ISTQB ATM Advanced Test Management Exam v 3.0 – ISTQB Exam Practice Test

Context Analysis:

The manager perceives conservative estimates as overly negative. The goal is to balance optimism with realism to satisfy both the team and the manager.

Three-point estimation provides a range of estimates: optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely, addressing the need for a positive yet realistic projection.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Wideband Delphi:

Involves group-based estimation using consensus techniques. While reliable, it does not explicitly offer optimistic vs. realistic estimates.

B. Planning Poker:

Often used in Agile projects, this technique involves relative estimation but does not inherently provide optimistic and pessimistic figures.

C. Three-point estimation:

Correct. Combines optimistic, pessimistic, and realistic estimates to calculate a weighted average. This allows presentation of both realistic and “positive” numbers to the manager.

D. Extrapolation:

Based on past data trends but does not offer a range of estimates or a way to address manager concerns directly.

Syllabus Alignment:The ISTQB syllabus mentions estimation methods like three-point estimation as effective techniques for providing balanced and transparent project timelines (TM-2.2.1).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus​

Context Analysis:

Agile emphasizes efficiency and collaboration. If a defect is quickly resolved within the same iteration, documenting it formally may not add value.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Never:

Incorrect. Agile allows flexibility; not all defects require formal reports.

B. If the defect can be fixed in the same iteration in which it was found:

Correct. Aligns with Agile principles of immediacy and adaptability, minimizing overhead (Syllabus section TM-1.2.4).

C. If the defect can be fixed in a later hardening sprint:

Incorrect. Documentation is needed if a defect remains unresolved within the iteration.

D. If the defect must be fixed by another team:

Incorrect. Clear documentation is critical for external team collaboration.

Syllabus Alignment:ISTQB Advanced Test Management highlights Agile principles, including flexibility in defect reporting based on project needs (TM-1.2.4).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus​

Context Analysis:

Competitive market conditions emphasize the importance of usability, performance, and user perceptions, highlighting risks to user satisfaction and product success.

Evaluation of Test Approaches:

A. Model-based:

Incorrect. This approach is used for validating predefined models, not addressing specific usability and performance risks.

B. Experience-based:

Incorrect. Useful for exploratory testing but does not directly align with prioritizing and addressing risks.

C. Risk-based:

Correct. Focuses on identifying and mitigating the highest risks, such as usability and performance in this context.

D. Requirements-based:

Incorrect. Emphasizes functional completeness, not specific quality characteristics like usability or performance.

Syllabus Alignment:

ISTQB Advanced Test Management syllabus highlights risk-based approaches as effective for addressing high-impact quality characteristics (TM-1.3.4).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus (TM-1.3.4)​​​=========================

Definition of Appraisal Costs:

Appraisal costs include expenses related to evaluating and testing the product to detect defects before release.

These include costs for dynamic testing, reviews, inspections, and validation activities.

Evaluation of Options:

Arefers to prevention costs, not appraisal.

Bis correct because dynamic testing is an appraisal activity.

Crefers to failure costs (internal/external), not appraisal.

Drelates to legal failure costs.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

Appraisal costs are outlined under "Cost of Quality" in ISTQB syllabus (TM-2.1.1)​​​.

End User Involvement in Testing Levels:

Acceptance testing involves validating the product with the end users to ensure it meets their needs and requirements.

It typically requires close coordination with end users for User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Evaluation of Options:

A (Component testing)andB (Component Integration testing)do not involve end users, as these are technical-level testing activities.

C (System testing)focuses on the integrated system but does not require end-user participation.

Dis correct because acceptance testing involves direct collaboration with end users.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

Covered under "Test Levels and Objectives" in the ISTQB syllabus (TM-1.2.5)​​.

Test Process Improvement Models:

TMMi® (Test Maturity Model Integration)has five maturity levels: Initial, Managed, Defined, Measured, and Optimization.

Other models, likeTPI® NEXT, focus on key areas but do not use a maturity-level framework.

CMMi® (Capability Maturity Model Integration)applies broadly to process improvement but is not specific to testing.

GQM (Goal-Question-Metric)is a measurement approach, not a maturity model.

Evaluation of Options:

A (TMMi®)is correct as it directly incorporates a five-level maturity framework for test process improvement.

Other options are not aligned with the question context.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

TMMi is referenced in the ISTQB syllabus under "Improving the Test Process" (TM-1.5.1) as a standard for maturity models​​​.

Understanding the Defect Trend Gap:

A gap between "defects opened" and "defects closed" usually indicates defects that have been resolved (fixed) but are pending formal closure, often awaiting retesting or approval.

The trend convergence suggests the defect management process is effective, but some defects are still in the verification stage.

Evaluation of Options:

Ais incorrect: The gap does not indicate projected but unfound defects.

Cis incorrect: Regression defects would cause a divergence, not convergence, in trends.

Dis incorrect: Defects introduced to production are unrelated to the convergence.

Bis correct as it aligns with the standard defect lifecycle.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

This aligns with "Defect Management" in the ISTQB syllabus, emphasizing defect lifecycle tracking (TM-2.3.1)​​​.

Context Analysis:

Deployment readiness depends on understanding the risk of releasing the software. The metrics provided include execution, design, defect counts, and coverage but do not quantifyresidual risk, which reflects remaining risks post-testing.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Number of tests passed:

Incorrect. While important, it doesn't directly provide insight into the remaining risk.

B. Number of defects outstanding:

Incorrect. Though critical, it’s only one aspect of assessing readiness and doesn’t provide the full picture of residual risk.

