synonyms: inspection leader
A neutral person who conducts a usability test session.
monitoring tool
See Also: dynamic analysis tool
A software tool or hardware device that runs concurrently with the component or system under test and supervises, records and/or analyzes the behavior of the component o system.
non-functional requirement
A requirement that describes how the component or system will do what it is intended to do.