CTAL-ATT iSQI Certified Tester Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Safety-Critical Testing Requirements:Safety-critical projects demand high levels of traceability to ensure every test is linked to its corresponding requirement and outcome.

Automation Goals:While automation can support regression testing and other approaches, the primary focus in safety-critical projects is to meet compliance standards, which include traceability.

Conclusion:Option B is correct because it highlights traceability, a critical aspect of process-compliant safety-critical testing.

What is Static Code Analysis?

Static code analysis examines code without executing it, identifying issues such as inefficiencies, complexities, and vulnerabilities.

How It Reduces Technical Debt:

By pinpointing areas of inefficient or overly complex code, developers can address these issues early, reducing the accumulation of technical debt over time.

Security vulnerabilities identified through static analysis prevent future costly rework or fixes.

Analyzing the Options:

A: Correctly identifies the benefits of identifying inefficiencies, complexities, and insecure code.

B: Static analysis happens after code is written, not during the writing process.

C: Static analysis complements but does not replace code reviews.

D: Static analysis does not replace unit tests, as they serve different purposes.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Advanced Agile Technical Tester syllabus on technical debt management and the role of static code analysis.

Data-Driven Testing:Data-driven testing focuses on varying inputs and verifying expected outputs. For this story, the key input is the quantity of items purchased, and the output is whether free shipping applies.

Relevant Columns:

Item ID: Identifies the product.

Quantity Purchased: Determines whether the free shipping threshold is met.

Free Shipping (y/n): Validates if the message is correctly displayed.

Conclusion:Option B is correct as it includes the minimum required data to test the user story effectively.

Preferred Approach for Acceptance Criteria:

Collaboratively eliciting examples from the product owner ensures that the acceptance criteria reflect real-world usage and expectations.

Combining these examples with testing techniques ensures coverage of edge cases and system behavior.

Analyzing Options:

A: Proposes specific criteria but does not involve the product owner in the process.

B: Boundary value analysis is useful but does not address broader acceptance criteria.

D: Lists numerous acceptance criteria without first understanding the product owner’s expectations.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizing collaboration with stakeholders to define robust acceptance criteria.

Definition of "Atomic" in Unit Testing:

An atomic test focuses on a single, isolated piece of functionality.

This ensures clarity and simplicity in verifying the behavior of that specific functionality.

Analyzing the Options:

A: Describes a deterministic test, not an atomic one.

B: Atomic tests do not verify all details but rather focus on a specific area.

D: Speed is a desirable characteristic but does not define atomicity.

C: Testing only the targeted functionality aligns with the definition of atomicity.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Agile Technical Tester objectives regarding unit test properties like scope and focus.

Understanding the Objective:

The team needs to prioritize and select user stories for the first sprint.

A tool or technique that aligns stories with user value and development goals is essential.

Why User Story Mapping?

Definition: User story mapping visually organizes user stories according to workflows and business value.

Purpose: It helps teams:

Break down epics into smaller stories.

Prioritize stories based on importance and dependencies.

Focus on delivering incremental value in each sprint.

Eliminating Other Options:

A. Create Personas: Personas provide insights into target users but do not directly aid in sprint planning or story prioritization.

C. Consult with a Usability Expert: This addresses specific design concerns, which are not relevant for sprint planning.

D. Create UML Artifacts: Diagrams like state transitions are more relevant for system design and architecture, not backlog refinement or sprint commitment.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Advanced Agile Technical Tester syllabus, which emphasizes the use of user story mapping for prioritizing and planning work in Agile projects.

Debriefing Meetings in Exploratory Testing:

Debriefing meetings serve as a feedback mechanism where testers and stakeholders review the outcomes of exploratory testing.

The focus is on progress, coverage, and findings to evaluate the test session's effectiveness and adjust charters or objectives if needed.

Analyzing the Options:

A: Identifying defects is a part of testing but not the primary focus of the debriefing meeting.

B: Defining the test charter occurs before the session, not during the debriefing.

D: Reviewing tester actions is not a primary purpose and could be seen as micromanagement.

C: Providing status updates and coverage details aligns directly with the primary goal of debriefing meetings.

References:ISTQB Advanced Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes debriefing as a critical step in exploratory testing for evaluating progress and coverage.

Testing Constraints in CI:The time limitations for test execution and results review necessitate prioritization of tests based on criticality and frequency of code changes.

Efficient Allocation:

High-priority tests should run on each build to catch critical issues early.

Medium-priority tests can be run nightly to balance coverage and time constraints.

Low-priority tests are less critical and can run weekly.

Non-functional tests require the integrated stage environment and should run at a predefined time (e.g., Thursday night before sprint end).

Analysis of Options:

A: Running all tests every night is impractical due to time constraints.

B: Medium-priority tests should be run more frequently than at the end of the sprint.

C: Running all tests on every build is unrealistic given the time and resource limitations.

D: Correct, as it ensures efficient prioritization and scheduling of test sets.

Conclusion:Option D provides the most efficient and effective test execution strategy.

Understanding Refinement Needs in Acceptance Criteria:

Well-defined acceptance criteria must be clear, measurable, and testable.

Criteria that lack specificity or are too broad need refinement to ensure they can be implemented and tested effectively.

Analyzing the Options:

A: "The backend system must respond to the mobile app within 3 seconds" is clear, measurable, and testable.

C: "The mobile app must detect when the phone does not have Internet connectivity and display a warning message" is actionable and measurable.

