iSQI CTFL-AT Certified Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester Exam Practice Test

A tester on an Agile project typically performs the following tasks12:

• Implementing test strategy: A tester helps to define and implement the test strategy for the Agile project, which includes the test approach, test levels, test types, test techniques, test tools, test environment, test data, test metrics, and test documentation.
• Measuring and reporting test coverage: A tester measures and reports the test coverage of the product features and quality attributes, such as functionality, usability, performance, security, etc. Test coverage can be expressed in terms of test cases, test scenarios, test sessions, test conditions, test data, code, etc.
• Coaching development team in relevant aspects of testing: A tester coaches the development team in relevant aspects of testing, such as test design, test execution, test automation, test-driven development, behavior-driven development, exploratory testing, etc. A tester also helps the development team to improve their testing skills and practices.

The following tasks are not typically performed by a tester on an Agile project:

• Documenting business requirements: Business requirements are usually documented by the product owner or the business analyst, not by the tester. The tester may review and provide feedback on the business requirements, but the tester is not responsible for documenting them.
• Executing test-driven development tests: Test-driven development tests are usually executed by the developers, not by the tester. The tester may assist the developers in creating and reviewing the test-driven development tests, but the tester is not responsible for executing them.

Therefore, the correct answer is C, as it contains the tasks that are typically performed by a tester on an Agile project. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, pages 14-15, 18-19, 22-23; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 17.

Testers replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts. Comprehensive Explanation: The integration of development and testing activities in Agile projects is based on the principle of cross-functional teamwork, where all team members collaborate and share their skills and knowledge to achieve a common goal. In the context of testing, this means that testing is not seen as a separate activity or phase, but as an integral part of the development process. Therefore, the following sentences are correct:

• While developers develop automated unit test scripts, testers write automated system level tests. This is an example of how developers and testers can work in parallel and complement each other’s testing efforts. Developers can focus on testing the internal quality of the code, while testers can focus on testing the external quality of the product.
• Developers write acceptance criteria and test cases, together with testers. This is an example of how developers and testers can work together to define and verify the user requirements and expectations. Developers can provide their technical expertise and input, while testers can provide their business and user perspective and feedback.
• Developers and testers may work as a pair to develop and test a feature. This is an example of how developers and testers can work closely and interactively to deliver a feature. Developers and testers can exchange ideas, suggestions, and information, and support each other in the coding and testing tasks.

The following sentence is incorrect:

• Testers replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts. This is not a valid example of the integration of development and testing activities in Agile projects, because it implies that testers take over the responsibility of developers, rather than collaborate with them. Testers should not replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts, because developers have more knowledge and experience in coding and debugging, and because unit testing is an essential part of the development process. Testers should instead work with developers to ensure that the unit test automation scripts are adequate, effective, and maintainable. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 1.2.1, page 9; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, pages 16 and 55.

The Agile Manifesto is a declaration of four values and twelve principles that guide the Agile software development approach12. The four values of the Agile Manifesto are12:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

These values emphasize the importance of human collaboration, working product, customer feedback, and adaptability over rigid processes, extensive documentation, fixedcontracts, and predefined plans. The values do not imply that the items on the right are not important, but rather that the items on the left are more important and should be prioritized.

Therefore, the statement that is NOT a value from the Agile Manifesto is B, as it contradicts the first value of the Agile Manifesto. The correct statement should be “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools”. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 10; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 1.

Risk-based testing fits well in Agile development processes, as risks are easy to identify when the work is divided into user stories. User stories are short descriptions of features or functionalities that are valuable to the customers or users. They help to define the scope and priority of the work in each iteration. By breaking down the work into user stories, the Agile team can identify the potential risks associated with each story, such as technical complexity, business criticality, or user feedback. The team can then prioritize the testing effort based on the risk level of each story, ensuring that the most important and risky features are tested first and thoroughly. Risk-based testing also helps to optimize the testing time and resources, as the team can focus on testing the most relevant aspects of the software, rather than testing everything equally. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.3.2, page 181; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Sample Exam Questions, Question 2.3.2-1, page 92

