CTAL-ATT Certified Tester Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester Questions and Answers

The increase in automated test coverage allows for more frequent and extensive testing of the software, which in turn provides more up-to-date information about the current state of the system. This enables testers to apply reactive strategies effectively, as they can focus manual testing efforts on areas that are most likely to be affected by recent changes or that are identified as high-risk. Reactive strategies are adaptive and context-dependent, making them well-suited for the dynamic and iterative nature of Agile projects.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and study materials emphasize the importance of integrating automated testing within the Agile process to support continuous integration and delivery. It also highlights the need for manual testing to complement automated tests by focusing on areas that require human judgment and exploratory testing skills12.

 The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus suggests that after a successful proof of concept (POC), it is important to expand the Continuous Integration (CI) process to handle various test configurations. This is especially relevant for a product deployed across different hardware configurations in Europe. By enabling different test configurations in the CI process, you can ensure that the product works correctly on all the hardware configurations it will encounter in the market. This step is crucial for maintaining the quality and reliability of the product in diverse environments.

References = ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and Training resources12.

 The correct use of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) to design test scenarios involves specifying the behavior in a given-when-then format. This format helps to clarify the conditions under which a particular outcome should occur. Option A follows this structure correctly:

Given that the shopper scans their card (the precondition),

When they checkout (the action),

Then they should receive all the quantity discounts for everything they have purchased (the expected outcome).

This scenario clearly outlines the behavior of the system in response to the user’s actions, which is central to BDD.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of creating testable acceptance criteria for a given user story using requirements engineering and test techniques, which include the application of BDD in the context of a given user story12.

Service Virtualization in Agile:Virtualized services are ideal for simulating unavailable components, enabling comprehensive testing without waiting for the actual service to be developed.

Minimizing Extra Work:Using a service virtualization tool reduces the need for manual creation and maintenance of stubs or other temporary solutions.

Analysis of Options:

A is impractical, as testers should not develop production services.

B is less efficient than service virtualization and requires ongoing setup/teardown.

C provides an efficient and reusable solution.

D risks misalignment with the new system.

Conclusion:Option C is the best approach for agile test automation progress.

FIRST Acronym in Unit Testing:

Fast: Unit tests should execute quickly.

Isolated: They should run independently of other tests.

Repeatable: Tests should yield consistent results under the same conditions.

Self-validating: Results should indicate a pass or fail automatically.

Thorough: Each test should comprehensively cover the targeted functionality.

Analyzing the Options:

A: Incorrect terms such as "Iterative" and "Tolerant" are unrelated to unit tests.

C: Includes terms like "Recorded" and "Source-controlled," which do not align with FIRST.

D: Terms like "Immediate" and "Transparent" are unrelated to unit testing principles.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Agile Technical Tester syllabus defining unit test characteristics using the FIRST acronym.

Definition of "Deterministic" in Unit Testing:

A deterministic test produces consistent results when executed under the same conditions.

Analyzing the Options:

A: Correctly describes deterministic behavior.

B: Refers to test coverage, not determinism.

C: Refers to atomicity, not determinism.

D: Speed is unrelated to determinism.

References:Aligned with ISTQB Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizing the need for tests to be consistent and predictable.

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD):

BDD uses the Gherkin syntax to write test scenarios in a human-readable format: Given-When-Then.

The focus is on defining the behavior of the system in terms of user actions and outcomes.

Evaluating Options:

A: Correctly follows the Given-When-Then format, aligns with the user story, and focuses on the shopper's experience and entitlement to discounts.

B: Written from the perspective of the store clerk, which does not match the story's focus on the shopper.

C: Does not fully capture the conditions and behavior expected in the story.

D: Swaps the order of "Then" and "When," which violates the proper BDD syntax.

References:Aligned with ISTQB guidance on creating effective BDD scenarios that reflect user stories and desired behaviors.

Continuous Deployment:Continuous deployment involves automatically releasing code to production. To ensure reliability, integration and system-level testing must confirm that all components work together as expected.

Testing Scope:While unit tests and regression tests are part of the pipeline, integration and system testing are critical for validating end-to-end functionality.

Conclusion:Option B is correct as integration and system testing are necessary for production readiness in continuous deployment.

Goals of Test Case Refactoring:

Refactoring aims to improve the quality of test cases while ensuring they continue to validate the product’s functionality, especially after changes.

Analyzing the Options:

A: Ensuring the test cases adequately test the product aligns with the purpose of refactoring.

B: Detecting defects is a testing goal, not a specific purpose of refactoring.

C: Refactoring focuses on improving clarity and maintainability, not on UAT usability.

D: Reducing detail is not a primary objective; retaining adequate coverage is crucial.

References:Consistent with ISTQB Agile Technical Tester syllabus focusing on maintaining test coverage and functionality after refactoring.

Common Test Automation Challenges:As test suites grow, execution time often increases, leading to delays in feedback cycles. This can make it challenging to run tests frequently, especially in continuous integration pipelines.

Scalability Concerns:Longer execution times can affect productivity and may require optimization or selective test execution strategies.

Conclusion:Option B is correct as it describes a common scalability problem in automation suites.

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.

Agile Development and Automation:Agile methodologies encourage frequent updates to the test automation suite to stay in sync with incremental development. This ensures that testing can validate new changes as soon as they are made.

Updating During Iteration:Updating the test suite as code is developed allows for immediate feedback on changes, improving efficiency and reducing defect leakage.

Conclusion:Option D is correct because it aligns with continuous integration and Agile principles.

This statement is true because increasing test suite coverage refers to adding more test cases or enhancing existing ones to cover more features or scenarios. This can be done independently of refactoring, which is the process of restructuring existing code without changing its external behavior. While refactoring can improve the design and maintainability of both production code and test scripts, it is not a prerequisite for increasing test suite coverage.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus outlines the importance of test automation in Agile projects, including the ability to increase test coverage through various test automation strategies12.