C. Residual risk:

Correct. Residual risk quantifies untested areas and unresolved issues, vital for decision-making.

D. Planned vs actual cost of testing:

Incorrect. While useful for process evaluation, it’s not directly tied to deployment readiness.

Syllabus Alignment:

The syllabus emphasizes risk-based approaches, highlighting residual risk as a critical deployment readiness metric (TM-1.3.4).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus (TM-1.3.4)​

Context Analysis:

Developers want to close defects unilaterally, while testers are concerned about unresolved or misunderstood issues being overlooked.

Defect closure requires validation that the fix is implemented and verified to prevent recurrence of the issue.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Only testers should be allowed to close defect reports:

Incorrect. This creates a bottleneck and removes shared accountability for quality.

B. Only management should be allowed to close defect reports:

Incorrect. Management involvement adds unnecessary delays and complexity.

C. No one should close a defect report until the release is completed and the product is successfully deployed to production:

Incorrect. Defects should be closed as they are fixed and tested to ensure progress is tracked.

D. Closure should only occur when a defect is fixed and tested:

Correct. Ensures collaboration between developers and testers to verify the resolution.

Syllabus Alignment:

The ISTQB syllabus emphasizes clear defect management processes, including closure after verification (TM-2.3.4).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus (TM-2.3.4)​

Context Analysis:

Monitoring code coverage is inherently tied to knowledge of the internal structure of the software, a characteristic of white-box testing.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Black-box:

Incorrect. Black-box testing focuses on functionality without knowledge of internal structures.

B. White-box:

Correct. White-box testing uses internal code knowledge to determine areas that need more coverage.

C. Functional:

Incorrect. Functional testing assesses functionality without inspecting internal code.

D. Non-functional:

Incorrect. Non-functional testing focuses on performance, usability, etc., not code coverage.

Syllabus Alignment:

ISTQB associates code coverage monitoring with white-box testing techniques (TM-1.2.6).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus (TM-1.2.6)​

Context Analysis:

With limited time, testing all low-risk elements is not feasible. Depth testing on a representative low-risk element helps assess potential residual risk efficiently.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Automate the testing of the untested elements to ensure they are covered:

Incorrect. There isn’t enough time to implement automation.

B. Block the go-live and start testing the low-risk elements immediately:

Incorrect. Blocking the release may not be acceptable if high and medium risks are already mitigated.

C. Transfer the risk of the untested low-risk items to the help desk:

Incorrect. While a potential fallback, it doesn’t address residual risk proactively.

D. Select one of the low-risk elements and perform depth testing to assess the residual risk:

Correct. This provides quick insights into potential risks and helps make an informed go/no-go decision.

Syllabus Alignment:

ISTQB emphasizes prioritizing risk mitigation through targeted testing (TM-1.3.4).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus (TM-1.3.4)​

Key Factors in Test Estimation:

Test estimation requires identifying measurable factors that influence the testing process, includingeffort(workload in person-hours),time(calendar duration),cost, and thespecific test activities(e.g., planning, design, execution).

These are critical to align resources and schedules, ensuring effective project management.

Evaluation of Options:

Ais incorrect: While "lines of code" may relate to testing scope in specific cases, it is not universally applicable in test estimation.

Bis incorrect: "Start and end dates" are outputs of planning, not estimation.

Cis partially correct but lacks a focus on "test activities," which is crucial for completeness.

Dis correct as it covers effort, time, cost, and test activities, reflecting a comprehensive test estimate.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

As per ISTQB Advanced Test Management syllabus, test estimation should consider effort, time, cost, and activities under "Test Planning" (TM-1.1.1)​​​.

Competence Assessment:

Professional competenceis validated by understanding and applying testing techniques to create a decision table.

Methodical competenceis validated by systematically collapsing the decision table to ensure efficient test case design.

Evaluation of Options:

BandCinvolve social and personal skills, which are unrelated to the task.

Dmisses the professional aspect of understanding business rules.

Ais correct because the challenge tests both professional knowledge and methodical skills.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

Decision table techniques and testing competencies are emphasized in "Test Techniques" (TM-1.4.1) and "Test Team Skills" (TM-3.1.1)​​.

Competency in Mentoring:

Mentoring focuses on developing interpersonal skills, such as communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution, which fall under thesocial competencydomain.

While other competencies (e.g., professional or methodological) may benefit, the primary focus of mentoring is improving the ability to interact and support team members.

Evaluation of Options:

Ais correct as mentoring enhances social skills critical for team collaboration.

BandCare incorrect because they relate to knowledge and methodologies rather than interpersonal dynamics.

Dis irrelevant.

References and Syllabus Alignment:

This aligns with "Test Team Dynamics" and "Stakeholder Relationships" in the ISTQB syllabus (TM-3.1.1)​​​.

Context Analysis:

Higher-than-expected defects in a high-risk area indicate the need for additional testing to mitigate potential impacts.

Evaluation of Options:

A. Reassess the risk with a higher likelihood number:

Incorrect. While reassessment is useful, immediate action should prioritize more testing.

B. Reassess the risk with a higher impact number:

Incorrect. The impact may already be known, and more testing is the next practical step.

C. Concentrate more testing in the area because the risk is clearly higher:

Correct. Addressing higher-than-expected defects through focused testing ensures risks are adequately mitigated.

D. Concentrate less testing in the area because the defects are already found:

Incorrect. Higher defects warrant more testing, not less.

Syllabus Alignment:

ISTQB highlights increasing test efforts in high-risk areas with higher-than-expected defect levels (TM-1.3.4).

References:

ISTQB Advanced Level Test Management Syllabus (TM-1.3.4)​