Pass the iSQI Agile Tester CTFL-AT Questions and answers with ExamsMirror

Exploratory testing is a testing approach that emphasizes learning, creativity, and adaptability. It involves simultaneous test design and test execution, where the tester uses heuristics, intuition, and experience to explore the system under test and discover new information12. Exploratory testing can be performed in an Agile project to complement other testing activities, such as test-driven development, behavior-driven development, and acceptance test-driven development12.

The correct approach to adopt for exploratory testing in an Agile project is D, as it follows the best practices for exploratory testing1234:

Ask experienced testers to prepare test charters for time boxed sessions lasting no more than 2 hours: A test charter is a brief document that describes the scope, objective, and strategy of an exploratory testing session. A test charter helps to guide the tester’s exploration and to document the results. A time box is a fixed period of time allocated for an exploratory testing session. A time box helps to focus the tester’s attention and to limit the scope of exploration. A time box should not be too long, as it may reduce the tester’s concentration and creativity. A recommended duration for a time box is between 45 minutes and 2 hours.

Tests should be designed and executed within each session using heuristics, creativity and intuition: Exploratory testing is an iterative and interactive process, where the tester designs and executes tests based on the observations and feedback from the system under test. The tester uses heuristics, which are rules of thumb or shortcuts that help to simplify the testing problem and to generate test ideas. The tester also uses creativity and intuition, which are mental abilities that help to generate novel and useful solutions and to make judgments based on incomplete or uncertain information.

The incorrect approaches to adopt for exploratory testing in an Agile project are A, B, and C, as they violate the principles and practices of exploratory testing1234:

A: Allocate independent testers to design exploratory tests using test charters in time boxed sessions. Plan to run all sessions in parallel with each session lasting more than 5 hours: This approach is incorrect because it does not involve simultaneous test design and test execution, which is the essence of exploratory testing. It also uses too long time boxes, which may reduce the tester’s concentration and creativity. It also does not leverage the collaboration and communication within the Agile team, as it isolates the testers from the developers and other stakeholders.

B: Ask experienced testers to try and find new defects by using the system without the constraint of documentation and tools: This approach is incorrect because it does not use test charters, which are essential for guiding and documenting the exploratory testing sessions. It also does not use heuristics, creativity, and intuition, which are important for generating test ideas and making decisions. It also implies that exploratory testing is an unstructured and random activity, which is a common misconception. Exploratory testing is a disciplined and systematic approach that requires planning, analysis, and evaluation.

C: Use testers who have not been involved in the sprint to write new test cases from the user stories. These test cases are then executed in a time boxed session for the sprint: This approach is incorrect because it does not involve simultaneous test design and test execution, which is the essence of exploratory testing. It also uses testers who have not been involved in the sprint, which may reduce their understanding of the system under test and the customer needs. It also does not use test charters, which are essential for guiding and documenting the exploratory testing sessions. It also does not use heuristics, creativity, and intuition, which are important for generating test ideas and making decisions.

An Agile retrospective is a regular meeting where the team reflects on their work process and identifies the areas for improvement12. The following statements about Agile retrospectives are correct12:

During Agile retrospectives, testers should be encouraged to provide constructive suggestions on both testing and non-testing activities, as testing is an integral part of the Agile team and testers can contribute to the overall quality of the product and the process.

In an Agile retrospective, the moderator can encourage and make sure that good practices are kept by the team, by asking what the team is doing well. This helps to reinforce the positive aspects of the team’s work and to appreciate the team members’ efforts and achievements.

Agile retrospectives should be focused mainly on impediments that are within the control of the team because these issues are more actionable and can be resolved by the team. Impediments that are outside the control of the team should also be discussed, but they may require the involvement of other stakeholders or external parties to be addressed.

The following statement about Agile retrospectives is incorrect12:

Unlike working sessions or meetings held in non-Agile projects, Agile retrospectives do require follow-up activities. The team should agree on the action items that result from the retrospective and assign them to the responsible team members. The team should also monitor the progress and effectiveness of the action items in the next iteration and review them in the next retrospective.

Therefore, the correct answer is B, as it is the only statement that is correct about Agile retrospectives. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 24; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2,

 The Agile processes promote early and frequent feedback from the customers, users, testers, developers, and other stakeholders involved in the project. This feedback helps to ensure that the product meets the expectations and needs of the customers and users, and that the development process is continuously improved and adapted to the changing requirements and environment. However, increasing the frequency of feedback and communication does not eliminate all communication problems, as there may still be issues such as misunderstandings, misinterpretations, conflicts, or cultural differences that need to be resolved. Therefore, the statement D is not true, as it implies that communication problems are completely avoided by the Agile processes. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 1.2.1, page 9; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Sample Exam Questions2, Question 4, page 5.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

From theCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 2.2Release and Iteration Planning, testers actively contribute during release planning:

"During release planning, testers collaborate with the team to understand the scope of the release and help identify any high-level test considerations. They also participate in quality risk analysis and help in estimating test effort."

Furthermore, it is noted:

"Testers are involved in defining and refining user stories and acceptance criteria, and contribute to quality risk assessments."

Therefore,Option Cis accurate as it reflects the tester's involvement inprioritizing user storiesand conductingquality risk analysisduring release planning.

Option Ais incorrect because defining and redefining the product backlog is primarily the role of theProduct Owner, and the test approach isiteration-specific, not fixed for the full release.

Option Bis inaccurate — breaking down stories into tasks is generally part ofiteration (Sprint) planning, not release planning.

Option Dis incorrect —release plans can changein Agile to accommodate changing business needs.

 Early and frequent feedback is one of the core values of Agile development. It helps the Agile team to deliver features with the highest business value first, to discover and resolve quality problems as soon as possible, to provide information on the team’s productivity and progress, and to ensure that the product meets the customer’s expectations and needs. However, early feedback does not necessarily decrease the amount of time needed for system testing, as system testing is still an important activity in Agile projects to verify the integration and functionality of the whole system. Early feedback may reduce the number of defects found in system testing, but it does not eliminate the need for system testing. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 10; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 11.

 Business-oriented work products are those that describe what is needed (e.g., requirements specifications) and how to use it (e.g., user documentation). A user manual is an example of a business-oriented work product, as it provides instructions and guidance on how to use the product from the user’s perspective. A user manual may also contain information about the product’s features, benefits, and limitations. A user manual is typically written by technical writers, who may collaborate with developers, testers, and business analysts to ensure the accuracy and clarity of the content. A user manual may be delivered in various formats, such as printed, online, or interactive. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 1.2.1, page 10; ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources2, Section 1.2.1, page 10.

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

 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.

 According to the ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, one of the key principles of agile testing is that testers are integrated into the agile team and work closely with developers and other stakeholders. However, this does not mean that testers lose their independence or objectivity. Testers should still be able to provide an unbiased view of the quality of the software and challenge the assumptions and decisions made by the team. Therefore, option C is the best way for a test team to keep its independence when working in an agile development environment, as it allows testers to be part of the agile team, but also report to a different manager than the developers, who can support their professional development and ensure their independence. Option A is not a good way to keep independence, as it limits the transparency and collaboration between testers and developers, which are essential for agile testing. Option B is also not a good way to keep independence, as it creates a physical and organizational barrier between the test automation team and the agile development team, which can hinder communication and feedback. Option D is also not a good way to keep independence, as it creates an inconsistency and imbalance between the testers who are co-located with the agile development team and those who are not, which can affect the quality and efficiency of the testing process. References: ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 1.2.1, page 91; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 1.2.2, page 101; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.1.1, page 141; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.2.1, page 161; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.2.2, page 171.

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 process improvement, 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.