ISTQB ISTQB-CT-TAE Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

ISTQB ISTQB-CT-TAE Online Questions & Answers

• Question 71:

  A project runs automated integration tests many times per day as part of continuous integration. Stakeholders need 24/7 access to build history and test results for all builds.

  Which reporting solution is BEST?

  A. Store only the latest build results and email a report to the team
  B. Keep results for each build in a database and use them to update a dashboard showing history and status
  C. Keep only code coverage data and email charts weekly
  D. Print a report after each build and archive it manually
  B. Keep results for each build in a database and use them to update a dashboard showing history and status

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  Explanation

  Option B is correct because it preserves historical execution data and provides continuously available visibility through a dashboard.

  Option A is incorrect because overwriting older results removes valuable trend and history information.

  Option C is incorrect because code coverage alone does not provide full test execution visibility.

  Option D is incorrect because manual archiving does not satisfy the requirement for efficient, always-available reporting.

• Question 72:

  Consider a TAS that exclusively uses the APIs of a SUT. To make this work, significant changes have been required to the SUT by adding a set of dedicated test interfaces to the APIs. All the automated tests will use these test interfaces when interacting with the SUT. Assume that you are currently verifying the correctness of the automated test environment and test tool setup.

  Which of the following would you expect to be the MOST specific risk associated with this scenario?

  A. The connectivity from the TAS to the dedicated test interfaces will not work
  B. The process of configuring the TAS will be error-phone due to manual intervention
  C. The automated test cases will not contain the expected result
  D. False alarms, that are unlikely to occur in the real world, will be observed during testing
  D. False alarms, that are unlikely to occur in the real world, will be observed during testing

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  Explanation

  When a Test Automation System (TAS) uses dedicated test interfaces added to the APIs of a System Under Test (SUT), one specific risk is the occurrence of false alarms during testing. These are test failures that do not necessarily signify defects in the SUT but are caused by the test interfaces or the test environment itself. Such false positives can lead to wasted effort in investigating non-issues and can obscure genuine defects, thus posing a significant risk to the accuracy and efficiency of the testing process.

  References:

  The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus discusses the importance of evaluating risks associated with the test automation environment and tools. It highlights the need to analyze deployment risks and identify technical issues that could lead to failure of the test automation project, including the risk of false positives due to dedicated test interfaces.

• Question 73:

  Which of the following statements about the reuse of TAS artefacts is TRUE?

  A. Reusable TAS artefacts can include components (or parts of components) associated with different layers of the TAA
  B. To enable reuse of TAS artefacts, a good design for reuse is built into the TAA and to further action are needed during the TAS lifecycle
  C. Communications maintenance and improvements for reusing TAS artefacts are modify addressed during the design of the TAA
  D. Reusable TAS artifacts associated with the definition layer of the TAA include the adaptors to the SUT components and/or interfaces
  A. Reusable TAS artefacts can include components (or parts of components) associated with different layers of the TAA

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  Explanation

  The reuse of Test Automation System (TAS) artefacts is a key aspect of efficient test automation. Reusable TAS artefacts indeed can include components or parts of components that are associated with different layers of the Test Automation Architecture (TAa)- . This means that elements designed for one layer, such as the test execution layer, can be reused in another, like the test definition layer, provided they are designed with reusability in mind. This approach not only saves time and resources but also enhances the consistency and maintainability of the test automation effort. It is important to design these artefacts for reuse from the outset to maximize their utility across different testing scenarios and projects.

  References:

  The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus and other official ISTQB materials discuss the importance of building reuse into the TAS, emphasizing that a good design for reuse should be an integral part of the TAA.

• Question 74:

  You are working for a company that produces software for grocery store chains. You recently completed a successful test automation project for the "Food$" software that allowed a person to accumulate and spend food dollars based on purchasing certain products. For the Food$ test automation, you created a simple test framework and implemented the software using an open source tool. Your manager now wants you to expand the test automation to cover the entire Point-of-Sale (POS) software. This includes software to recognize and charge properly for scanned products, issue refunds, determine and apply discounts, and properly record Food$. The POS software is considerably more complicated and feature-rich than the Food$ software.

