CAST Professional Ethics & Standards 4

Question 1

A tester is pressured by a project manager to mark test cases as 'passed' without executing them due to time constraints. This would violate which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

Integrity

Answer

Marking tests as passed without executing them is a direct violation of integrity, as it involves falsifying professional records and deceiving stakeholders.

Question 2

According to professional ethics standards, how should a tester handle confidential information about defects discovered in a client's system?

Accepted Answer

Keep it confidential and share it only with authorized parties on a need-to-know basis

Answer

Professional ethics require testers to keep client and project information confidential, sharing it only with those who are authorized and have a legitimate need to know.

Question 3

What is 'test oracle bias' and why is it an ethical concern?

Accepted Answer

When a tester unconsciously assumes the expected output matches the actual output without proper verification

Answer

Test oracle bias occurs when testers unconsciously accept incorrect outputs as correct, and it is an ethical concern because it can lead to undetected defects reaching users.

Question 4

In a professional testing engagement, a tester discovers that their test results contradict the client's internal test results. What is the ethical approach?

Accepted Answer

Document and report findings objectively, then facilitate a review to resolve the discrepancy

Answer

Professional ethics require objective reporting of findings, and discrepancies between test results should be transparently documented and investigated rather than suppressed.

Question 5

The principle of 'professional courage' in testing ethics refers to:

Accepted Answer

The willingness to report unwelcome findings honestly despite organizational or social pressure

Answer

Professional courage means having the fortitude to honestly report defects, risks, and findings even when doing so is unwelcome or creates conflict with management or stakeholders.

(CAST) Certified Associate in Software Testing Practice Test

(CAST) Certified Associate in Software Testing Practice Test

CAST Professional Ethics & Standards 4