ISTQB Defect Management Process 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A defect is found in a module that was recently changed. In ISTQB terminology, this type of defect introduced by a change is called a:
- Latent defect
- Regression defect (Correct answer)
- Masked defect
- Random defect
Correct answer: Regression defect
A regression defect is one introduced by a change (code fix, new feature, or configuration change) that inadvertently breaks previously working functionality.
Question 2: During defect reporting, why should a tester avoid including the proposed fix in the defect report?
- Fixes must be approved by management before being documented
- Proposing fixes is outside the tester's role; defect reports should describe problems, not solutions (Correct answer)
- The defect tool does not support fix documentation
- Proposed fixes may violate licensing agreements
Correct answer: Proposing fixes is outside the tester's role; defect reports should describe problems, not solutions
Defect reports should objectively describe the problem; suggesting fixes can bias developers and is beyond the tester's responsibility in most processes.
Question 3: What does 'severity' measure in the context of ISTQB defect management?
- How urgently the defect must be fixed relative to business deadlines
- The degree of impact the defect has on the system or component under test (Correct answer)
- The number of users affected by the defect
- The difficulty of reproducing the defect
Correct answer: The degree of impact the defect has on the system or component under test
Severity reflects the technical impact on the system's functionality, distinguishing it from priority which reflects business urgency.
Question 4: A 'blocker' severity defect is reported. What does this typically mean for the test cycle?
- Testing continues but the defect is flagged for later review
- Testing of the affected area or the entire build cannot proceed until the defect is resolved (Correct answer)
- The defect will be deferred to the next release
- Only exploratory testing may continue around the defect
Correct answer: Testing of the affected area or the entire build cannot proceed until the defect is resolved
A blocker prevents testing from continuing in the affected area, often halting the entire test cycle until it is fixed.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key benefit of using a dedicated defect tracking tool rather than a spreadsheet?
- It reduces the total number of defects found
- It provides workflow enforcement, audit trails, and reporting metrics automatically (Correct answer)
- It eliminates the need for defect triage meetings
- It automatically assigns severity based on test type
Correct answer: It provides workflow enforcement, audit trails, and reporting metrics automatically
Defect tracking tools enforce lifecycle workflows, maintain full audit trails, and generate metrics that spreadsheets cannot reliably provide.
Question 6: In ISTQB, what is meant by a 'false positive' in the context of defect reporting?
- A defect that is found in production rather than testing
- A reported defect that turns out to be correct system behavior or a test error (Correct answer)
- A defect that passes retesting despite still being present
- A duplicate defect report submitted by two testers
Correct answer: A reported defect that turns out to be correct system behavior or a test error
A false positive occurs when a tester reports a defect that is actually correct behavior, often due to a misunderstood requirement or test error.
Question 7: Which defect management activity ensures that a fixed defect has not inadvertently broken other functionality?
- Root cause analysis
- Defect triage
- Regression testing (Correct answer)
- Impact analysis
Correct answer: Regression testing
Regression testing re-executes previously passing tests after a fix to confirm that no new defects were introduced.
ISTQB Defect Management Process 4
A defect is found in a module that was recently changed.
In ISTQB terminology, this type of defect introduced by a change is called a: