Certified Software Quality Engineer Flashcards

What is the primary objective of software hazard analysis in safety-critical systems?

Answer: To identify conditions that could lead to unsafe states and mitigate those risks

Hazard analysis systematically identifies potential hazards, their causes, and the software conditions that could lead to unsafe system states, enabling targeted mitigation measures.

Which testing type specifically evaluates whether a system meets its non-functional requirements such as response time and throughput?

Answer: Performance testing

Performance testing measures system attributes like response time, throughput, resource utilization, and scalability to verify non-functional requirements are met.

In the context of software project management, what is 'earned value' used to measure?

Answer: The budgeted cost of work actually performed at a point in time

Earned Value (EV) is the budgeted cost of work performed — the planned value of completed work, used in EVM to assess schedule and cost performance.

A root cause analysis reveals that developers frequently introduce defects when working under time pressure. According to Ishikawa's fishbone diagram, this root cause falls under which category?

Answer: People (Manpower)

Developer behavior under time pressure is attributed to the People/Manpower category in the Ishikawa fishbone diagram's standard 6M classification.

Which of the following best describes 'white-box testing' (also called structural testing)?

Answer: Testing based on knowledge of the internal code structure, logic, and paths

White-box testing designs test cases based on knowledge of internal code structure, using techniques like statement coverage, branch coverage, and path coverage.

What does the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) concept of 'verification' address?

Answer: Are we building the product right (correctly per specifications)?

Verification confirms that the software conforms to its specifications and that each phase's outputs correctly implement the requirements from the preceding phase.

Which ISO standard specifically addresses quality management systems and is commonly referenced in software quality engineering contexts?

Answer: ISO 9001

ISO 9001 defines requirements for a quality management system and is the foundational QMS standard applicable across industries, including software development organizations.