ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Analyst (CTAL-TA) — Question 28

Consider the following scenario for a metro fare system:

If you take the metro before 9:30 am or in the afternoon between 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm, you must pay full fare. A saver ticket is available for metro rides between 9:30 am and 5:00 pm [both inclusive], and after 7:00 pm.

Which of the following test sets will provide the best equivalence partitioning coverage? (Choose all that apply.)

Answer options

• A. 9:29 am, 5:01 pm, 7:30 pm, 7:31 pm, 8:00 pm
• B. 9:30 am, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:30 pm
• C. 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 5:15 pm, 7:01 pm, 11:00 pm
• D. 9:30 am, 9:31 am, 4:59 pm, 5:00 pm, 8:00 pm

Correct answer: C

Explanation

Option C is correct because it includes times that capture all important fare boundaries: before 9:30 am, during saver hours, and after 7:00 pm. The other options either miss key timeframes or do not provide sufficient coverage of the equivalence classes defined by the fare rules.