Exploratory Testing Trivia 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who coined the term 'exploratory testing' and is widely credited with formalizing its practice?
- James Bach
- Cem Kaner (Correct answer)
- Michael Bolton
- Elisabeth Hendrickson
Correct answer: Cem Kaner
Cem Kaner coined the term 'exploratory testing' in 1984 and later defined it formally in his writings.
Question 2: What does the acronym 'SBTM' stand for in exploratory testing?
- Session-Based Test Management (Correct answer)
- Scenario-Based Testing Method
- Structured Bug Tracking Methodology
- Software Behavior Test Mapping
Correct answer: Session-Based Test Management
SBTM stands for Session-Based Test Management, a framework for organizing exploratory testing into time-boxed sessions.
Question 3: In exploratory testing, what is a 'tour' most closely associated with?
- A formal regression test suite
- A themed heuristic approach to exploring a specific aspect of an application (Correct answer)
- A automated UI walkthrough script
- A scheduled stakeholder demo
Correct answer: A themed heuristic approach to exploring a specific aspect of an application
A tour in exploratory testing is a themed heuristic used to guide exploration of specific aspects like the 'Landmark Tour' or 'Garbage Collector's Tour'.
Question 4: Which exploratory testing concept involves deliberately trying to 'break' the application using knowledge of past bugs?
- Regression heuristic
- Error guessing (Correct answer)
- Boundary exploration
- Equivalence partitioning
Correct answer: Error guessing
Error guessing leverages tester experience and knowledge of past defects to predict and target areas likely to contain new bugs.
Question 5: What year was the book 'Explore It!' by Elisabeth Hendrickson published?
- 2008
- 2010
- 2013 (Correct answer)
- 2016
Correct answer: 2013
'Explore It!' by Elisabeth Hendrickson was published in 2013 and became a key reference for structured exploratory testing.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the 'Landmark Tour' heuristic in exploratory testing?
- Testing only the most-used features of an application
- Identifying key features and visiting each one in various orders (Correct answer)
- Following a fixed script through all UI screens
- Testing only features flagged in the release notes
Correct answer: Identifying key features and visiting each one in various orders
The Landmark Tour involves identifying major features as 'landmarks' and systematically visiting them in different sequences to uncover interaction bugs.
Question 7: What is the primary output artifact of a session-based exploratory testing session?
- A formal test case document
- A session sheet or session report (Correct answer)
- A defect density matrix
- An automated regression script
Correct answer: A session sheet or session report
A session sheet (or session report) captures the charter, findings, issues, and notes from an exploratory testing session.
Exploratory Testing Trivia 2
Who coined the term 'exploratory testing' and is widely credited with formalizing its practice?