Software Testing Professional Standards & Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A tester discovers a critical defect one hour before a scheduled release. The project manager says to ship anyway. What is the most professionally appropriate action?
- Ignore the defect and approve the release
- Document the defect, escalate the risk formally, and let stakeholders decide with full information (Correct answer)
- Refuse to sign off and threaten to resign
- Fix the defect yourself without informing anyone
Correct answer: Document the defect, escalate the risk formally, and let stakeholders decide with full information
Testers must formally escalate risks with full documentation so stakeholders can make an informed release decision.
Question 2: Which IEEE standard specifically addresses software test documentation?
- IEEE 829 (Correct answer)
- IEEE 1012
- IEEE 730
- IEEE 1028
Correct answer: IEEE 829
IEEE 829 defines the format and content of software test documents such as test plans, test cases, and test reports.
Question 3: What does the term 'test oracle' refer to in software testing?
- A senior tester who mentors junior staff
- A mechanism for determining whether a test has passed or failed (Correct answer)
- A third-party testing tool vendor
- A database of known software defects
Correct answer: A mechanism for determining whether a test has passed or failed
A test oracle is a mechanism (expected output, specification, or model) used to determine whether actual test results are correct.
Question 4: A tester is asked to test a module written by a close friend. What is the professionally correct approach?
- Test it normally but be lenient on minor defects
- Disclose the relationship to the project manager and ask for reassignment if objectivity may be compromised (Correct answer)
- Refuse to test it without explanation
- Test it and informally tell the friend about bugs before logging them
Correct answer: Disclose the relationship to the project manager and ask for reassignment if objectivity may be compromised
Professional testers must disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if objectivity cannot be maintained.
Question 5: Which competency is MOST critical for a tester performing exploratory testing?
- Ability to write automated scripts
- Strong analytical and investigative thinking skills (Correct answer)
- Familiarity with formal test design techniques only
- Deep knowledge of database schema design
Correct answer: Strong analytical and investigative thinking skills
Exploratory testing relies heavily on analytical thinking and curiosity to uncover defects without predefined scripts.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a test policy in an organization?
- To list every test case that must be executed
- To define the organization's principles, approach, and major objectives for testing (Correct answer)
- To assign specific tools to individual testers
- To document defects found in the last release
Correct answer: To define the organization's principles, approach, and major objectives for testing
A test policy establishes high-level organizational principles and objectives that guide all testing activities.
Question 7: A junior tester submits a test report containing inaccurate pass/fail results due to misunderstanding. The senior tester notices the error. What should the senior tester do?
- Submit the incorrect report to meet the deadline
- Correct the report, inform the junior tester of the mistake, and file the accurate version (Correct answer)
- Report the junior tester to HR immediately
- Ignore it since defects in the report are the manager's problem
Correct answer: Correct the report, inform the junior tester of the mistake, and file the accurate version
Professional integrity requires correcting inaccurate reports and using the situation as a coaching opportunity.
Software Testing Professional Standards & Competencies 2
A tester discovers a critical defect one hour before a scheduled release.
The project manager says to ship anyway.
What is the most professionally appropriate action?