Software Testing Board Certified

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Foundation Level Syllabus

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International Software Testing Qualifications Board Certified Tester

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Copyright Notice © International Software Testing Qualifications Board (hereinafter called ISTQB®). ISTQB® is a registered trademark of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board. Copyright © 2024 the authors of the Foundation Level v4.0.1 syllabus: Renzo Cerquozzi, Wim Decoutere, Jean-François Riverin, Arnika Hryszko, Martin Klonk, Meile Posthuma, Eric Riou du Cosquer (chair), Adam Roman, Lucjan Stapp, Stephanie Ulrich (vice chair), Eshraka Zakaria. Copyright © 2023 the authors of the Foundation Level v4.0 syllabus: Renzo Cerquozzi, Wim Decoutere, Klaudia Dussa-Zieger, Jean-François Riverin, Arnika Hryszko, Martin Klonk, Michaël Pilaeten, Meile Posthuma, Stuart Reid, Eric Riou du Cosquer (chair), Adam Roman, Lucjan Stapp, Stephanie Ulrich (vice chair), Eshraka Zakaria.

Copyright © 2018 the authors for the update 2018 Klaus Olsen (chair), Tauhida Parveen (vice chair), Rex Black (project manager), Debra Friedenberg, Matthias Hamburg, Judy McKay, Meile Posthuma, Hans Schaefer, Radoslaw Smilgin, Mike Smith, Steve Toms, Stephanie Ulrich, Marie Walsh, and Eshraka Zakaria.

Copyright © 2005 the authors Thomas Müller (chair), Rex Black, Sigrid Eldh, Dorothy Graham, Klaus Olsen, Maaret Pyhäjärvi, Geoff Thompson, and Erik van Veenendaal. All rights reserved. The authors hereby transfer the copyright to the ISTQB®. The authors (as current copyright holders) and ISTQB® (as the future copyright holder) have agreed to the following conditions of use:

• Extracts, for non-commercial use, from this document may be copied if the source is acknowledged. Any Accredited Training Provider may use this syllabus as the basis for a training course if the authors and the ISTQB® are acknowledged as the source and copyright owners of the syllabus and provided that any advertisement of such a training course may mention the syllabus only after official accreditation of the training materials has been received from an ISTQB®-recognized Member Board.

• Any individual or group of individuals may use this syllabus as the basis for articles and books, if the authors and the ISTQB® are acknowledged as the source and copyright owners of the syllabus.

• Any other use of this syllabus is prohibited without first obtaining the approval in writing of the ISTQB®.

• Any ISTQB®-recognized Member Board may translate this syllabus provided they reproduce the abovementioned Copyright Notice in the translated version of the syllabus. Certified Tester

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Version Date Remarks

CTFL v4.0.1 15.09.2024 CTFL v4.0.1 – Errata

CTFL v4.0 21.04.2023 CTFL v4.0 – General release version CTFL v3.1.1 01.07.2021 CTFL v3.1.1 – Copyright and logo update CTFL v3.1 11.11.2019 CTFL v3.1 – Maintenance release with minor updates ISTQB 2018 27.04.2018 CTFL v3.0 – Candidate general release version ISTQB 2011 1.04.2011 CTFL Syllabus Maintenance Release ISTQB 2010 30.03.2010 CTFL Syllabus Maintenance Release ISTQB 2007 01.05.2007 CTFL Syllabus Maintenance Release ISTQB 2005 01.07.2005 Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus v1.0 ASQF V2.2 07.2003 ASQF Syllabus Foundation Level Version v2.2 “Lehrplan Grundlagen des Software-testens“

ISEB V2.0 25.02.1999 ISEB Software Testing Foundation Syllabus v2.0 Certified Tester