According to the ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, a retrospective is a meeting held at the end of each iteration or release, where the agile team reflects on what went well and what can be improved in their processes, practices, and interactions. The purpose of a retrospective is to identify and implement actions for continuous improvement, and to foster a culture of learning and collaboration. Therefore, the items that would be the most effective to generate discussions on process improvement are those that are related to the team’s performance, challenges, feedback, and suggestions. Option D is the least effective item to generate discussions on process improvement, as it is a personal attack on one of the team members, and it does not offer any constructive feedback or solution. This kind of item can create a negative and hostile atmosphere in the retrospective, and damage the trust and respect among the team members. Option A is an effective item to generate discussions on processimprovement, as it identifies a problem with the build process that affects the team’s efficiency and quality, and it can lead to finding ways to optimize the build process or to mitigate the delays. Option B is also an effective item to generate discussions on process improvement, as it reveals a discrepancy between the team’s estimation and actual effort, and it can lead to analyzing the root causes of the deviation and to improving the estimation techniques or the team’s capacity. Option C is also an effective item to generate discussions on process improvement, as it highlights a weakness in the automation tests that hinders the team’s ability to debug and fix the failures, and it can lead to enhancing the automation tests with better logging mechanisms or to reviewing the automation strategy. References: ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.1.1, page 14; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.1.2, page 15; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.2.1, page 16; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.2.2, page 17.

 A task management tool is a software application that helps agile teams plan, organize, and monitor their work. A task management tool typically allows the team to create, assign, prioritize, update, and track user stories, tests, and other tasks that are part of the agile project. A task management tool can also provide various views and reports to visualize the progress and status of the project, such as Kanban boards, burndown charts, velocity charts, etc. Some examples of task management tools are Jira, Trello, Asana, and Monday.com12345. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.1.1, page 13; ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 2.1.1, page 13.

The acceptance criteria for a sprint are the conditions that must be met for the user stories to be considered done and deliver value to the customer1. The acceptance criteria should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and testable2. In this case, the plan for the sprint is to increase performance of the system, so the acceptance criteria should reflect that goal. Therefore, the acceptance criteria that would be expected for Sprint 5 are:

• uk.co.certification.simulator.questionpool.PList@19f8c3f0

The other options are not relevant or appropriate acceptance criteria for Sprint 5:

• uk.co.certification.simulator.questionpool.PList@19f8c510

Acceptance test criteria are the conditions that a user story must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or the stakeholder. They are usually derived from the user story and its acceptance scenarios, and they should cover the functional and non-functional requirements of the user story. Acceptance test criteria should be clear, concise, testable, and agreed upon by the team and the customer or the stakeholder.

In this case, the user story describes the business rule for approving a loan request based on the customer’s income, repayment history, and loan amount. The user story also specifies the roles of the customer assistant and the bank manager in the process. Therefore, the acceptance test criteria should verify that the user story is implemented correctly and that the system behaves as expected for different scenarios and inputs.

The following test cases can be treated as acceptance test criteria for the above user story:

• As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and check the history of the customer account for the last year. This test case verifies that the customer assistant can access the system and view the customer’s income information, which is one of the factors for approving the loan request.
• As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and check the history of the customer debts and repayments. This test case verifies that the customer assistant can access the system and view the customer’s repayment history, which is another factor for approving the loan request.
• As a bank manager I can log in to the system and receive the information of all requests waiting for approval. This test case verifies that the bank manager can access the system and see the list of loan requests that have been prepared by the customer assistant, and that the system provides the necessary information for each request.
• As a bank manager I can log in to the system and decide whether to approve a loan for a customer. This test case verifies that the bank manager can access the system and perform the approval action for a loan request, and that the system applies the business rule correctly and updates the status of the request accordingly.