  What is the best approach for automating the testing for the entire POS product?

  A. Leverage what you can from the Food$ framework, but build a more robust framework for the POS test automation.
  B. Use the framework built for Food$ but change to a commercial tool for the POS test automation.
  C. Start over with new tools and a new framework for this more complex project.
  D. Continue using the existing framework as-is and the open source tools you already know.
  A. Leverage what you can from the Food$ framework, but build a more robust framework for the POS test automation.

• Question 75:

  A TAS uses a commercial test automation tool and the default logs generated by the inconsistent formats such as different types of messages (pass/fail steps, screenshots, warnings, etc.) To solve this issue some custom logging functions have been created from the test scripts, making it possible to log the different types of messages with the same format. However, this may cause a problem due to excessive size of the logs which can make it difficult to find the required information. Assume that all the default logs will be disabled when running the automated tests and that some tests will not generate excessively sized logs.

  Which of the following represents the BEST suggestion for implementing the custom logging functions?

  A. Implement the custom logging functions without saving timestamps
  B. Implement the custom logging functions to support different levels of tracing
  C. Implement the custom logging functions without saving stack traces
  D. Implement the custom logging functions to redirect the logs to multiple files
  B. Implement the custom logging functions to support different levels of tracing

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  Explanation

  Implementing custom logging functions to support different levels of tracing is considered best practice. This approach allows for the categorization of log messages according to their severity or importance, which can range from detailed debug information to high-level overviews. By doing so, it becomes easier to manage the log data and quickly locate the necessary information without being overwhelmed by excessive details. This method also enables the adjustment of the level of detail based on the context of the test execution, making it more flexible and efficient.

  References:

  The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus emphasizes the importance of managing test logs effectively.

  It suggests using different levels of logging to control the amount of information captured and to facilitate easier analysis of the logs.

  This is aligned with industry best practices for test automation logging.

• Question 76:

  A defect in a SUT has been resolved and validated by an automated defect re-test in the current release of the software. This retest has now been added to the automated regression test suite.

  Which statement BEST describes a reason why this defect could re-occur in future releases?

  A. Automated defect confirmation testing is not effective at confirming that the resolved defect will continue to work in future releases
  B. The configuration management process does not properly control the synchronization between software archives
  C. The automated regression test suite is not run consistently for future releases.
  D. The automated regression test suite has a narrower scope of functionality
  B. The configuration management process does not properly control the synchronization between software archives

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  Explanation

  The re-occurrence of a defect that has been previously resolved and validated can be attributed to issues in the configuration management process. If the configuration management process is not robust, it may fail to maintain proper synchronization between software archives. This can lead to situations where the defect re-emerges in future releases because the software components are not correctly integrated or updated with the defect fix. Effective configuration management is crucial for ensuring that all software artifacts are correctly versioned and that changes are properly tracked and integrated across all versions of the software.

  References:

  The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus outlines the importance of configuration management in relation to test automation and defect management.

  It emphasizes the need for proper control and synchronization of software archives to prevent the re-occurrence of defects.

• Question 77:

  When the SUT provides insight into the behaviour of the system, providing the users the with the status of the various actions performed so that they can check that expected behaviour equals actual behaviour, what is this called?

  A. Portability.
  B. Maintainability.
  C. Observability.
  D. Controllability.
  C. Observability.

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  Explanation

  When planning the pilot for an in-house developed Test Automation Solution (TAS), it is crucial to prepare the involved personnel and ensure that the necessary resources are allocated. Running training workshops for new users (option c)- is essential to familiarize them with the TAS and to promote effective usage. Additionally, developing a project plan and reserving the necessary budget and resources (option d)- are fundamental steps to ensure that the pilot is well-structured and that its implementation is feasible. These steps help in laying a solid foundation for the pilot, which can lead to a successful deployment of the TAS.