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Copyright Notice 2 Revision History 3 Table of Contents 4 Acknowledgements 8 0. Introduction 10 0.1. Purpose of this Syllabus 10 0.2. The Certified Tester Foundation Level in Software Testing 10 0.3. Career Path for Testers 10 0.4. Business Outcomes 11 0.5. Examinable Learning Objectives and Cognitive Level of Knowledge 11 0.6. The Foundation Level Certificate Exam 12 0.7. Accreditation 12 0.8. Handling of Standards 12 0.9. Staying Current 12 0.10. Level of Detail 12 0.11. How this Syllabus is Organized 13 1. Fundamentals of Testing – 180 minutes 14 1.1. What is Testing? 15 1.1.1. Test Objectives 15 1.1.2. Testing and Debugging 16 1.2. Why is Testing Necessary? 16 1.2.1. Testing’s Contributions to Success 16 1.2.2. Testing and Quality Assurance (QA) 17 1.2.3. Errors, Defects, Failures, and Root Causes 17 1.3. Testing Principles 17 1.4. Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles 18 1.4.1. Test Activities and Tasks 18 1.4.2. Test Process in Context 19 1.4.3. Testware 20 1.4.4. Traceability between the Test Basis and Testware 20 Certified Tester

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© International Software Testing Qualifications Board 1.4.5. Roles in Testing 21 1.5. Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing 21 1.5.1. Generic Skills Required for Testing 21 1.5.2. Whole Team Approach 22 1.5.3. Independence of Testing 22 2. Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle – 130 minutes 24 2.1. Testing in the Context of a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) 25 2.1.1. Impact of the Software Development Lifecycle on Testing 25 2.1.2. Software Development Lifecycle and Good Testing Practices 25 2.1.3. Testing as a Driver for Software Development 26 2.1.4. DevOps and Testing 26 2.1.5. Shift Left 27 2.1.6. Retrospectives and Process Improvement 28 2.2. Test Levels and Test Types 28 2.2.1. Test Levels 28 2.2.2. Test Types 29 2.2.3. Confirmation Testing and Regression Testing 30 2.3. Maintenance Testing 31 3. Static Testing – 80 minutes 32 3.1. Static Testing Basics 33 3.1.1. Work Products Examinable by Static Testing 33 3.1.2. Value of Static Testing 33 3.1.3. Differences between Static Testing and Dynamic Testing 34 3.2. Feedback and Review Process 35 3.2.1. Benefits of Early and Frequent Stakeholder Feedback 35 3.2.2. Review Process Activities 35 3.2.3. Roles and Responsibilities in Reviews 36 3.2.4. Review Types 36 3.2.5. Success Factors for Reviews 37 4. Test Analysis and Design – 390 minutes 38 4.1. Test Techniques Overview 39 4.2. Black-Box Test Techniques 39 Certified Tester

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© International Software Testing Qualifications Board 4.2.1. Equivalence Partitioning 39 4.2.2. Boundary Value Analysis 40 4.2.3. Decision Table Testing 41 4.2.4. State Transition Testing 41 4.3. White-Box Test Techniques 42 4.3.1. Statement Testing and Statement Coverage 42 4.3.2. Branch Testing and Branch Coverage 43 4.3.3. The Value of White-box Testing 43 4.4. Experience-based Test Techniques 43 4.4.1. Error Guessing 43 4.4.2. Exploratory Testing 44 4.4.3. Checklist-Based Testing 44 4.5. Collaboration-based Test Approaches 45 4.5.1. Collaborative User Story Writing 45 4.5.2. Acceptance Criteria 45 4.5.3. Acceptance Test-driven Development (ATDD) 46 5. Managing the Test Activities – 335 minutes 47 5.1. Test Planning 48 5.1.1. Purpose and Content of a Test Plan 48 5.1.2. Tester's Contribution to Iteration and Release Planning 48 5.1.3. Entry Criteria and Exit Criteria 49 5.1.4. Estimation Techniques 49 5.1.5. Test Case Prioritization 50 5.1.6. Test Pyramid 50 5.1.7. Testing Quadrants 51 5.2. Risk Management 51 5.2.1. Risk Definition and Risk Attributes 52 5.2.2. Project Risks and Product Risks 52 5.2.3. Product Risk Analysis 52 5.2.4. Product Risk Control 53 5.3. Test Monitoring, Test Control and Test Completion 53 5.3.1. Metrics used in Testing 54 Certified Tester

