This guide offers an overview of the typical structure of the questions in the CSTE Certification exam.
We have compiled some common questions and answers from CSTE practice exams. You can refer to these when preparing your responses for the descriptive answer paper.
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If you’re interested in objective type questions from the CSTE exam, you can refer to our previous guide on CSTE objective type question answers. You can also download additional sample papers from our ‘Downloads’ section.
Let’s get started!!
Sample CSTE Exam Paper – Questions and Answers
Q #1) Please provide definitions for the following, including examples [25 Marks]
a. Boundary Value testing
b. Equivalence testing
c. Error Guessing
d. Desk checking
e. Control Flow evaluation
Answer:
a) Boundary Value Analysis: This method involves selecting test cases/data by identifying the boundaries that separate valid and invalid conditions.
Tests are designed to test the inside and outside edges of these boundaries, including the exact boundary points or a number strategy where test data are chosen to lie along “boundaries” of the input domain [or output range] classes, data structures, procedure parameters, etc.
Choices often include maximum, minimum, and trivial values or parameters.
For example, Input data 1 to 10 (boundary value)
Test input data 0, 1, 2 to 9, 10, 11
b) Equivalence Testing: The input domain of the system is divided into classes of representative values so that the number of test cases can be limited to one-per-class, which represents the minimum number of test cases that have to be run.
For Example, valid data range: 1-10
Test set:-2; 5; 14
c) Error Guessing: A technique for selecting test data. The selection criterion is to choose values that seem likely to cause errors. Error Guessing is primarily based on experience, with some support from other techniques such as Boundary Value Analysis.
Based on experience, the test designer guesses the types of errors that may occur in a particular type of software and designs the test cases to uncover them.
For example,, if any type of resource is allocated dynamically, then a good place to look for errors is in the de-allocation of resources. Are all resources appropriately deallocated, or are some lost as the software executes?
d) Desk Checking: Desk Checking is conducted by the developer of the system or program. This process involves a thorough review of the entire product to ensure it is structurally sound and the standards and requirements have been met. This is the traditional method for examining a system or program.
e) Control Flow Analysis: This analysis is based on the graphical representation of the program process. In Control Flow Analysis, the program graphs consist of nodes that represent a statement or segment potentially ending in an unresolved branch.
The graph illustrates the flow of program control from one segment to another as represented through branches. The aim of Control Flow Analysis is to identify potential problems in logic branches that could lead to a loop condition or incorrect processing.
Q #2) There’s a senior tester who is making more mistakes than the junior testers. You need to discuss this with the senior tester without risking losing them. How should one approach providing constructive feedback? [10 Marks]
Answer: In the traditional approach, it is the manager’s responsibility to facilitate their subordinates’ success. Effective use of constructive criticism is a tool for improving subordinate performance.
When delivering constructive criticism, you should include the following strategies:
- Do it privately.
- Stick to the facts.
- Be prepared to assist the employee in improving their performance.
- Be clear about expectations.
- Follow a specific process when giving criticism.
Q #3) You’ve been hired as a test lead to test a Web-based Application by your supervisor. He wants to know what risks you would include in the Test Plan. Describe each risk factor that would be included in your test plan. [20 marks]
Answer:
Below are the Primary Risk Factors of a Web-Based Application:
- Security: Anything related to the security of the application.
- Performance: The amount of computational resources and code that the system requires to perform its stated functions.
- Correctness: Ensuring the data entered, processed, and outputted in the system is accurate and complete.
- Access Control: The certainty that resources of the application system will be safeguarded.
- Continuity of processing: The ability to continue processing in case an issue arises.
- Audit Trail: The ability to validate the process that has occurred.
- Authorization: The confirmation that the data processing serves the intended management purpose.
General/Secondary Risks:
- Complex: Anything significantly large, intricate, or complicated.
- New: Anything that doesn’t have a history in the product.
- Changed: Anything that has been modified or “improved”.
- Upstream Dependency: Anything whose failure will cause a cascading failure in the rest of the system.
- Downstream Dependency: Anything that is particularly sensitive to failures in the rest of the system.
- Critical: Anything whose failure could cause significant damage.
- Precise: Anything that has to meet its requirements exactly.
- Popular: Anything that will be used a lot.
