CTFL v4.0 Exam - Free ISTQB Questions and Answers

Question #1 (Topic: Exam A)

What is one potential benefit of using a test automation tool?

A. The quality of defects will improve B. Ease of access to statistics about test progress C. Disk space is not required to track versions of test artifacts D. Less network traffic generated

Question #2 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is a benefit of early stakeholder feedback?

A. It can be gathered early and then used to make changes after the product goes to production to make it more user friendly B. It allows the project manager to get a better view of the changes that will be needed for the next version C. The developers get a better understanding of what they are building D. The testers get a better understanding of the test automation requirements

Question #3 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is a good testing practice that applies regardless of the specific software development lifecycle being used?

A. Prompt and prepared attendance to stand-up meetings B. Step-by-step test case documentation C. Ensuring there is a corresponding testing activity for every software development activity D. Involving the stakeholders in reviewing all acceptance criteria prior to designing test cases

Question #4 (Topic: Exam A)

In an Agile development model, the completion of testing or “done” is defined by which of the following?

A. Project management B. Entry criteria C. Exit criteria D. The expected test completion date

Question #5 (Topic: Exam A)

You are testing web application software that allows a person to use their travel points to make flight and hotel reservations.
When the user logs into the software (username/password) they are presented with a set of options. From that set of options, they can pick the following:
1. View points balance
2. Make flight reservation
3. Make hotel reservation
From the login page, they can log in successfully or might fail and need to try again. Once they login successfully they can go to either the view points, flight reservation or hotel reservation page.
Which of the following is the correct list of the transitions (a transition is shown as >) that should be tested, assuming that the test ends when a reservation state is reached.

A. Points > Reservation B. Login > Points, Points > Flight, Points > Hotel C. Login > Login, Login > Points, Login > Flight, Login > Hotel, Points > Flight, Points > Hotel D. Login > Login, Login > Points, Login > Flight, Login > Hotel, Flight > Hotel, Hotel > Flight, Flight > Login, Hotel > Login

Question #6 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is an advantage of the whole team approach?

A. Any person in the team with the right skills can perform any task B. Tasks are assigned to specific team members who will own that task until completion C. Testers have clear ownership of quality and this eliminates confusion and overlap D. Business representatives are not included in the team so they can supply independent assessment during UAT

Question #7 (Topic: Exam A)

If you are using test results to learn more about the software and are then creating additional tests based on those results, what type of testing are you doing?

A. Exploratory B. Decision-based C. Checklist-based D. Control flow

Question #8 (Topic: Exam A)

You are working on calculating the estimation for a project. You have been given the following numbers by your manager, who is considered to be an expert in estimation:
Optimistic = 35 days
Likely = 40 days
Pessimistic = 65 days
Apply the three-point estimation technique, what is the proper expression of the final estimate?

A. E is 46.3 days, SD = 35 B. E is 40 days, SD = 6.67 C. E is 37.3 days, SD = 43.3 D. E is 43.3 days, SD = 5

Question #9 (Topic: Exam A)

Which black-box technique should be used to verify different responses of the system, depending on its current conditions or previous history?

A. Use case testing B. Decision table testing C. State transition testing D. Equivalence partitioning

Question #10 (Topic: Exam A)

You have been given the following story:
As a help desk worker
I want to enter a caller’s birth date
So the system can display the caller’s account information
As a team, you have developed the following table of acceptance criteria:

You have developed the following test cases and will execute them in the specified order:
1. Enter a valid date and verify that the account retrieved matches the birth date entered.
2. Enter an invalid date and verify that the error indicates the date is invalid.
3. Verify that the date prompt is already formatted for the date with xx/xx/xx format.
4. Enter a valid date and verify that two pages of account information are readable.
5. Enter a valid date and verify that the response occurs within 2 seconds when the system is under an average load.
What is incorrect about this approach?

A. The security test case should be executed first as it is related to access control B. The test cases should contain all steps required for execution, including navigation information and SQL statements required to perform the verification C. The test cases are not being executed in the proper order D. The test cases do not indicate the expected result

Question #11 (Topic: Exam A)

In what way does configuration management help the tester?

A. It verifies that the test cases are executed in the correct order B. It ensures that regressions do not occur C. It enforces proper unit testing and measurement D. It uniquely identifies the items to be tested

Question #12 (Topic: Exam A)

If you are responsible for test analysis and test design what is your primary role in your team?

