ISTQB CT-TAE Exam Questions

You are working on a government system called “Making Tax Digital" or MTD for short. This system is being implemented to stop manual human input error and also to reduce fraudulent behaviour from companies when submitting their tax and VAT returns.

The key concept is that registered companies will need to use government recommended 3rd party software for their accounts and book keeping. These 3rd party applications will have a direct interface into the government's main system for transactions and submissions.

You have been using a test execution tool successfully on the project so far. and have implemented a basic “capture/replay” approach to scripting.

The management have been encouraged with the automation so far, but want the following objectives to be met:

• Test cases added easily

• Reduction in the amount of scripts and script duplication

• Reduction in maintenance costs

Which scripting technique would be MOST suitable in this scenario in order to meet the objectives?

Structured scripting

Data-driven scripting

Keyword-driven scripting

Correct Answer: D

Keyword-driven scripting is the most suitable technique in this scenario. It allows test cases to be added easily by using predefined keywords that represent actions or objects in the application. This reduces script duplication and lowers maintenance costs, as changes can be made at the keyword level without needing to modify each test case individually. Additionally, keyword-driven scripting abstracts the complexity of the scripts, making them more maintainable and scalable.

The Test Automation Manager has asked you to provide a solution for collecting metrics from the TAS that measures code coverage every time the automated regression test pack is run. The metrics must be trend based to ensure that the scope of the regression test pack continues to reflect enhancements made to the SUT - coverage must not drop and should ideally increase. The solution must be as automated as possible to avoid unnecessary manual overheads and errors.

Which of the following approaches would BEST meet these requirements?

Test automation cannot measure code coverage for the SUT, only the code for the automation tools and scripts. The automated test cases would need to be run manually with a code coverage and reporting tool running in the background.

The automated testware would record overall code coverage for each run and add the figure to a new row in a pre-formatted Excel spreadsheet. You would then present the spreadsheet to stakeholders so they could look for changes in coverage.

The automated testware would record overall code coverage for each run, export the data to a pre-formatted Excel spreadsheet that automatically updates a trend analysis bar chart for you to distribute to stakeholders.

The automated testware would record the pass/fail rate of each regression test case, export the data to a pre-formatted Excel spreadsheet that automatically updates a trend analysis success rate bar chart and emails it to stakeholders.

Correct Answer: C

To meet the requirements of collecting trend-based metrics on code coverage with minimal manual intervention, the best approach is for the automated testware to record overall code coverage for each run and export the data to a pre-formatted Excel spreadsheet that automatically updates a trend analysis bar chart. This ensures stakeholders can easily track changes in code coverage and make informed decisions without manual data handling, thereby reducing errors and overhead.

Which of the following is considered a disadvantage of test automation?

Automated exploratory testing is difficult to implement

Test automation can be a distraction from the objective of finding bugs

Tests are more likely to have operator errors.

Slower feedback on the quality of the system.

Correct Answer: A

Automated exploratory testing is difficult to implement because exploratory testing involves human intuition, creativity, and decision-making on the fly, which are challenging to replicate in an automated script. This makes it a significant disadvantage of test automation. Operator errors are less likely in automated tests, and slower feedback is typically not a disadvantage of automation as it generally speeds up the testing process.

New features have been added for the current release of a SUT.

Which action would NOT be appropriate for the TAE to perform when evaluating the impact on the TAS?

Gather feedback from the Business Analysts to determine if the current TAS will meet the needs of the new features.

Review existing keywords to see if they need to be modified.

Run existing automated tests against the updated SUT to verify and record any changes to their correct operation.

Evaluate compatibility with existing test tools and, where necessary, identify alternative solutions.

Correct Answer: A

Evaluating the impact of new features on the TAS involves technical assessments directly related to the automated testing suite and the test automation system. Gathering feedback from Business Analysts focuses on business requirements and user needs, not on the technical operation or compatibility of the TAS. Therefore, consulting Business Analysts would not be an appropriate action in this specific context as it does not address the technical implications on the TAS.

You are implementing test automation for a project that has a business critical application A test execution tool is being used to run automated regression tests. The results from the test execution tool are very important and need to be 100% accurate.

You want to merge the test automation results with the test management system that also records the manual test results so that managers can make informed decisions about the progress quickly.

Which layer of the gTAA will be used to ensure the proper reporting occurs and the interfaces to the test management system are handled?

The adaptation layer

Correct Answer: C

The test execution layer consists of the tools and processes needed for executing test cases automatically, logging test case executions, and reporting the test results. This layer is responsible for generating the results from the tests, which are critical for merging the test automation results with the test management system to provide a comprehensive view of the progress to managers.