  References:

  The answer is derived from the ISTQB CT-TAE guidelines, which outline the importance of training and resource allocation in the planning process of a test automation solution.

• Question 78:

  A major company with multiple paper mills uses a standard set of sensors to determine paper thickness, density, tensile strength, etc., at multiple points in the production process. However, each mill currently has its own unique alerting and reporting system. The company will upgrade and centralize their quality control operations so that data from the sensors at each mill will be fed into a database at their headquarters. This central system will supply the alerts and reports to operators and management at all levels. The development team is scaling the network connection requirements, database, and data-collection front-end systems to process 100 samples per second from the sensors at each mill. The development team is almost through designing the high-level system requirements.

  Management has asked you, as leader of the test team, how you plan to use automation in testing the system.

  Which of the following would be the most effective solution?

  A. The automation solution will be large and complex. During early development, automation will be designed to separately test each of the individual portions of the SUT (data collection, database functionality, alerting, and reporting), using the most appropriate technologies for each. The level of intrusion will be minimized by using the SUT's native interfaces whenever possible. Once the SUT is integrated, test automation will involve creation and input of selected sensor data, then monitoring its capture by the SUT, and the resultant alerting and reporting.
  B. The automation solution will be large and complex. During early development, automation will be designed to separately test each of the individual portions of the SUT (data collection, database functionality, alerting, and reporting), using the most appropriate technologies for each. The level of intrusion will be minimized by using the SUT's native interfaces whenever possible. Once the SUT is integrated, exploratory testing will be used with the input of selected and simulated sensor data, and the resultant alerting and reporting will be checked to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  C. The automation solution will be based on risk. The initial risk analysis indicates that testing should concentrate on the data import systems. Sets of good and bad data inputs will be created based on samples of real data from selected mills and injected into the data-collection front-end systems. Periodic ad-hoc queries will be used to monitor the database's storage of the data to confirm accuracy.
  D. The automation solution will be focused on end-to-end functionality. Samples of real data captured at selected mills and manually injected data with anomalies will be used. The alerts and reports sent to the operators will be monitored to confirm the correct responses. Summary reports will be generated for management to analyze to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  A. The automation solution will be large and complex. During early development, automation will be designed to separately test each of the individual portions of the SUT (data collection, database functionality, alerting, and reporting), using the most appropriate technologies for each. The level of intrusion will be minimized by using the SUT's native interfaces whenever possible. Once the SUT is integrated, test automation will involve creation and input of selected sensor data, then monitoring its capture by the SUT, and the resultant alerting and reporting.

• Question 79:

  Why is it important to separate test definition from test execution within a TAA?

  A. It allows tests to be specified without being tightly coupled to the execution tool
  B. It guarantees that the same tests will always find more defects
  C. It removes the need for adaptors to the SUT
  D. It eliminates the need for expected results
  A. It allows tests to be specified without being tightly coupled to the execution tool

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  Explanation

  Option A is correct because separating definition from execution improves flexibility, reuse, and maintainability by reducing dependence on a specific execution tool.

  Option B is incorrect because defect detection depends on test design and coverage, not on this separation alone.

  Option C is incorrect because adaptors may still be required to connect to SUT interfaces.

  Option D is incorrect because expected results remain necessary for automated checking.

• Question 80:

  Your management is not comfortable with the accomplishments of the test automation team and has no visibility regarding the value of the testing automation. You are going to review the capabilities of your test automation tools and determine where to include new/better reporting.

  Which of the following statements is correct regarding test automation reporting?

  A. Full information about test results should be captured via screenshots, log files, database dumps, etc., for later analysis once false negatives are identified.
  B. Because most modern automation tools have difficulty exporting information to external formats (e.g.,.csv,.xml), reporting must be done via the native reporting capability of the tool.
  C. Test automation results should include a summary using a simple color-coded dashboard for management's quick review.
  D. Code defect density should be tracked for the SUT, but not for the test automation code.
  C. Test automation results should include a summary using a simple color-coded dashboard for management's quick review.