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

The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of optimizing Continuous Integration (CI) processes in Agile environments. Option C suggests reducing the extent to which automated tests interact with the user interface and instead using technical interfaces, which is often faster as it bypasses the GUI layer. Additionally, running a subset of tests during the day and the rest overnight can help manage the CI process without overloading the system during peak hours. These strategies align with the best practices for maintaining efficient CI cycles and ensuring that the CI process remains sustainable as the number of tests grows with the product.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and training resources provide guidelines on test automation approaches and continuous deployment and delivery, which are relevant to optimizing CI processes12. Moreover, best practices for continuous testing in Agile suggest prioritizing tests that provide fast feedback and running extensive test suites outside of peak hours3.

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 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.

Table 2 provides the best test coverage because it includes tests for adding a non-existent member (Member4), which should result in an error, and it also tests for removing a member and then deleting the group, which is the correct sequence of actions according to the requirements. The other tables either do not test all the required scenarios or have actions in thewrong order (e.g., attempting to delete the group before removing all members). References = ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents and Training resources.

A Model-based test approach involves creating models that represent the desired behaviors of a system. These models can then be used to generate test cases automatically, which is a key advantage of this approach. It allows for efficient test case generation and can help ensure thorough coverage of the system’s functionality.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester materials discuss various test approaches and emphasize the benefits of model-based testing, including the automatic generation of tests12.

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.

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.

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.

 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

When test cases are re-run after refactoring, it is essential to verify that they provide the same results as before. This ensures that the refactoring has not introduced any new defects and that the existing functionality remains intact. Refactoring is meant to improve the design, structure, or implementation of the software while preserving its functionality, so the test cases should continue to pass as they did prior to the refactoring.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester documents emphasize the importance of maintaining the integrity of test cases during agile projects, including after refactoring activities1.

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.

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 an Agile setting, the primary purpose of the debriefing meeting during exploratory testing is to discuss the status of the testing progress and coverage. This includes sharing insights on what was tested, the results of the tests, any issues encountered, and the areas that still need to be covered. It’s a collaborative effort to ensure that the team has a shared understanding of the testing efforts and outcomes.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of effective communication within the Agile team and the need for regular meetings to discuss progress and coverage of testing activities1. This aligns with the goal of the debriefing meeting in an exploratory testing context.

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.

When creating a user story, it is essential to consider the perspective of the end user. This is because user stories are meant to capture the requirements and experiences of the actual users who will interact with the system or product. The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of analyzing user stories and epics using requirements engineering techniques, which include creating and evaluating testable acceptance criteria from the end user’s perspective. This approach ensures that the developed features will meet the real needs and expectations of the users, leading to a more user-centered and valuable product.

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

Continuous testing facilitates continuous delivery by ensuring that every change made to the codebase is tested automatically and immediately, which helps in identifying defects as early as possible. Automated testing in the delivery environment is crucial as it validates the success of the delivery process by ensuring that the software operates as expected in the production-like environment before the actual release.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester certification highlights the importance of technical testing skills in Agile development, including test automation approaches and continuous deployment and delivery1234.

The main flaw in the proposed test charter is that it does not cover the main functionality of the user story. The user story focuses on the customer wanting to be informed about the delivery time of their items so they can plan to be home. The proposed charter only tests for the absence of a shipping fee and does not address whether the system provides the customer with the delivery time information.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus emphasizes the importance of aligning test charters with the user story’s main functionality to ensure that tests provide adequate coverage12. It is crucial in Agile methodologies to create and evaluate testable acceptance criteria that reflect the user story’s objectives12.

 The smallest set of keywords that contains the ones needed to support testing the user story is “Login, Add Item, Delete Item, View Cart, Compute Shipping”. This set covers all the necessary actions to test the functionality described in the user story: logging into the system, adding items to the shopping cart, deleting items from the cart, viewing the cart to confirm the changes, and computing the shipping cost to ensure it is correct. It is essential that the keywords reflect the actions a customer would perform and the checks needed to validate the story’s acceptance criteria.

References = The ISTQB Advanced Level Agile Technical Tester syllabus and materials emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate keywords for test automation that align with the user story’s objectives and acceptance criteria12. The keyword-driven approach is a critical aspect of test automation in Agile environments, as it allows for the creation of flexible and maintainable test scripts2.

 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.