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© International Software Testing Qualifications Board 5.3.2. Purpose, Content and Audience for Test Reports 54 5.3.3. Communicating the Status of Testing 55 5.4. Configuration Management 56 5.5. Defect Management 56 6. Test Tools – 20 minutes 58 6.1. Tool Support for Testing 59 6.2. Benefits and Risks of Test Automation 59 7. References 61 8. Appendix A – Learning Objectives/Cognitive Level of Knowledge 64 9. Appendix B – Business Outcomes traceability matrix with Learning Objectives 65 10. Appendix C – Release Notes 72 11. Index 76 Certified Tester

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This document was formally released by the Product Owner / working group chair Eric Riou du Cosquer on 15.09.2024.

It was produced by a team from the ISTQB joint Foundation Level & Agile Working Groups: Renzo Cerquozzi (vice chair), Wim Decoutere, Jean-François Riverin, Arnika Hryszko, Martin Klonk, Meile Posthuma, Eric Riou du Cosquer (chair), Adam Roman, Lucjan Stapp, Stephanie Ulrich (vice chair), Eshraka Zakaria.

Version 4.0 of this document was formally released by the General Assembly of the ISTQB® on 21 April 2023

It was produced by a team from the ISTQB joint Foundation Level & Agile Working Groups: Laura Albert, Renzo Cerquozzi (vice chair), Wim Decoutere, Klaudia Dussa-Zieger, Chintaka Indikadahena, Arnika Hryszko, Martin Klonk, Kenji Onishi, Michaël Pilaeten (co-chair), Meile Posthuma, Gandhinee Rajkomar, Stuart Reid, Eric Riou du Cosquer (co-chair), Jean-François Riverin, Adam Roman, Lucjan Stapp, Stephanie Ulrich (vice chair), Eshraka Zakaria.

