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

 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.

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.

 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.

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.

 Exploratory testing is a type of testing that emphasizes the personal freedom and responsibility of the individual tester to continually optimize the quality of his/her work by treating test-related learning, test design, test execution, and test result interpretation as mutually supportive activities that run in parallel throughout the project. While exploratory testing can be highly effective in certain contexts, for safety-critical systems, it is generally not recommended. Safety-critical systems require a high degree of assurance and predictability that each component of the system behaves as expected under all circumstances. Manual black-box tests, which are more structured and can be thoroughly planned and documented, are preferred in these scenarios to ensure comprehensive coverage and traceability.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and training materials provide guidance on the appropriate use of different testing techniques in various contexts, including the recommendation of structured manual black-box testing over exploratory testing for safety-critical systems1234.

 Service virtualization is a technique used in software testing where a virtualized service simulates the behavior of dependent components that are not available for testing. This allows testing to proceed without waiting for the actual components to be available or operational. It is particularly useful in Agile and continuous testing environments where components may be developed in parallel or where integration points may not yet be stable. Service virtualization helps to create a more controlled and deterministic testing environment, enabling more thorough testing of the product under development.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus includes service virtualization as one of the key concepts to understand in the context of Agile testing123.

The Java function provided is intended to determine if a number input by the user is even or odd. Upon reviewing the code against the checklist provided:

• The variable Number does not start with a capital letter, violating the first checklist item.
• The output messages do not start with a capital letter, violating the second checklist item.
• There is no comment line explaining the purpose of the class, violating the third checklist item.

Therefore, none of the checklist items have been fulfilled.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents emphasize the importance of adhering to coding standards and best practices, which include proper naming conventions and documentation within the code to enhance readability and maintainability12. These principles are fundamental in organizations using an Agile development approach, as they support continuous integration and delivery, which are key aspects of Agile methodologies1.

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.

The user story provided is quite broad and encompasses multiple functionalities, which suggests it is more of an epic than a small, deliverable user story. The INVEST criteria for Agile user stories require that stories be Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. In this case:

• Independent: This user story seems to have dependencies, as the ability to print the bill, view it in different currencies, and flag items are likely interconnected functionalities.
• Negotiable: The user story provides specific solutions rather than outlining the problem to solve, which limits the negotiation on how to implement the solutions.
• Valuable: The story does provide value to the hotel guest, which is clear.
• Estimable: With the information provided, the development team can likely estimate the effort required.
• Small: The story is not small; it covers multiple features that probably cannot be delivered in a single iteration.
• Testable: The acceptance criteria are testable, although they are quite detailed and prescriptive.

References = The explanation is based on the INVEST criteria as described in Agile methodologies1234. The criteria are used to assess the quality of a user story, ensuring it is well-defined and suitable for Agile development practices. The user story in question does not fully meet the ‘Negotiable’ and ‘Small’ criteria, which is essential for maintaining flexibility and delivering incremental value in Agile projects.

 The BDD test scenario provided describes a customer performing a withdrawal transaction after entering the correct PIN and having sufficient funds in their account. The outcome is the customer receiving money and a receipt. This aligns with the user story inoption C, which focuses on the customer’s desire to withdraw money for a specific purpose, which is to buy a present. The other options do not match the actions described in the BDD test scenario.

References = The answer is verified based on the ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents which emphasize the importance of aligning BDD scenarios with the corresponding user stories to ensure that the tests reflect the user’s needs and interactions with the system12.

The testable acceptance criteria for the user story are those that can be verified through testing to ensure they meet the user’s needs and the system’s functionality. In this case:

• Criterion (i) is testable because you can verify the payment methods.
• Criterion (ii) is testable as you can check if the acknowledgement email is sent after form submission.
• Criterion (iv) is testable by confirming that the information is stored in the database correctly.

Criteria (iii) and (v), while important, are not explicitly testable from the user story’s perspective without further clarification on how spam protection is measured and what constitutes ‘incorrect’ user inputs.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester materials emphasize the importance of creating testable acceptance criteria that are clear, measurable, and verifiable within the context of the user story12. This ensures that the developed feature meets the user’s requirements and functions as intended2.

One of the common problems encountered with automation test suites in agile settings is the increase in test execution time. As the suite grows, the time required to run all the tests can become longer, which may pose challenges in maintaining the desired frequency of test runs. This is particularly problematic in agile environments where thepace of development is rapid and continuous integration is practiced. Ensuring that the test suite is efficient and manageable is crucial to support the speed of deployment and the iterative nature of agile development.

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

In a process-compliant approach to testing a safety-critical project, test automation must ensure traceability back to the requirements and results documentation. This is crucial for verifying that all requirements have been tested and for maintaining a clear record of test results and their correlation with the specified requirements. Traceability is a key aspect of maintaining the rigor and discipline required in safety-critical systems testing.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester materials emphasize the importance of traceability in test automation, especially in the context of safety-critical projects where adherence to process and documentation is vital123.

Updating the test automation suite during each iteration as the code is received ensures that the suite evolves with the software. It allows for immediate feedback on the impact of changes, supports continuous integration, and helps in identifying defects early in the development process. This practice is in line with Agile principles, which advocate for continuous testing and integration to improve quality and reduce the time to market1.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents outline the importance of maintaining and updating test automation suites in an Agile environment to support continuous integration and delivery, and to ensure that the tests provide adequate coverage throughout the development cycle2.

Story mapping is the most effective requirements engineering technique for identifying and prioritizing user stories related to the epic mentioned. It allows the team to visualize the entire customer journey, which is crucial for a content management system that aims to enhance the content editing and publishing process. By mapping out the user stories, the team can see how they fit into the overall system, prioritize them based on the value they provide to the end-users, and ensure that all necessary functionalities are covered.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester materials discuss the use of various requirements engineering techniques in an Agile context. Story mapping, in particular, is highlighted as a valuable method for organizing and prioritizing user stories to create a shared understanding among the team members123.

Refactoring test cases in Agile projects is primarily done to ensure that the test cases continue to provide adequate coverage for the product’s functionality, which may have evolved or changed. This process involves revising and improving the test cases to adapt to any updates in the product’s code or features, thereby maintaining their effectiveness and relevance.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents highlight the importance of refactoring test cases to align with the continuous evolution of the product in an Agile environment123.

The appropriate test charter for the user story provided should focus on the customer’s experience and the functionality described in the story. Option C is the most suitable because it covers the entire process from the customer’s perspective: logging in, purchasing an item, receiving information about the requirement for free shipping, adding more items, and then verifying that the delivery is free upon checkout. This test charter effectively tests the acceptance criteria of the user story by ensuring that the system provides the necessary information and applies the free shipping offer correctly when the conditions are met.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus outlines the importance of creating test charters that align with user stories and epics using requirements engineering techniques. It emphasizes the need for test charters to be comprehensive and to evaluate the acceptance criteria effectively123.

 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 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