Purpose of Service Virtualization:Service virtualization allows simulation of external services during testing, enabling cost-effective and efficient testing without relying on the live service.

Cost Reduction:The bank charges per transaction, and using the actual service during continuous testing could incur significant fees. Virtualized services eliminate these fees, reducing costs.

Analysis of Options:

A: While a virtualized service may improve speed, the primary benefit here is cost savings.

B: Correct, as eliminating transaction fees directly addresses the problem.

C: Virtualization doesn’t inherently improve security for automation code.

D: Virtualized services don’t necessarily reduce data management needs.

Conclusion:Option B is correct as it highlights the key advantage of cost savings.

 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

Given the high risk level and the need for a regression-averse strategy due to potential changes in screen design and functionality, the best test approach would involve a strong emphasis on test automation to ensure that new changes do not break existing functionality. Exploratory testing is neutral as it can be useful but is not the primary focus. Manual black-box testing is recommended to verify that the system meets the requirements from an end-user perspective.

Therefore, the option that aligns with these needs is:

Test Automation: ♦+ (highly recommended)

Exploratory Testing: o (neutral/optional)

(manual) Black-box testing: ♦♦ (recommended)

This corresponds to Option 1, which suggests a heavy reliance on automated testing to manage regression risks efficiently, while still incorporating manual black-box testing to cover user experience aspects.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and training resources emphasize the importance of test automation in Agile projects, especially when dealing with high-risk levels and the need for regression testing1. Additionally, the resources available at Software Testing Help provide insights into Agile testing strategies and best practices that support such an approach2.

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.

After identifying test cases that require refactoring, the next task is to analyze the impact of the current iteration’s functionality on the existing regression tests. This involves assessing how the new changes will affect the tests and determining if the tests still cover the necessary aspects of the software. The goal is to ensure that the regression tests remain relevant and effective in light of the recent changes made to the application.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and related materials emphasize the importance of maintaining the relevance and effectiveness of regression tests throughout the development iterations, which includes analyzing the impact of new functionalities on existing tests12.

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.

 Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) is a collaborative approach that involves customers, developers, and testers to define acceptance criteria before development begins. This practice helps ensure that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the requirements and can prevent misunderstandings like those experienced in the first release. By using examples in ATDD, the team can clarify what the software should do, which aligns with the user stories and supports the Test-Driven Development (TDD) process12.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and resources from Software Testing Help discuss the benefits of ATDD in aligning team members and stakeholders on the expected outcomes of user stories, which is particularly useful when there have been previous misunderstandings34.

 Service virtualization is a technique that allows teams to simulate the behavior of dependent systems or components that are not readily accessible during the testing phase. In the context of developing an e-shop application with a payment gateway still under development, service virtualization offers the following benefits:

Realistic Testing: It enables the testing of the e-shop application (SUT) in a manner that closely resembles the final production environment by simulating the payment gateway’s behavior. This allows for the identification of defects and issues early in the development process12.

Simplification of the Test Environment: By using virtual services, the complexity of the test environment is reduced. There’s no need to set up and maintain actual integrations with the third-party payment gateway until it is fully developed, which simplifies the testing process and infrastructure requirements12.

References = The benefits of service virtualization are well-documented in the ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and other software testing resources, which highlight its role in enabling early and realistic testing, as well as simplifying the test environment3412.

Increasing test automation is a key practice in Agile methodologies to support continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). Automated tests can be run quickly and frequently, which is essential for continuous deployment to be effective. By automating the testing process, teams can ensure that new code changes are tested thoroughly and consistently, leading to more frequent and reliable deployments to production.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents emphasize the importance of test automation in Agile contexts, particularly in relation to continuous deployment and delivery1. It is highlighted that test automation approaches are fundamental for organizations adopting Agile development practices12345.

In a reactive test approach, tests are designed and executed in response to the actual system under test and the results obtained. This approach is characterized by a reduced planning cycle, and the design and implementation of test phases are not carried out until the test object is received. For projects that need to adhere to external regulations, it is crucial that automated tests and their results are traceable back to the requirements to ensure compliance. This traceability allows for the verification that all requirements have been tested and met, which is a common requirement in regulated industries.

References = The explanation aligns with the principles of test automation in a reactive test approach, as outlined in resources related to the ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester certification123. These resources emphasize the importance of traceability in test automation, especially in contexts where compliance with external regulations is necessary.

The TDD process, as described, seems to lack comprehensive testing that covers all the acceptance criteria. Specifically, the tests provided by the developers do not address the full range of input validation, such as ensuring that names with up to 30 characters are accepted and that standard error processing is in place to limit user errors. This indicates that the tests are insufficient and need to include more options to fully validate the feature against its acceptance criteria. The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of creating testable acceptance criteria within an Agile team and implementing various Agile test approaches using appropriate techniques12. It also highlights the need for supporting and contributing to test automation activities in an Agile project12, which includes ensuring that all acceptance criteria are met and that tests are sufficiently robust to catch potential errors.

References =

ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester Syllabus1

ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester Learning Objectives2

When a conflict arises regarding user story requirements, it is essential to engage in active collaboration to resolve the issue. The tester should work with the Business Analyst (BA) and the product owner to clarify and negotiate the requirements. This approach ensures that the user story reflects the needs of all stakeholders and that the acceptance criteria are agreed upon before testing proceeds. It aligns with Agile principles, which emphasize teamwork, customer collaboration, and the ability to respond to change.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents highlight the importance of collaboration and communication within Agile teams to resolve differences and refine requirements. It also underscores the role of the tester in facilitating discussions to ensure that the user stories are well-understood and testable12.