ISTQB PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
What is quality?
a) Activities focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled
b) The degree to which a component or system satisfies the stated and implied needs of
its various stakeholders
c) The degree to which a component or system protects information and data so that
persons or other components or systems have the degree of access appropriate to their
types and levels of authorization
d) The total costs incurred on quality activities and issues and often split into prevention
costs, appraisal costs, internal failure costs and external failure costs - Correct Answers
-The degree to which a component or system satisfies the stated and implied needs of
its various stakeholders
Which of the following is a typical test objective?
a) Preventing defects
b) Repairing defects
c) Comparing actual results to expected results
d) Analyzing the cause of failure - Correct Answers -Preventing defects
A phone ringing momentarily distracts a programmer, causing the programmer to
improperly program the logic that checks the upper boundary of an input variable. Later,
during system testing, a tester notices that this input field accepts invalid input values.
The improperly coded logic for the upper boundary check is:
a) The root-cause
b) The failure
c) The error
d) The defect - Correct Answers -The defect
A product owner says that your role as a tester on an Agile team is to catch all the bugs
before the end of each iteration. Which of the following is a testing principle that could
be used to respond to this (false) statement?
a) Defect clustering
b) Testing shows the presence of defects
,c) Absence of error fallacy
d) Root cause analysis - Correct Answers -Testing shows the presence of defects
Programmers often write and execute unit tests against code which they have written.
During this self-testing activity, which of the following is a tester mindset that
programmers should adopt to perform this unit testing effectively?
a) Good communication skills
b) Code coverage
c) Evaluating code defects
d) Attention to detail - Correct Answers -Attention to detail
Consider the following testing activities:
1. Selecting regression tests
2. Evaluating completeness of test execution
3. Identifying which user stories have open defect reports
4. Evaluating whether the number of tests for each requirement is consistent with the
level of product risk
Consider the following ways traceability can help testing:
A. Improve understandability of test status reports to include status of test basis items
B. Make testing auditable
C. Provide information to assess process quality
D. Analyze the impact of changes
Which of the following best matches the testing activity with how traceability can assist
that activity?
a) 1D, 2B, 3C, 4A
b) 1B, 2D, 3A, 4C
c) 1D, 2C, 3A, 4B
d) 1D, 2B, 3A, 4C - Correct Answers -1D, 2B, 3A, 4C
A tester participated in a discussion about proposed database structure. The tester
identified a potential performance problem related to certain common user searches.
This possible problem was explained to the development team. Which of the following is
a testing contribution to success that BEST matches this situation?
a) Enabling required tests to be identified at an early stage
b) Ensuring processes are carried out properly
c) Reducing the risk of fundamental design defects
d) Reducing the risk of untestable functionality - Correct Answers -Reducing the risk of
fundamental design defects
,Which of the following is an example of a task that can be carried out as part of the test
process?
a) Analyzing a defect
b) Designing test data
c) Assigning a version to a test item
d) Writing a user story - Correct Answers -Designing test data
You are running a performance test with the objective of finding possible network
bottlenecks in interfaces between components of a system. Which of the following
statements describes this test?
a) A functional test during the integration test level
b) A non-functional test during the integration test level
c) A functional test during the component test level
d) A non-functional test during the component test level - Correct Answers -A non-
functional test during the integration test level
Which of the following statements is true?
a) Impact analysis is useful for confirmation testing during maintenance testing
b) Confirmation testing is useful for regression testing during system design
c) Impact analysis is useful for regression testing during maintenance testing d)
Confirmation testing is useful for impact analysis during maintenance testing - Correct
Answers -Impact analysis is useful for regression testing during maintenance testing
Consider the following types of defects that a test level might focus on:
a) Defects in separately testable modules or objects
b) Not focused on identifying defects
c) Defects in interfaces and interactions
d) Defects in the whole test object
Which of the following list correctly matches test levels from the Foundation syllabus
with the defect focus options given above?
a) 1 = performance test; 2 = component test; 3 = system test; 4 = acceptance test
b) 1 = component test; 2 = acceptance test; 3 = system test; 4 = integration test c) 1 =
component test; 2 = acceptance test; 3 = integration test; 4 = system test d) 1 =
integration test; 2 = system test; 3 = component test; 4 = acceptance test - Correct
Answers -1 = component test; 2 = acceptance test; 3 = integration test; 4 = system test
A mass market operating system software product is designed to run on any PC
hardware with an x86-family processor. You are running a set of tests to look for defects
related to support of the various PCs that use such a processor and to build confidence
that important PC brands will work. What type of test are you performing?