The team thanks Stuart Reid, Patricia McQuaid and Leanne Howard for their technical review and the review team and the Member Boards for their suggestions and input. The following persons participated in the reviewing, commenting and balloting of this syllabus: Adam Roman, Adam Scierski, Ágota Horváth, Ainsley Rood, Ale Rebon Portillo, Alessandro Collino, Alexander Alexandrov, Amanda Logue, Ana Ochoa, André Baumann, André Verschelling, Andreas Spillner, Anna Miazek, Armin Born, Arnd Pehl, Arne Becher, Attila Gyúri, Attila Kovács, Beata Karpinska, Benjamin Timmermans, Blair Mo, Carsten Weise, Chinthaka Indikadahena, Chris Van Bael, Ciaran O'Leary, Claude Zhang, Cristina Sobrero, Dandan Zheng, Dani Almog, Daniel Säther, Daniel van der Zwan, Danilo Magli, Darvay Tamás Béla, Dawn Haynes, Dena Pauletti, Dénes Medzihradszky, Doris Dötzer, Dot Graham, Edward Weller, Erhardt Wunderlich, Eric Riou Du Cosquer, Florian Fieber, Fran O'Hara, François Vaillancourt, Frans Dijkman, Gabriele Haller, Gary Mogyorodi, Georg Sehl, Géza Bujdosó, Giancarlo Tomasig, Giorgio Pisani, Gustavo Márquez Sosa, Helmut Pichler, Hongbao Zhai, Horst Pohlmann, Ignacio Trejos, Ilia Kulakov, Ine Lutterman, Ingvar Nordström, Iosif Itkin, Jamie Mitchell, Jan Giesen, Jean-Francois Riverin, Joanna Kazun, Joanne Tremblay, Joëlle Genois, Johan Klintin, John Kurowski, Jörn Münzel, Judy McKay, Jürgen Beniermann, Karol Frühauf, Katalin Balla, Kevin Kooh, Klaudia Dussa- Zieger, Klaus Erlenbach, Klaus Olsen, Krisztián Miskó, Laura Albert, Liang Ren, Lijuan Wang, Lloyd Roden, Lucjan Stapp, Mahmoud Khalaili, Marek Majernik, Maria Clara Choucair, Mark Rutz, Markus Niehammer, Martin Klonk, Márton Siska, Matthew Gregg, Matthias Hamburg, Mattijs Kemmink, Maud Schlich, May Abu-Sbeit, Meile Posthuma, Mette Bruhn-Pedersen, Michal Tal, Michel Boies, Mike Smith, Miroslav Renda, Mohsen Ekssir, Monika Stocklein Olsen, Murian Song, Nicola De Rosa, Nikita Kalyani, Nishan Portoyan, Nitzan Goldenberg, Ole Chr. Hansen, Patricia McQuaid, Patricia Osorio, Paul Weymouth, Pawel Kwasik, Peter Zimmerer, Petr Neugebauer, Piet de Roo, Radoslaw Smilgin, Ralf Bongard, Ralf Reissing, Randall Rice, Rik Marselis, Rogier Ammerlaan, Sabine Gschwandtner, Sabine Uhde, Salinda Wickramasinghe, Salvatore Reale, Sammy Kolluru, Samuel Ouko, Stephanie Ulrich, Stuart Reid, Surabhi Bellani, Szilard Szell, Tamás Gergely, Tamás Horváth, Tatiana Sergeeva, Tauhida Parveen, Thaer Mustafa, Thomas Eisbrenner, Thomas Harms, Thomas Heller, Tobias Letzkus, Tomas Rosenqvist, Werner Lieblang, Yaron Tsubery, Zhenlei Zuo and Zsolt Hargitai. ISTQB Working Group Foundation Level (Edition 2018): Klaus Olsen (chair), Tauhida Parveen (vice chair), Rex Black (project manager), Eshraka Zakaria, Debra Friedenberg, Ebbe Munk, Hans Schaefer, Certified Tester

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© International Software Testing Qualifications Board Judy McKay, Marie Walsh, Meile Posthuma, Mike Smith, Radoslaw Smilgin, Stephanie Ulrich, Steve Toms, Corne Kruger, Dani Almog, Eric Riou du Cosquer, Igal Levi, Johan Klintin, Kenji Onishi, Rashed Karim, Stevan Zivanovic, Sunny Kwon, Thomas Müller, Vipul Kocher, Yaron Tsubery and all Member Boards for their suggestions.

ISTQB Working Group Foundation Level (Edition 2011): Thomas Müller (chair), Debra Friedenberg. The core team thanks the review team (Dan Almog, Armin Beer, Rex Black, Julie Gardiner, Judy McKay, Tuula Pääkkönen, Eric Riou du Cosquer, Hans Schaefer, Stephanie Ulrich, Erik van Veenendaal), and all Member Boards for the suggestions for the current version of the syllabus. ISTQB Working Group Foundation Level (Edition 2010): Thomas Müller (chair), Rahul Verma, Martin Klonk and Armin Beer. The core team thanks the review team (Rex Black, Mette Bruhn-Pederson, Debra Friedenberg, Klaus Olsen, Judy McKay, Tuula Pääkkönen, Meile Posthuma, Hans Schaefer, Stephanie Ulrich, Pete Williams, Erik van Veenendaal), and all Member Boards for their suggestions. ISTQB Working Group Foundation Level (Edition 2007): Thomas Müller (chair), Dorothy Graham, Debra Friedenberg, and Erik van Veenendaal. The core team thanks the review team (Hans Schaefer, Stephanie Ulrich, Meile Posthuma, Anders Pettersson, and Wonil Kwon) and all the Member Boards for their suggestions.