D: "The payload delivered by the backend system must use JSON formatting" is specific and testable.

B: "The communication between the two systems must be secure" lacks details. Security requirements should specify the protocols or methods (e.g., TLS encryption) to make the acceptance criteria clear and actionable.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Agile Technical Tester principles emphasizing clear, testable acceptance criteria for Agile stories.

 For a Medium risk mission- or safety-critical system, a combination of automated, exploratory, and manual black-box tests is recommended. Automated tests ensure consistent and efficient coverage of known scenarios, while exploratory tests allow testers to investigate and discover unknown issues. Manual black-box tests are important for verifying the system from an end-user perspective without knowledge of the internal workings, which is crucial for safety-critical systems. References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and materials emphasize the importance of a comprehensive testing approach that includes various techniques suitable for the system’s risk level and criticality123

Static analysis in Agile projects is utilized to identify potential issues in code that could lead to technical debt. This process involves using tools to analyze the code without actually executing it, which helps in detecting complex code, potential bugs, and areas of the code that may require refactoring. By identifying these issues early in the development process, teams can address them promptly, thus maintaining code quality and avoiding the accumulation of technical debt that could hinder future development efforts.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus includes learning objectives that cover the understanding of static code analysis and its role in identifying defects and technical debt as part of code review processes in Agile projects12.

Story Mapping is a requirements engineering technique that provides a visual representation of the user journey within the system. It helps in identifying how different user groups interact with the system, thereby uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in user stories. This technique allows teams to prioritize and plan releases based on the user’s experience and needs.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and training materials discuss the use of various requirements engineering techniques, including Story Mapping, to better understand and define user interactions with the system12.

A test charter in exploratory testing is a document that outlines the scope, objectives, and focus of a test session. It guides the tester on what to test, how to test, and the boundaries of the test. The charter helps to direct the tester’s efforts during the exploratory testing session, ensuring that the testing is structured and focused on the areas of highest importance or risk. It does not provide expected outcomes or prevent timebox from being exceeded, nor does it offer bi-directional traceability; instead, it serves as a starting point for the exploratory testing process12.

References = ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and Training resources34.

Continuous testing in Agile involves automatically executing a pre-defined set of tests with every new build of the system. This practice is part of continuous integration and delivery, ensuring that new changes are verified quickly and frequently, which is essential for Agile’s fast-paced and iterative development cycles. References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of continuous testing in Agile projects, highlighting techniques such as test automation, continuous deployment, and delivery as fundamental to the Agile approach123.

A service virtualization tool is used to create a simulated environment that mimics the behavior of components in a production environment. This allows for the creation of a shareable testing service from server or network traffic log data, enabling testing of applications and services without the need for the actual live production components. Service virtualization tools can capture and simulate the network traffic and data patterns, which is essential for creating robust and reliable test environments that are independent of the actual live systems12.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and study resources discuss the use of service virtualization tools as part of the test automation approaches and continuous deployment and delivery processes. These resources highlight the importance of such tools in enabling effective testing within Agile environments12.

In Agile development, requirements engineering techniques are crucial for understanding and defining user needs and system requirements. The issues identified in the user story suggest the use of Personas and Storyboards. Personas are fictional characters created based on user research to represent different user types within a targeted demographic, attitude, and behavior set. They help in understanding various user needs and experiences, which is reflected in issue 1 and 2. Storyboards, on the other hand, are visual representations of a user’s interaction with the product, providing a narrative of how the product is used. They help in visualizing the process and identifying any missing elements, such as the lack of specified acceptance criteria for the booking process speed (issue 3) and the details on how confirmation is sent (issue 4). The need for a stub to test the payment method (issue 5) also aligns with the storyboard technique, which can help visualize the integration points and dependencies.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and study resources provide insights into various requirements engineering techniques and their application in Agile environments12. These resources emphasize the importance of understanding user stories and acceptance criteria, which are key to uncovering the issues mentioned34567.

 Story Mapping is a technique used in Agile development to create a visual representation of the system. It helps the team to understand the ‘overall’ story and the functional flow by arranging user stories along two independent dimensions. This method allows for a more holistic view of the project’s progress and priorities, ensuring that the development process aligns with the user’s needs and the product’s goals. References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus includes the analysis of user stories and epics using requirements engineering techniques and describes how these techniques can aid testers. Story Mapping is specifically mentioned as a method for managing requirements in an Agile context1.

 The term ‘isolated’ in the context of unit testing refers to the practice of testing a unit of code in isolation from other units. This means that the test should only cover the functionality of the unit it is designed to test, without any interactions with other units or systems. This isolation helps to ensure that the test is focused, reliable, and not affected by external factors, making it easier to pinpoint the source of any issues that arise.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents outline the principles of unit testing, including the importance of isolation to ensure that each test is targeted and effective12.

 A good practice in test automation for a regression-averse approach is to increase automated test coverage. This allows the team to ensure that as many features as possible are being tested automatically, which can help in identifying regressions early. Moreover, by automating the regression tests, testers can dedicate more time to exploratory testing, which is crucial for discovering issues that automated tests may not catch. Exploratory testing is an approach that relies on the tester’s creativity and experience, and it is an essential complement to automated regression testing123.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and the resources available at Software Testing Help emphasize the importance of comprehensive test automation in Agile environments. They suggest that increasing automated test coverage is beneficial for maintaining software quality and allowing testers to focus on exploratory testing, which is a critical aspect of a thorough testing strategy45678.