ISTQB CT-TAE – Certified Tester Test Automation Engineer — Question 13

As the TAE, you are working with the organisation's Test Manager to decide which external metrics and which internal metrics should be gathered for the new TAS.
Which of the following represents the BEST internal metric that would help measure the quality of the TAS and the number of problems associated with the TAS?

Answer options

• A. The average maintenance cost to keep an automated test in sync with the SUT
• B. The number of hours of manual test effort saved by implementing a TAS
• C. A measure of defect density within the TAS automation code
• D. A measure of how many automated tests pass and fail

Correct answer: C

Explanation

Option C is the best internal metric as it directly measures the quality of the TAS by evaluating the defect density in its automation code, which indicates potential issues. Options A and B, while useful, focus on cost and time savings rather than quality assessment. Option D, while important for monitoring test outcomes, does not directly reflect the quality of the automation code itself.