BCS CTFL4 Exam - Topic 6 Question 35 Discussion

The question is about identifying an example of testing contributing to higher quality.Quality is the degree to which a component, system or process meets specified requirements and/or user/customer needs and expectations1.Testing is the process consisting of all lifecycle activities, both static and dynamic, concerned with planning, preparation and evaluation of software products and related work products to determine that they satisfy specified requirements, to demonstrate that they are fit for purpose and to detect defects2.

Therefore, testing contributes to higher quality by verifying and validating that the software products and related work products meet the specified requirements, are fit for purpose and have no defects, or at least have a reduced number of defects.Testing also provides information about the quality of the software products and related work products to the stakeholders, who can make informed decisions based on the test results3.

Out of the four given statements, only option D is an example of testing contributing to higher quality, as it shows that testing has detected a defect (a flaw in a component or system that can cause the component or system to fail to perform its required function4) and that the defect has been resolved (fixed and confirmed) prior to release (delivery of the software product to the customer or end user). This means that testing has prevented a potential failure (an event in which a component or system does not perform a required function within specified limits) from occurring in the operational environment, and thus has improved the quality of the software product.

Option A is not an example of testing contributing to higher quality, as it is a reporting activity that summarizes the test results and evaluates the test objectives, but does not directly affect the quality of the software product or related work products. A test summary report is a document that records and communicates the outcomes of testing activities, including test completion criteria, test results, incident reports, test summary and evaluation, and lessons learned.

Option B is not an example of testing contributing to higher quality, as it is a planning activity that estimates the resources and time needed for testing activities, but does not directly affect the quality of the software product or related work products. A test effort estimate is an approximation of the amount of work and/or the duration of time required to perform testing activities.

Option C is not an example of testing contributing to higher quality, as it is a preparation activity that sets up the test environment (an environment containing hardware, instrumentation, simulators, software tools, and other support elements needed to conduct a test), but does not directly affect the quality of the software product or related work products. A test environment installation is a process of installing and configuring the test environment according to the test environment specification.

1: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 10

2: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 11

3: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 12

4: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 13

: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 13

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: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 106

: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus 2018, Version 4.0, p. 107