A. Business analyst B. Test manager C. Developer D. Tester

Question #13 (Topic: Exam A)

A functional requirement states that pressure values must always be positive and stay within a range of 100 to 200 pounds for a particular tank (100 and 200 are valid within the range).
Which of the following is the minimum set of values that would achieve coverage using the equivalence partitioning technique?

A. A series of tests where pressure is set to 98, 110, and 201 pounds B. A series of tests where pressure is set to 98, 100, and 200 pounds C. A series of tests where pressure is set to 100, 110, and 200 pounds D. A series of tests where pressure is set to -1, 0, 175, and 297 pounds

Question #14 (Topic: Exam A)

You have been given the following test cases for execution. You have been told that security and usability are the highest priorities respectively for this banking application. What is the proper execution order for these test cases?
1. Update a customer’s account balance
2. Query a customer’s account balance
3. Delete a request for a paper statement
4. Change the font size on the page to improve readability
5. Create a new payee in a customer’s automatic bill pay list

A. 3, 1, 5, 2, 4 B. 1, 2, 5, 4, 3 C. 1, 3, 5, 2, 4 D. 4, 3, 1, 2, 5

Question #15 (Topic: Exam A)

When is the detailed risk analysis for a story first conducted?

A. Project planning B. Iteration planning C. Release planning D. Epic planning

Question #16 (Topic: Exam A)

When tests are being created to achieve statement coverage, what are they exercising?

A. Only the decisions in the code B. Only the loops in the code C. Only the executable statements in the code D. All lines of code including executable statements and comments

Question #17 (Topic: Exam A)

You have just completed a retrospective at the end of a sprint. One of the developers raised an issue with defect reports not containing information about the configuration, data, and system being used when the failure occurred. When this happens, they reject the defect report and the tester has to update it and send it again. This sometimes takes three or four iterations to get all the information on the report. The test team will take this feedback and will improve the details included in the defect reports.
This is an example of which type of benefit for testing?

A. Increased test effectiveness / efficiency B. Team bonding and learning C. Improved quality of the test basis D. Increased quality of the test cases

Question #18 (Topic: Exam A)

What is a reasonable way to control and minimize the cost of testing and development?

A. Conduct formal reviews to detect defects as early as possible. B. Perform a usability analysis prior to user interface design. C. Automate error detection at the beginning of acceptance testing. D. Hire low-cost, outsourced testing staff for system testing.

Question #19 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is a technique that can be used to develop user stories in collaboration with the developers and business?

A. DevOps B. CI/CD C. Brainstorming D. Equivalence Partitioning

Question #20 (Topic: Exam A)

Which is a key function of a test management tool?

A. Facilitates management and control of testing activities B. Generates test data based on test management criteria C. Generates detailed test specifications based on the test plan D. Analyzes and enforces coding and testing standards

Question #21 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following best suggests the need for maintenance testing?

A. Failures found in alpha testing B. The initial release of the software C. Changing requirements during pre-deployment activities D. Adding a new feature to an existing system

Question #22 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following should you review using static testing?

A. Memory leak during execution B. Performance of a module under load C. Interactive output from a debugger D. Test plan

Question #23 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is supported by good information traceability?

A. Portability of test automation code B. Understandability of test reports C. Dependability of test environments D. Stability of the system under test

Question #24 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is a methodical approach to error guessing?

A. Create a list of possible failures and defects and design tests to address each one B. Ask the developers where the likely errors will be and discuss how to test for each one C. Review the code to determine areas of high complexity and target those areas with tests D. Determine all the decisions in the code and design tests to address each one

Question #25 (Topic: Exam A)

Given the following requirement:
The system shall compute the car’s position using the following equation: new_distance_traveled + old_position
Which type of testing should be implemented to help ensure this requirement is met?

A. Functional B. Reliability C. Performance D. Maintainability

Question #26 (Topic: Exam A)

How is branch coverage determined?

A. By taking the number of branches in the code that have been tested and dividing that by the number of total branches in the code B. By taking the number of branches in the code on one path that has been tested and dividing that number by the total paths through the code C. By taking the number of statements in the code and dividing those by the number of branches that have been tested D. By counting the number of branches in the code that have been tested

Question #27 (Topic: Exam A)

You are using boundary value analysis to determine your test data.
What values should you use to test a routine that requires an integer input (x) to be greater than zero and less than 100 to achieve 100% minimum coverage using the two-point boundary value analysis technique?

