Exploratory Testing Defect Investigation and Reporting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'severity' in the context of defect reporting?
- The impact of the defect on the system's functionality or users (Correct answer)
- How quickly the defect needs to be fixed
- The frequency with which the defect occurs
- The number of users who have reported the defect
Correct answer: The impact of the defect on the system's functionality or users
Severity measures how much the defect impacts the system — from minor visual glitches to complete system crashes.
Question 2: How does 'priority' differ from 'severity' in a defect report?
- Priority is about when the bug should be fixed; severity is about how bad the impact is (Correct answer)
- Priority and severity mean the same thing in most organizations
- Priority is set by testers; severity is set by developers
- Priority only applies to security defects
Correct answer: Priority is about when the bug should be fixed; severity is about how bad the impact is
Severity describes the technical impact; priority reflects business urgency — a low-severity bug may be high priority if it affects the product's image.
Question 3: What evidence should an exploratory tester typically attach to a defect report?
- Screenshots, screen recordings, and relevant log files (Correct answer)
- Only the tester's verbal description of the issue
- The complete session sheet
- The test charter for the session
Correct answer: Screenshots, screen recordings, and relevant log files
Visual evidence (screenshots, recordings) and logs give developers the context they need to understand and reproduce the defect.
Question 4: What is 'regression' in the context of defect management?
- A defect that was previously fixed but reappeared in a later build (Correct answer)
- A defect that only affects older versions of the software
- A defect found exclusively during exploratory testing
- A defect that occurs in the database layer
Correct answer: A defect that was previously fixed but reappeared in a later build
A regression is when a previously working feature breaks again, typically due to a new code change.
Question 5: Which of the following best demonstrates effective 'actual vs. expected' documentation in a bug report?
- Actual: Application crashes when saving with empty name field. Expected: Validation message appears. (Correct answer)
- Actual: Bug found. Expected: No bug.
- Actual: Something went wrong. Expected: It should work.
- Actual: Feature is broken. Expected: Feature should be fixed.
Correct answer: Actual: Application crashes when saving with empty name field. Expected: Validation message appears.
Precise actual vs. expected descriptions give developers clear criteria to reproduce the failure and know what correct behavior looks like.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'minimal test case' when reporting a defect?
- To reduce reproduction steps to the smallest set that still triggers the defect (Correct answer)
- To ensure the defect can be found in fewer than five seconds
- To list only the most critical features affected
- To create a simplified version of the application for testing
Correct answer: To reduce reproduction steps to the smallest set that still triggers the defect
A minimal test case strips away unnecessary steps, making it faster for developers to reproduce and isolate the root cause.
Exploratory Testing Defect Investigation and Reporting 2
What is 'severity' in the context of defect reporting?