CAST Quality Assurance & Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST describes the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)?
- QA finds defects; QC prevents them
- QA is process-focused; QC is product-focused (Correct answer)
- QA is done after release; QC before release
- QA tests code; QC tests requirements
Correct answer: QA is process-focused; QC is product-focused
QA focuses on improving and auditing processes to prevent defects, while QC focuses on inspecting the product to find defects.
Question 2: An organization follows ISO 9001 for quality management. What is the MAIN benefit this certification provides to customers?
- Guarantees zero defects in software
- Confirms the organization has a documented quality management system (Correct answer)
- Ensures software is compliant with government regulations
- Provides a warranty for delivered products
Correct answer: Confirms the organization has a documented quality management system
ISO 9001 certification confirms that an organization maintains a documented QMS that meets international quality management standards.
Question 3: During a compliance review, the auditor asks for evidence that test exit criteria were met before the product shipped. What artifact BEST satisfies this?
- Source code repository logs
- Test summary report (Correct answer)
- Sprint backlog
- Defect density metrics from previous release
Correct answer: Test summary report
The test summary report documents the test results, coverage, and confirmation that exit criteria were met.
Question 4: What does 'non-conformance' mean in a QA context?
- A test case that was not executed
- A failure to meet a specified requirement or standard (Correct answer)
- A feature added outside the sprint scope
- A defect found in production
Correct answer: A failure to meet a specified requirement or standard
Non-conformance is when a product, process, or service fails to meet a defined requirement, standard, or specification.
Question 5: A Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA) process is triggered after a major escape defect. What distinguishes the 'preventive' action from the 'corrective' action?
- Preventive actions fix the current defect; corrective actions address future risks
- Corrective actions fix the current defect; preventive actions address potential future issues (Correct answer)
- Both actions are identical in scope
- Preventive actions are regulatory; corrective actions are optional
Correct answer: Corrective actions fix the current defect; preventive actions address potential future issues
Corrective action addresses the current non-conformance, while preventive action targets potential future non-conformances.
Question 6: Which metric is MOST useful for measuring the effectiveness of a QA process in preventing defects?
- Defect removal efficiency (DRE) (Correct answer)
- Number of test cases executed
- Test execution cycle time
- Lines of code written per sprint
Correct answer: Defect removal efficiency (DRE)
Defect Removal Efficiency measures the percentage of defects found and removed before release, directly reflecting QA process effectiveness.
Question 7: When testing a financial application for SOX compliance, what is the PRIMARY testing concern?
- Application response time under load
- Accuracy and integrity of financial data and audit trails (Correct answer)
- User interface consistency across platforms
- Compatibility with legacy browsers
Correct answer: Accuracy and integrity of financial data and audit trails
SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) requires accurate financial reporting and audit trails, making data integrity the primary testing concern.
CAST Quality Assurance & Compliance 3
Which of the following BEST describes the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)?