ISTQB Working Group Foundation Level (Edition 2005): Thomas Müller (chair), Rex Black, Sigrid Eldh, Dorothy Graham, Klaus Olsen, Maaret Pyhäjärvi, Geoff Thompson and Erik van Veenendaal. The core team thanks the review team and all Member Boards for their suggestions. Certified Tester

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0.1. Purpose of this Syllabus

This syllabus forms the basis for the International Software Testing Qualification at the Foundation Level. The ISTQB® provides this syllabus as follows:

1. To member boards, to translate into their local language and to accredit training providers. Member boards may adapt the syllabus to their particular language needs and modify the references to adapt to their local publications.

2. To certification bodies, to derive examination questions in their local language adapted to the learning objectives for this syllabus.

3. To training providers, to produce courseware and determine appropriate teaching methods. 4. To certification candidates, to prepare for the certification exam (either as part of a training course or independently).

To the international software and systems engineering community, to advance the profession of software and systems testing, and as a basis for books and articles. 0.2. The Certified Tester Foundation Level in Software Testing The Foundation Level qualification is aimed at anyone involved in software testing. This includes people in roles such as testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test managers, software developers and development team members. This Foundation Level qualification is also appropriate for anyone who wants a basic understanding of software testing, such as project managers, quality managers, product owners, software development managers, business analysts, IT directors and management consultants. Holders of the Foundation Certificate will be able to go on to higher-level software testing qualifications.

0.3. Career Path for Testers

The ISTQB® scheme provides support for testing professionals at all stages of their careers offering both breadth and depth of knowledge. Individuals who achieved the ISTQB® Foundation certification may also be interested in the Core Advanced Levels (Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst, and Test Manager) and thereafter Expert Level (Test Management or Improving the Test Process). Anyone seeking to develop skills in testing practices in an Agile software development could consider the Agile Technical Tester or Agile Test Leadership at Scale certifications. The Specialist stream offers a deep dive into areas that have specific test approaches and test activities (e.g., in test automation, AI testing, model-based testing, mobile app testing), that are related to specific test areas (e.g., performance testing, usability testing, acceptance testing, security testing), or which cluster testing know-how for certain industry domains (e.g., automotive or gaming). Please visit www.istqb.org for the latest information on ISTQB s Certified Tester Scheme.

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This section lists the 14 Business Outcomes expected of a person who has achieved the Foundation Level certification.

A Foundation Level Certified Tester can…

FL-BO1 Understand what testing is and why it is beneficial FL-BO2 Understand fundamental concepts of software testing FL-BO3 Identify the test approach and activities to be implemented depending on the context of testing

FL-BO4 Assess and improve the quality of documentation FL-BO5 Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of testing FL-BO6 Align the test process with the software development lifecycle FL-BO7 Understand test management principles

FL-BO8 Write and communicate clear and understandable defect reports FL-BO9 Understand the factors that influence the priorities and efforts related to testing FL-BO10 Work as part of a cross-functional team

FL-BO11 Know risks and benefits related to test automation FL-BO12 Identify essential skills required for testing FL-BO13 Understand the impact of risk on testing

FL-BO14 Effectively report on test progress and quality 0.5. Examinable Learning Objectives and Cognitive Level of Knowledge Learning objectives support business outcomes and are used to create the Certified Tester Foundation Level exams. In general, all contents of chapters 1-6 of this syllabus are examinable at a K1 level. That is, the candidate may be asked to recognize, remember, or recall a keyword or concept mentioned in any of the six chapters. The specific learning objectives levels are shown at the beginning of each chapter, and classified as follows:

• K1: Remember

• K2: Understand

• K3: Apply

Further details and examples of learning objectives are given in Appendix A. All terms listed as keywords just below chapter headings shall be remembered (K1), even if not explicitly mentioned in the learning objectives.

