ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level – Test Analyst (CTAL-TA) — Question 59
You work for a software testing consultancy firm, SOFTEST, that specialises in the travel industry. It has built up a portfolio of clients across two main travel sectors; the airline and rail sectors. SOFTEST has an established test process, an experienced team of testers and maintains comprehensive organizational defect taxonomies for both sectors.
Two new projects are underway –
Project A is for a new cruise sector client. It will deliver a new user interface allowing its customers to search for cruises using several drop-down fields, each with many values, providing a much greater range of combinations than customers previously had. The project is using a SCRUM methodology with 2 week sprints and well specified user stories.
Project B is an existing airline sector client, who is upgrading the business rules engine that determines how air miles are allocated to its customers. Regression testing must also be performed to ensure the rules engines does not introduce defects in other areas, however, time is limited and there is no existing regression pack. Experienced cruise sector testers have been recruited by SOFTEST to support test effort on this project
Which option below describes the BEST test techniques to apply for each project?
Answer options
- A. Project A – Pairwise and exploratory testing. Project B – Decision table testing and defect based testing.
- B. Project A – Classification Tree class combination coverage and testing. Project B – Use Case testing and checklist based testing.
- C. Project A – Pairwise and defect-based testing. Project B – Decision table testing and checklist-based testing.
- D. Project A – Decision table testing and checklist based testing. Project B – Use case testing and defect based testing.
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is C because Project A benefits from pairwise testing due to the complex combinations of drop-down fields, while defect-based testing is essential for identifying issues in the new user interface. For Project B, decision table testing is crucial for validating the business rules, and checklist-based testing helps ensure that all necessary regression scenarios are considered, especially given the time constraints.