ISTQB Foundation Level
  • ISTQB CTFL Syllabus 2018 V3.1
  • Author - Magdalena Olak
  • 1. Fundamentals of Testing
    • 1.1. What is Testing?
      • 1.1.1. Typical Objectives of Testing
      • 1.1.2. Testing and Debugging
    • 1.2. Why is Testing Necessary?
      • 1.2.1 Testing’s Contributions to Success
      • 1.2.2 Quality Assurance and Testing
      • 1.2.3 Errors, Defects, and Failures
      • 1.2.4 Defects, Root Causes and Effects
    • 1.3. Seven Testing Principles
    • 1.4. Test Process
      • 1.4.1 Test Process in Context
      • 1.4.2 Test Activities and Tasks
      • 1.4.3 Test Work Products
      • 1.4.4 Traceability between the Test Basis and Test Work Products
    • 1.5. The Psychology of Testing
      • 1.5.1 Human Psychology and Testing
      • 1.5.2 Tester’s and Developer’s Mindsets
  • 2. Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle
    • 2.1. Software Development Lifecycle Models
      • 2.1.1. Software Development and Software Testing
      • 2.1.2. Software Development Lifecycle Models in Context
    • 2.2. Test Levels
      • 2.2.1. Component Testing
      • 2.2.2 Integration Testing
      • 2.2.3. System Testing
      • 2.2.4. Acceptance Testing
    • 2.3. Test Types
      • 2.3.1. Functional Testing
      • 2.3.2. Non-functional Testing
      • 2.3.3. White-box Testing
      • 2.3.4. Change-related Testing
      • 2.3.5. Test Types and Test Levels
    • 2.4. Maintenance Testing
      • 2.4.1 Triggers for Maintenance
      • 2.4.2 Impact Analysis for Maintenance
  • 3 Static Testing
    • 3.1 Static Testing Basics
      • 3.1.1 Work Products that Can Be Examined by Static Testing
      • 3.1.2 Benefits of Static Testing
      • 3.1.3 Differences between Static and Dynamic Testing
    • 3.2 Review Process
      • 3.2.1 Work Product Review Process
      • 3.2.2 Roles and responsibilities in a formal review
      • 3.2.3 Review Types
      • 3.2.4 Applying Review Techniques
      • 3.2.5 Success Factors for Reviews
  • 4 Test Techniques
    • 4.1 Categories of Test Techniques
      • 4.1.1 Categories of Test Techniques and Their Characteristics
    • 4.2 Black-box Test Techniques
      • 4.2.1 Equivalence Partitioning
      • 4.2.2 Boundary Value Analysis
      • 4.2.3 Decision Table Testing
      • 4.2.4 State Transition Testing
      • 4.2.5 Use Case Testing
    • 4.3 White-box Test Techniques
      • 4.3.1 Statement Testing and Coverage
      • 4.3.2 Decision Testing and Coverage
      • 4.3.3 The Value of Statement and Decision Testing
    • 4.4 Experience-based Test Techniques
      • 4.4.1 Error Guessing
      • 4.4.2 Exploratory Testing
      • 4.4.3 Checklist-based Testing
  • 5 Test Management
    • 5.1 Test Organization
      • 5.1.1 Independent Testing
      • 5.1.2 Tasks of a Test Manager and Tester
    • 5.2 Test Planning and Estimation
      • 5.2.1 Purpose and Content of a Test Plan
      • 5.2.2 Test Strategy and Test Approach
      • 5.2.3 Entry Criteria and Exit Criteria (Definition of Ready and Definition of Done)
      • 5.2.4 Test Execution Schedule
      • 5.2.5 Factors Influencing the Test Effort
      • 5.2.6 Test Estimation Techniques
    • 5.3 Test Monitoring and Control
      • 5.3.1 Metrics Used in Testing
      • 5.3.2 Purposes, Contents, and Audiences for Test Reports
    • 5.4 Configuration Management
    • 5.5 Risks and Testing
      • 5.5.1 Definition of Risk
      • 5.5.2 Product and Project Risks
      • 5.5.3 Risk-based Testing and Product Quality
    • 5.6 Defect Management
  • 6 Tool Support for Testing
    • 6.1 Test Tool Considerations
      • 6.1.1 Test Tool Classification
      • 6.1.2 Benefits and Risks of Test Automation
      • 6.1.3 Special Considerations for Test Execution and Test Management Tools
    • 6.2 Effective Use of Tools
      • 6.2.1 Main Principles for Tool Selection
      • 6.2.2 Pilot Projects for Introducing a Tool into an Organization
      • 6.2.3 Success Factors for Tools
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  1. 6 Tool Support for Testing
  2. 6.1 Test Tool Considerations

6.1.3 Special Considerations for Test Execution and Test Management Tools

In order to have a smooth and successful implementation, there are a number of things that ought to be considered when selecting and integrating test execution and test management tools into an organization.

Test execution tools

Test execution tools execute test objects using automated test scripts. This type of tools often requires significant effort in order to achieve significant benefits.

  • Capturing test approach: Capturing tests by recording the actions of a manual tester seems attractive, but this approach does not scale to large numbers of test scripts. A captured script is a linear representation with specific data and actions as part of each script. This type of script may be unstable when unexpected events occur, and require ongoing maintenance as the system’s user interface evolves over time.

  • Data-driven test approach: This test approach separates out the test inputs and expected results, usually into a spreadsheet, and uses a more generic test script that can read the input data and execute the same test script with different data.

  • Keyword-driven test approach: This test approach, a generic script processes keywords describing the actions to be taken (also called action words), which then calls keyword scripts to process the associated test data.

The above approaches require someone to have expertise in the scripting language (testers, developers or specialists in test automation). When using data-driven or keyword-driven test approaches testers who are not familiar with the scripting language can also contribute by creating test data and/or keywords for these predefined scripts. Regardless of the scripting technique used, the expected results for each test need to be compared to actual results from the test, either dynamically (while the test is running) or stored for later (post-execution) comparison.

Further details and examples of data-driven and keyword-driven testing approaches are given in ISTQBCTAL- TAE, Fewster 1999 and Buwalda 2001.

Model-Based testing (MBT) tools enable a functional specification to be captured in the form of a model, such as an activity diagram. This task is generally performed by a system designer. The MBT tool interprets the model in order to create test case specifications which can then be saved in a test management tool and/or executed by a test execution tool (see ISTQB-CTFL-MBT ).

Test management tools

Test management tools often need to interface with other tools or spreadsheets for various reasons, including:

  • To produce useful information in a format that fits the needs of the organization

  • To maintain consistent traceability to requirements in a requirements management tool

  • To link with test object version information in the configuration management tool

This is particularly important to consider when using an integrated tool (e.g., Application Lifecycle Management), which includes a test management module, as well as other modules (e.g., project schedule and budget information) that are used by different groups within an organization.

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