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The Foundation Level Certificate exam is based on this syllabus. Answers to exam questions may require the use of material based on more than one section of this syllabus. All sections of the syllabus are examinable, except for the Introduction and Appendices. Standards and books are included as references (Chapter 7), but their content is not examinable, beyond what is summarized in the syllabus itself from such standards and books. Refer to the documents “Exam Structures and Rules” and “Exam Structure Tables”. 0.7. Accreditation

An ISTQB® Member Board may accredit training providers whose course material follows this syllabus. Training providers should obtain accreditation guidelines from the Member Board or body that performs the accreditation. An accredited course is recognized as conforming to this syllabus and is allowed to have an ISTQB® exam as part of the course. The accreditation guidelines for this syllabus follow the general Accreditation Guidelines published by the Processes Management and Compliance Working Group.

0.8. Handling of Standards

There are standards referenced in the Foundation Syllabus (e.g., IEEE or ISO standards). These references provide a framework (as in the references to ISO 25010 regarding quality characteristics) or to provide a source of additional information if desired by the reader. The standards documents are not intended for examination. Refer to chapter 7 for more information on standards. 0.9. Staying Current

The software industry changes rapidly. To deal with these changes and to provide the stakeholders with access to relevant and current information, the ISTQB working groups have created links on the www.istqb.org website, which refer to supporting documentation and changes to standards. This information is not examinable under the Foundation syllabus.

0.10. Level of Detail

The level of detail in this syllabus allows for internationally consistent courses and exams. To achieve this goal, the syllabus consists of:

• General instructional objectives describing the intention of the Foundation Level

• A list of terms (keywords) that students must be able to recall

• Learning objectives for each knowledge area, describing the cognitive learning outcomes to be achieved

• A description of the key concepts, including references to recognized sources The syllabus content is not a description of the entire knowledge area of software testing; it reflects the level of detail to be covered in Foundation Level training courses. It focuses on test concepts and Certified Tester

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(SDLC) employed.

0.11. How this Syllabus is Organized

There are six chapters with examinable content. The top-level heading for each chapter specifies the training time for the chapter. Timing is not provided below the chapter level. For accredited training courses, the syllabus requires a minimum of 1135 minutes (18 hours and 55 minutes) of instruction, distributed across the six chapters as follows:

• Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Testing (180 minutes) o The student learns the basic principles related to testing, the reasons why testing is required, and what the test objectives are.

o The student understands the test process, the major test activities, and testware. o The student understands the essential skills for testing.

• Chapter 2: Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle (130 minutes) o The student learns how testing is incorporated into different development approaches. o The student learns the concepts of test-first approaches, as well as DevOps. o The student learns about the different test levels, test types, and maintenance testing.

• Chapter 3: Static Testing (80 minutes)

o The student learns about the static testing basics, the feedback and review process.

• Chapter 4: Test Analysis and Design (390 minutes) o The student learns how to apply black-box, white-box, and experience-based test techniques to derive test cases from various software work products. o The student learns about the collaboration-based test approach.

• Chapter 5: Managing the Test Activities (335 minutes) o The student learns how to plan tests in general, and how to estimate test effort. o The student learns how risks can influence the test scope. o The student learns how to monitor and control test activities. o The student learns how configuration management supports testing. o The student learns how to report defects in a clear and understandable way.

• Chapter 6: Test Tools (20 minutes)

o The student learns to classify tools and to understand the risks and benefits of test automation.

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Keywords

coverage, debugging, defect, error, failure, quality, quality assurance, root cause, test analysis, test basis, test case, test completion, test condition, test control, test data, test design, test execution, test implementation, test monitoring, test object, test objective, test planning, test procedure, test process, test result, testing, testware, traceability, validation, verification Learning Objectives for Chapter 1:

1.1 What is Testing?

FL-1.1.1 (K1) Identify typical test objectives

FL-1.1.2 (K2) Differentiate testing from debugging 1.2 Why is Testing Necessary?

