Professional Ethics & Standards Flashcards

A tester discovers a critical security vulnerability but is told by management to delay reporting it to meet the release deadline. What is the ethically correct action?

Answer: Immediately escalate the issue through appropriate channels regardless of the deadline

Professional ethics require testers to report critical issues promptly through proper channels, as delaying a security vulnerability report puts users at risk.

Which IEEE standard is most closely associated with software testing processes and documentation?

Answer: IEEE 829

IEEE 829 is the standard for Software and System Test Documentation, covering test plans, test cases, and test reports.

A tester is offered a gift by a vendor whose software is under evaluation. What is the most ethical response?

Answer: Decline the gift to avoid any conflict of interest

Accepting gifts from vendors under evaluation creates a conflict of interest, and the most ethical action is to decline to maintain objectivity.

According to the CAST code of ethics, what is a tester's primary professional responsibility?

Answer: Serving the public interest and maintaining integrity in testing activities

The primary professional responsibility of a software tester, per ethical codes, is to serve the public interest and maintain integrity in all testing activities.

A colleague asks you to sign off on a test report for tests you did not perform. What should you do?

Answer: Refuse to sign and explain that you can only attest to work you personally performed or verified

Professional integrity requires that testers only attest to work they have personally performed or directly verified, and signing falsely constitutes professional misconduct.

In the context of software testing ethics, what does 'due care' mean?

Answer: Applying the level of competence and diligence that a reasonable professional would exercise

Due care means exercising the competence and diligence that a reasonable and prudent professional would apply in the same circumstances.

A tester finds a defect that could harm end users but is told the fix is too expensive for this release. What is the most ethical course of action?

Answer: Ensure the defect is properly documented, escalated, and the risk is formally accepted by authorized stakeholders

The ethical approach is to document the defect thoroughly, escalate it appropriately, and ensure the risk is formally accepted by those with authority to make that decision.