The following test cases cannot be treated as acceptance test criteria for the above user story:

• As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and change my password. This test case is not related to the user story, as it does not verify any of the functional or non-functional requirements of the user story. It is a generic test case that applies to any user of the system, not specific to the customer assistant role or the loan approval process.
• As a bank manager I can log in to the system within 10 seconds. This test case is not related to the user story, as it does not verify any of the functional or non-functional requirements of the user story. It is a performance test case that applies to any user of the system, not specific to the bank manager role or the loan approval process.

References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.3.1, pages 15-16; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, pages 2 and 3.

 Planning poker is a consensus-based technique for agile estimation, using a deck of cards with predefined numerical values, usually based on the Fibonacci sequence or a modified version12. Therefore, statement 1 is correct. A high test estimate usually means that the user story or task is too complex, ambiguous, or risky, and should be broken down into multiple smaller stories that are easier to understand and estimate13. Therefore, statement 3 is correct. The risk level of each backlog item should be decided before the poker session, as it can affect the estimation process and the prioritization of the work14. Therefore, statement 5 is correct. Statement 2 is incorrect, as a low test estimate usually means that the user story or task is simple, clear, and well-defined, and does not need to be broken down further13. Statement 4 is incorrect, as planning poker can involve multiple rounds of estimation, reveal, and discussion, until the team reaches a consensus or agrees to defer the item12. References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation1; 2: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation2; 3: Planning Poker: An Agile Estimating and Planning Technique3; 4: Planning poker: The all-in strategy for Agile estimation - Asana4

A testable acceptance criterion is a condition that can be verified or measured objectively by the tester, customer, or stakeholder. It should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). A testable acceptance criterion should also be written from the user’s perspective, achievable within the sprint, and written before development begins1.

Among the four options, only option C meets these criteria. It is specific (the response time to confirm a customer submission), measurable (must not exceed 5 seconds), achievable (within the technical and business constraints), relevant (to the user’s needs and expectations), and time-bound (must be met in every sprint). It is also written from the user’s perspective, testable (by measuring the response time), and written before development (as part of the user story definition).

Option A is not testable because it is vague and subjective. What does it mean to support business processes? How can this be verified or measured? Option B is also not testable because it is subjective and ambiguous. What does it mean to be easy to use? How can this be verified or measured? Option D is not testable because it is not written from the user’s perspective. It is an internal quality criterion for the testing team, not an acceptance criterion for the product or feature.

References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.3.2, page 182; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Sample Exam Questions, Question 2.3.2-2, page 93

 Release planning is a process of defining the scope and timeline for an iterative or incremental product development project. It is used in agile or hybrid projects where a mid- to long-term planning of the product or system development or integration is required12. Release planning involves the following activities:

• Identifying testable user stories with acceptance criteria. User stories are short descriptions of the features or functionalities that the customer or user wants from the product. Acceptance criteria are the conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered done and acceptable. Identifying testable user stories with acceptance criteria helps to define the scope and quality of the release13.
• Prioritizing the user stories. User stories are prioritized based on the value they deliver to the customer or user, as well as the dependencies, risks, and costs associated with them. Prioritizing the user stories helps to determine the order and frequency of the releases13.
• Performing high level estimation for the release. High level estimation is a technique to estimate the effort, time, and resources needed to complete the user stories in the release. High level estimation can be done using various methods, such as analogy, expert judgment, planning poker, etc. Performing high level estimation for the release helps to set realistic and achievable goals and deadlines13.

Therefore, activities 1, 3 and 6 are done in release planning. Activities 2, 4 and 5 are done in iteration planning, which is a more detailed and short-term planning of the work to be done in each iteration or sprint13. References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.2, Fundamental Agile Testing Principles, Practices and Processes1; 2: Agile Release Planning in Hybrid and Agile Projects4; 3: How to Create an Agile Release Plan5

 Exploratory testing is a type of testing that involves simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution. It is suitable for Quadrant 3 because it is business facing and product critique, meaning that it focuses on the user’s perspective and the quality attributes of the product. Exploratory testing can help discover new risks, requirements, and defects that may not be covered by other test levels and test types. It can also provide feedback on the usability, functionality, and reliability of the product. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.3.2, page 17; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, page 23.