FL-1.2.1 (K2) Exemplify why testing is necessary

FL-1.2.2 (K1) Recall the relation between testing and quality assurance FL-1.2.3 (K2) Distinguish between root cause, error, defect, and failure 1.3 Testing Principles

FL-1.3.1 (K2) Explain the seven testing principles 1.4 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

FL-1.4.1 (K2) Explain the different test activities and related tasks FL-1.4.2 (K2) Explain the impact of context on the test process FL-1.4.3 (K2) Differentiate the testware that supports the test activities FL-1.4.4 (K2) Explain the value of maintaining traceability FL-1.4.5 (K2) Compare the different roles in testing 1.5 Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing FL-1.5.1 (K2) Give examples of the generic skills required for testing FL-1.5.2 (K1) Recall the advantages of the whole team approach FL-1.5.3 (K2) Distinguish the benefits and drawbacks of independence of testing Certified Tester

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Software systems are an integral part of our daily life. Most people have had experience with software that did not work as expected. Software that does not work correctly can lead to many problems, including loss of money, time or business reputation, and, in extreme cases, even injury or death. Software testing assesses software quality and helps reducing the risk of software failure in operation. Software testing is a set of activities to discover defects and evaluate the quality of software work products. These work products, when being tested, are known as test objects. A common misconception about testing is that it only consists of executing tests (i.e., running the software and checking the test results). However, software testing also includes other activities and must be aligned with the software development lifecycle (see chapter 2).

Another common misconception about testing is that testing focuses entirely on verifying the test object. While testing involves verification, i.e., checking whether the system meets specified requirements, it also involves validation, which means checking whether the system meets users’ and other stakeholders’ needs in its operational environment.

Testing may be dynamic or static. Dynamic testing involves the execution of software, while static testing does not. Static testing includes reviews (see chapter 3) and static analysis. Dynamic testing uses different types of test techniques and test approaches to derive test cases (see chapter 4). Testing is not only a technical activity. It also needs to be properly planned, managed, estimated, monitored and controlled (see chapter 5).

Testers use tools (see chapter 6), but it is important to remember that testing is largely an intellectual activity, requiring the testers to have specialized knowledge, use analytical skills and apply critical thinking and systems thinking (Myers 2011, Roman 2018). The ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-1 standard provides further information about software testing concepts. 1.1.1. Test Objectives

The typical test objectives are:

• Evaluating work products such as requirements, user stories, designs, and code

• Causing failures and finding defects

• Ensuring required coverage of a test object

• Reducing the risk level of inadequate software quality

• Verifying whether specified requirements have been fulfilled

• Verifying that a test object complies with contractual, legal, and regulatory requirements

• Providing information to stakeholders to allow them to make informed decisions

• Building confidence in the quality of the test object

• Validating whether the test object is complete and works as expected by the stakeholders Certified Tester

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© International Software Testing Qualifications Board Test objectives can vary, depending upon the context, which includes the work product being tested, the test level, risks, the software development lifecycle (SDLC) being followed, and factors related to the business context, e.g., corporate structure, competitive considerations, or time to market. 1.1.2. Testing and Debugging

Testing and debugging are separate activities. Testing can trigger failures that are caused by defects in the software (dynamic testing) or can directly find defects in the test object (static testing). When dynamic testing (see chapter 4) triggers a failure, debugging is concerned with finding causes of this failure (defects), analyzing these causes, and eliminating them. The typical debugging process in this case involves:

• Reproduction of a failure

• Diagnosis (finding the defect)

• Fixing the defect

Subsequent confirmation testing checks whether the fixes resolved the problem. Preferably, confirmation testing is done by the same person who performed the initial test. Subsequent regression testing can also be performed, to check whether the fixes are causing failures in other parts of the test object (see section 2.2.3 for more information on confirmation testing and regression testing). When

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