ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Analyst (CTAL-TA) — Question 54

A web-based system is being developed to support the administration of tennis tournaments.
The system provides advice on how much money to offer each player as their individual attendance fee. The amount depends on a COMBINATION of the following factors:
Overall attendance fund (divided into five numeric ranges).
Player’s current world ranking (divided into ten numeric ranges).
Whether it is a local tournament for the player (i.e. YES or NO)
Their relationship with the tournament sponsors (i.e. clothing, equipment, or endorsement).
Their previous attendance history at this event (i.e. finalist, played, withdrew before event or withdrew during event)
The new system needs to be ready for the next tournament in just a few months’ time, so testing schedules will be severely challenged.
Which specification-based technique would be the BEST choice in the circumstances?

Answer options

• A. Pairwise testing.
• B. Use case testing.
• C. Classification tree (maximum class coverage).
• D. Equivalence partitioning.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The classification tree method is the best choice here because it allows for systematic coverage of input combinations, which is crucial given the multiple factors influencing the attendance fee. Pairwise testing is useful but may not cover all interactions effectively. Use case testing focuses on user interactions rather than specific input combinations, and equivalence partitioning does not account for the complexity of multiple conditions that need to be tested together.