- Strategic: Anything that has special importance to your business, such as a feature that differentiates you from competitors.
- Third-party: Anything used in the product but developed outside the project.
- Distributed: Anything spread out in time or space, yet whose parts must cooperate.
- Buggy: Anything known to have multiple issues.
- Recent Failure: Anything with a recent history of failure.
Q #4) You are in the contract phase of a project and are developing a detailed proposal for a safety-critical software system. Your director has consulted you to prepare a guideline document that will list the user’s role during the Acceptance Testing phase.
Identify the key roles you feel the user should play during the acceptance phase. Also, indicate the categories into which the acceptance requirements should fall. [10 Marks]
Answer:
- Ensure user involvement in developing system requirements and acceptance criteria.
- Identify interim and final products for acceptance of their acceptance criteria and schedule.
- Plan how and by whom each acceptance activity will be carried out.
- Plan resources to provide information.
- Schedule adequate time for buyer staff to receive & learn products and perform evaluation prior to acceptance review.
- Create an acceptance plan.
- Respond to the review of project deliverables before accepting and rejecting.
- Approve the various interim software products.
- Perform final acceptance activities, including formal acceptance testing at delivery.
- Make an acceptance decision for each product.
Q #5) What is Parallel Testing, and when is it used? Provide a straightforward example. [5 marks]
Answer: Parallel Testing involves testing a new or altered data processing system with the same source data that is used in another system. The other system is considered the standard for comparison. OR we can say that parallel testing involves running the same input through two versions of the same application.
Parallel testing should be used when the correctness of the new application’s processing is uncertain. The old and new versions of the applications are identical.
For Example,
- Run old and new versions of the payroll system to determine if paychecks from both systems reconcile.
- Run the old version of the application system to ensure the operational status of the old system is maintained if problems arise in the new application.
Q #6) What is the difference between Testing Techniques and Tools? Provide examples. [5 marks]
Answer:
Testing Technique: This is a method used to ensure that certain aspects of an application system or unit function correctly. There may be few techniques but many tools.
Tools: A tool is a means of executing a testing process. It aids the tester, but it doesn’t suffice to conduct testing on its own.
For Example, Swinging a hammer to drive a nail. A hammer is a tool, and swinging the hammer is a technique. The concept of tools and techniques is crucial in the testing process. The combination of the two allows the testing process to be performed.
The tester should first comprehend the testing techniques and then understand which tools can be used with each technique.
Q #7) Quality control activities are focused on identifying defects in the actual products produced. However, your boss wants you to identify and define processes that can prevent defects. How would you explain to him the distinction between QA and QC tasks? [10 Marks]
Answer:
Quality Assurance:
- A planned and systematic set of actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that the requirements have been properly established and the product or service meets the defined requirements
- An activity that establishes and evaluates the processes used to produce the products.
- Facilitates the identification of processes.
- Sets up measurement programs to evaluate processes.
- Identify process weaknesses and improve them.
- QA is the entire team’s responsibility.
- Prevents the introduction of issues or defects.
Quality Control:
- A process wherein product quality is compared to applicable standards, and actions are taken when non-compliance is detected.
- An activity that verifies if the product conforms to pre-defined standards.
- Implements the process.
- Verifies the presence of particular attribute(s) in a specific product or service.
- Identifies defects primarily to correct them.
- QC is the tester’s responsibility.
- Detects, reports, and rectifies defects.
Q #8 ) Contrast Transaction Flow Modeling, Finite State Modeling, Data Flow Modeling, and Timing Modeling. [10 Marks]
Answer:
Transaction Flow Modeling: The nodes represent transaction steps. The links represent the logical connection between these steps.
Finite State Modeling: The nodes depict various user-observable software states. The links represent transitions that occur while transitioning from one state to another.
Data Flow Modeling: The nodes represent data objects. The links represent transformations that occur when translating one data object into another.
Timing Modeling: The nodes are Program Objects. The links represent sequential connections between these program objects. The link weight indicates the required execution time as the program runs.
9) In your opinion, what are the two primary goals of Testing? [5 Marks]
Answer:
- Verify whether the system adheres to specifications (manufacturer’s perspective)
- Confirm whether the system meets the needs of the business and users (Customer’s perspective)
We hope this guide helped you understand the type of questions in the CSTE Software Testing Certification Exam. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!