, a) Performance test
b) Processor test
c) Functional test
d) Portability test - Correct Answers -Portability test
During an Agile development effort, a product owner discovers a previously unknown
regulatory requirement that applies to most of the user stories within a particular epic.
The user stories are updated to provide for the necessary changes in software behavior.
The programmers on the team are modifying the code appropriately. As a tester on the
team, what types of tests will you run?
a) Confirmation tests
b) Regression tests
c) Functional tests
d) Change-related tests - Correct Answers -Change-related tests
In a formal review, what is the role name for the participant who runs an inspection
meeting?
a) Facilitator
b) Programmer
c) Author
d) Project manager - Correct Answers -Facilitator
You are reading a user story in the product backlog to prepare for a meeting with the
product owner and a developer, noting potential defects as you go. Which of the
following statements is true about this activity?
a) It is not a static test, because static testing involves execution of the test object
b) It is not a static test, because static testing is always performed using a tool c) It is a
static test, because any defects you find could be found cheaper during dynamic testing
d) It is a static test because static testing does not involve execution of the test object -
Correct Answers -It is a static test because static testing does not involve execution of
the test object
During a period of intensive project overtime, a system architecture document is sent to
various project participants, announcing a previously unplanned technical review to
occur in one week. No adjustments are made to the participants' list of assigned tasks.
Based on this information alone, which of the following is a factor for review success
that is MISSING?
a) Appropriate review type
b) Adequate time to prepare
c) Sufficient metrics to evaluate the author
d) Well-managed review meeting - Correct Answers -Adequate time to prepare
AND ANSWERS
What is quality?
a) Activities focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled
b) The degree to which a component or system satisfies the stated and implied needs of
its various stakeholders
c) The degree to which a component or system protects information and data so that
persons or other components or systems have the degree of access appropriate to their
types and levels of authorization
d) The total costs incurred on quality activities and issues and often split into prevention
costs, appraisal costs, internal failure costs and external failure costs - Correct Answers
-The degree to which a component or system satisfies the stated and implied needs of
its various stakeholders
Which of the following is a typical test objective?
a) Preventing defects
b) Repairing defects
c) Comparing actual results to expected results
d) Analyzing the cause of failure - Correct Answers -Preventing defects
A phone ringing momentarily distracts a programmer, causing the programmer to
improperly program the logic that checks the upper boundary of an input variable. Later,
during system testing, a tester notices that this input field accepts invalid input values.
The improperly coded logic for the upper boundary check is:
a) The root-cause
b) The failure
c) The error
d) The defect - Correct Answers -The defect
A product owner says that your role as a tester on an Agile team is to catch all the bugs
before the end of each iteration. Which of the following is a testing principle that could
be used to respond to this (false) statement?
a) Defect clustering
b) Testing shows the presence of defects
,c) Absence of error fallacy
d) Root cause analysis - Correct Answers -Testing shows the presence of defects
Programmers often write and execute unit tests against code which they have written.
During this self-testing activity, which of the following is a tester mindset that
programmers should adopt to perform this unit testing effectively?
a) Good communication skills
b) Code coverage
c) Evaluating code defects
d) Attention to detail - Correct Answers -Attention to detail
Consider the following testing activities:
1. Selecting regression tests
2. Evaluating completeness of test execution
3. Identifying which user stories have open defect reports
4. Evaluating whether the number of tests for each requirement is consistent with the
level of product risk
Consider the following ways traceability can help testing:
A. Improve understandability of test status reports to include status of test basis items
B. Make testing auditable
C. Provide information to assess process quality
D. Analyze the impact of changes
Which of the following best matches the testing activity with how traceability can assist
that activity?
a) 1D, 2B, 3C, 4A
b) 1B, 2D, 3A, 4C
c) 1D, 2C, 3A, 4B
d) 1D, 2B, 3A, 4C - Correct Answers -1D, 2B, 3A, 4C
A tester participated in a discussion about proposed database structure. The tester
identified a potential performance problem related to certain common user searches.