A. 0, 100 B. -1, 1, 99, 101 C. 0, 1, 99, 100 D. -1, 0, 1, 99, 100, 101

Question #28 (Topic: Exam A)

You are working with a geographically and time zone distributed team. It is important that the entire team always have access to the latest test execution information. Which of these is the most appropriate method for communicating that status?

A. Daily stand-up meetings with everyone B. Dashboards connected to the test management and defect management systems that automatically update when a change is made C. Email sent out hourly to all team members with red text for any new issues with a “must read” note in the subject line D. Formal test reports issued each week with trend charts and residual defect status information

Question #29 (Topic: Exam A)

During which activity in the review process are the quality characteristics selected for evaluation?

A. Initiating B. Planning C. Analysis D. Fixing

Question #30 (Topic: Exam A)

Which testing principle provides a good reason to base testing upon risk mitigation priorities?

A. Testing shows the presence of defects B. Exhaustive testing is impossible C. Tests wear out D. Defects tend to cluster in a few modules

Question #31 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is a correct statement regarding Quadrant Q2 of the testing quadrants?

A. It is technology facing, supports the team, and contains component and component integration tests B. It is business facing, critiques the product, and contains exploratory and usability testing C. It is technology facing, critiques the product, and contains the smoke tests and performance tests D. It is business facing, supports the team, and contains functional tests and API tests

Question #32 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following provides two defined risk response actions to help control product risk?

A. Deny risk, Mitigate risk by testing B. Accept risk, Abandon risk C. Abandon risk, Delay risk D. Transfer risk, Accept risk

Question #33 (Topic: Exam A)

Your company has been working in a waterfall lifecycle model. They have now decided to implement DevOps and will be using CI/CD. Which of the following is a change that will be required from the testing team?

A. No change is required. The current approach will still be applicable. B. There will be additional emphasis on test automation to supply continuous testing. C. Additional time will be needed to analyze the requirements and design test cases. D. There will be a need for less technical testers because the developers will handle all the technical testing.

Question #34 (Topic: Exam A)

Testing can be seen as a destructive activity. Which of the following generic skills will help a tester overcome this barrier?

A. Analytical thinking B. Communicating with empathy C. Curiosity D. Tool knowledge

Question #35 (Topic: Exam A)

If a developer is analyzing a failure to determine the cause, he is engaging in what type of activity?

A. Testing B. Design and Analysis C. Debugging D. Configuration management

Question #36 (Topic: Exam A)

If test cases are written in the given/when/then format, what type of test-first software development is being used?

A. Test-driven development B. Acceptance test-driven development C. Business-driven development D. Behavior-driven development

Question #37 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is a valid test objective?

A. Finding the stable areas of the code which do not require testing B. Debugging incidents to determine the cause of the problem C. Finding failures and defects in the test object D. Participating in code reviews to improve scripting skills

Question #38 (Topic: Exam A)

You are a functional tester, performing system testing of a flight reservation application. After logging into the system, you selected the “New Reservation” option on the main menu, and clicked the “Submit” button without making any changes to the default values on the screen.
The system charged your test credit card for $523.00 instead of the expected $1046.00. This happens every time you execute the test case. You are entering a defect into your system, and submitting it to development for correction.
Your defect report currently includes:
The date of the incident
The identity of the tester who discovered the incident
The steps executed to cause the incident, noting 100% reproducibility
The impact on the system and the priority of the defect
The expected and actual results
What information is missing from this defect report?

A. The test environment in which the test was executed B. Test case expected results C. The name of the developer who should have caught their error in unit testing D. Frequency of occurrence

Question #39 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is an example of a test work product?

A. Test plan B. Test platform selection C. Code base D. Test tool selection

Question #40 (Topic: Exam A)

You are getting ready to test software that will be used to dispatch spa pool technicians. You have decided to use a decision table to determine when chemicals will be needed and when maintenance functions should be performed. You have been given the following requirements:

1. Spa pools need chemicals checked and added once a week.
2. Spa pool filters must be cleaned once a month.
3. Technicians should add chemicals and clean filters for an emergency maintenance call.

You have created the conditions part of the decision table:

Given this information, which of the following is the correct set of actions indicated by this decision table?

1.

2.

3.

4.

A. 1 is correct B. 2 is correct C. 3 is correct D. 4 is correct

Question #41 (Topic: Exam A)

You have been given the following story:

As a help desk worker
I want to enter a caller’s birth date
So the system can display the caller’s account information

As a team, you have developed the following table of acceptance criteria:

You have developed the following test cases and will execute them in the specified order:

1. Enter a valid date and verify that the account retrieved matches the birth date entered.
2. Enter an invalid date and verify that the error indicates the date is invalid.
3. Verify that the date prompt is already formatted for the date with xx/xx/xx format.
4. Enter a valid date and verify that two pages of account information are readable.
5. Enter a valid date and verify that the response occurs within 2 seconds when the system is under an average load.