This possible problem was explained to the development team. Which of the following is
a testing contribution to success that BEST matches this situation?
a) Enabling required tests to be identified at an early stage
b) Ensuring processes are carried out properly
c) Reducing the risk of fundamental design defects
d) Reducing the risk of untestable functionality - Correct Answers -Reducing the risk of
fundamental design defects
,Which of the following is an example of a task that can be carried out as part of the test
process?
a) Analyzing a defect
b) Designing test data
c) Assigning a version to a test item
d) Writing a user story - Correct Answers -Designing test data
You are running a performance test with the objective of finding possible network
bottlenecks in interfaces between components of a system. Which of the following
statements describes this test?
a) A functional test during the integration test level
b) A non-functional test during the integration test level
c) A functional test during the component test level
d) A non-functional test during the component test level - Correct Answers -A non-
functional test during the integration test level
Which of the following statements is true?
a) Impact analysis is useful for confirmation testing during maintenance testing
b) Confirmation testing is useful for regression testing during system design
c) Impact analysis is useful for regression testing during maintenance testing d)
Confirmation testing is useful for impact analysis during maintenance testing - Correct
Answers -Impact analysis is useful for regression testing during maintenance testing
Consider the following types of defects that a test level might focus on:
a) Defects in separately testable modules or objects
b) Not focused on identifying defects
c) Defects in interfaces and interactions
d) Defects in the whole test object
Which of the following list correctly matches test levels from the Foundation syllabus
with the defect focus options given above?
a) 1 = performance test; 2 = component test; 3 = system test; 4 = acceptance test
b) 1 = component test; 2 = acceptance test; 3 = system test; 4 = integration test c) 1 =
component test; 2 = acceptance test; 3 = integration test; 4 = system test d) 1 =
integration test; 2 = system test; 3 = component test; 4 = acceptance test - Correct
Answers -1 = component test; 2 = acceptance test; 3 = integration test; 4 = system test
A mass market operating system software product is designed to run on any PC
hardware with an x86-family processor. You are running a set of tests to look for defects
related to support of the various PCs that use such a processor and to build confidence
that important PC brands will work. What type of test are you performing?
, a) Performance test
b) Processor test
c) Functional test
d) Portability test - Correct Answers -Portability test
During an Agile development effort, a product owner discovers a previously unknown
regulatory requirement that applies to most of the user stories within a particular epic.
The user stories are updated to provide for the necessary changes in software behavior.
The programmers on the team are modifying the code appropriately. As a tester on the
team, what types of tests will you run?
a) Confirmation tests
b) Regression tests
c) Functional tests
d) Change-related tests - Correct Answers -Change-related tests
In a formal review, what is the role name for the participant who runs an inspection
meeting?
a) Facilitator
b) Programmer
c) Author
d) Project manager - Correct Answers -Facilitator
You are reading a user story in the product backlog to prepare for a meeting with the
product owner and a developer, noting potential defects as you go. Which of the
following statements is true about this activity?
a) It is not a static test, because static testing involves execution of the test object
b) It is not a static test, because static testing is always performed using a tool c) It is a
static test, because any defects you find could be found cheaper during dynamic testing
d) It is a static test because static testing does not involve execution of the test object -
Correct Answers -It is a static test because static testing does not involve execution of
the test object
During a period of intensive project overtime, a system architecture document is sent to
various project participants, announcing a previously unplanned technical review to
occur in one week. No adjustments are made to the participants' list of assigned tasks.
Based on this information alone, which of the following is a factor for review success
that is MISSING?
a) Appropriate review type
b) Adequate time to prepare
c) Sufficient metrics to evaluate the author
d) Well-managed review meeting - Correct Answers -Adequate time to prepare