What is incorrect about this approach?

A. The security test case should be executed first as it is related to access control B. The test cases are not accepting the test criteria C. The test cases are not being executed in the proper order D. The test cases do not indicate the expected result

Question #42 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following provides two defined risk response actions to help control product risk?

A. Deny risk, Cancel risk B. Accept risk, Abandon risk C. Abandon risk, Delay risk D. Transfer risk, Accept risk

Question #43 (Topic: Exam A)

A typical objective of testing is to:

A. Determine the most appropriate level of detail with which to design test cases. B. Verify the compliance of the test object with regulatory requirements. C. Plan test activities in accordance with the existing test policy and test strategy. D. Verify the correct creation and configuration of the test environment.

Question #44 (Topic: Exam A)

Exploratory testing is an experience-based test technique:

A. Where a developer and a tester work together on the same workstation: while the developer actively writes code, the tester explores the code to find defects. B. That can be organized into sessions guided by test charters outlining test objectives that will guide the testers' exploration. C. Where a team of testers explores all possible test techniques in order to determine the most suitable combination of these techniques to apply for a test project. D. That aims at finding defects by designing tests that exercise all possible combinations of input values and preconditions.

Question #45 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following is an advantage of the whole team approach?

A. It helps avoid the risk of tasks associated with a user story not moving through the Agile task board at an acceptable rate during an iteration. B. It helps team members understand the current status of an iteration by visualizing the amount of work left to do compared to the time allotted for the iteration. C. It helps the whole team be more effective in test case design by requiring all team members to master all types of test techniques. D. It helps team members develop better relationships with each other and make their collaboration more effective for the benefit of the Project.

Question #46 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following statements about checklist-based testing is TRUE?

A. Checklist-based testing is a technique for managing the review meeting that can be applied in those reviews where the use of checklists is mandatory, as is often the case in formal reviews. B. Checklist-based testing is a review technique that can be used in a formal review process where reviewers, during individual review, try to detect issues within the work product based on a checklist. C. In checklist-based testing, using checklists at a high level of detail is more likely to produce test cases that are easier to reproduce than those using checklists at a low level of detail. D. Checklists used in checklist-based testing should be reviewed periodically for updates as, over time, test cases designed using the same checklist may become less effective at finding defects.

Question #47 (Topic: Exam A)

An application is subjected to a constant load for an extended period of time as part of a performance test. While running this test, the response time of the application steadily slows down, which results in a requirement not being met. This slowdown is caused by a memory leak where the application code does not properly release some of the dynamically allocated memory when it is no longer needed. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The slowdown is a failure while the memory leak is a defect. B. The slowdown is a defect while the memory leak is an error. C. The slowdown is an error, the memory leak is a defect. D. The slowdown is a defect; the memory leak is a failure.

Question #48 (Topic: Exam A)

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. User acceptance tests are usually automated and aim to verify the acceptance criteria for user stories. B. Acceptance criteria for user stories can include details on data definitions, for example by describing the format, allowed values, and default values for a data item. C. Acceptance criteria for user stories should focus on positive scenarios, while negative scenarios should be excluded. D. Tests derived from acceptance criteria for user stories are not included in any of the four testing quadrants.

Question #49 (Topic: Exam A)

In addition to thorough testing of the requirements specification, a development team aims to involve users as early as possible in the development process, using practices such as prototyping, to ensure that the software systems being developed will meet the users’ expectations. This approach is especially useful at mitigating the risks associated with one of the seven testing principles, which one?

A. Tests wear out. B. Absence-of-errors fallacy. C. Working software over comprehensive documentation. D. Defects cluster together.

Question #50 (Topic: Exam A)

A requirement specifies that a certain identifier (ID) must be between 5 and 10 characters long, must contain only alphanumeric characters, and its first character must be a letter. As a tester, you want to apply one-dimensional equivalence partitioning to test this ID. This means that you have to apply equivalence partitioning individually: to the length of the ID, the type of characters contained within the ID, and the type of the first character of the ID. What is the number of partitions to cover?

A. 7 B. 6 C. 5 D. 3

ISTQB CTFL v4.0 - Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) v4.0 Exam