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CTFL 1.1.1: Identify typical test objectives

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Syllabus section 1.1.1

3 original PrepBench practice questions for learning objective 1.1.1 of the CTFL 4.0 syllabus. Try the examples below and check each answer against its syllabus reference.

Practice questions

Question 1

Which of the following is a typical objective of testing?

  1. Improving the development processes so that fewer defects are introduced
  2. Causing failures and finding defects
  3. Analysing the causes of a failure and eliminating them
  4. Proving that the test object contains no remaining defects
Show answer
  • Improving the development processes so that fewer defects are introducedImproving processes preventively is quality assurance, not a test objective.
  • Correct answer: Causing failures and finding defectsCausing failures and finding defects is a named typical test objective.
  • Analysing the causes of a failure and eliminating themFinding, analysing and eliminating a failure's causes is debugging, a non-testing activity.
  • Proving that the test object contains no remaining defectsTesting shows the presence, not the absence, of defects; it cannot prove correctness.

Causing failures and finding defects is named among the typical test objectives. Improving processes so that fewer defects arise is the preventive, process-oriented approach of quality assurance; analysing the causes of a failure and eliminating them is debugging, which the syllabus calls a non-testing activity; and the first testing principle states that testing cannot prove the absence of defects.

Syllabus section 1.1.1

Question 2

Testing has several typical objectives. Which of the following is one of them?

  1. Building confidence in the quality of the test object
  2. Guaranteeing the quality of the test object to its stakeholders
  3. Confirming that the defined development process was followed correctly
  4. Removing the risk of software failure in operation entirely
Show answer
  • Correct answer: Building confidence in the quality of the test objectBuilding confidence in the quality of the test object is a named objective.
  • Guaranteeing the quality of the test object to its stakeholdersTesting builds confidence in quality; it does not guarantee it.
  • Confirming that the defined development process was followed correctlyChecking that a process was followed is quality assurance, not a test objective.
  • Removing the risk of software failure in operation entirelyTesting helps reduce the risk of failure in operation; it does not remove it entirely.

Building confidence in the quality of the test object is named among the typical test objectives. Testing does not guarantee quality, and it helps reduce the risk of software failure in operation rather than removing that risk. Confirming that a process was followed correctly belongs to quality assurance, which is process-oriented and preventive.

Syllabus section 1.1.1

Question 3

Why can the typical test objectives differ from one project to another?

  1. Because each test level prescribes its own fixed set of objectives
  2. Because the objectives are agreed at project start and are then fixed for the project
  3. Because the objectives follow from the programming language and architecture chosen
  4. Because they vary with context, such as the test object, the test level, risks and the SDLC
Show answer
  • Because each test level prescribes its own fixed set of objectivesThe test level is one contextual factor among several, not a prescriber of fixed objectives.
  • Because the objectives are agreed at project start and are then fixed for the projectContext includes factors that change during a project, so the objectives are not fixed at the start.
  • Because the objectives follow from the programming language and architecture chosenThe implementation technology is not what the syllabus names as varying the objectives.
  • Correct answer: Because they vary with context, such as the test object, the test level, risks and the SDLCThe objectives vary with context, including test object, test level, risks and SDLC.

Test objectives can vary depending upon the context, which includes the work product being tested, the test level, risks, the software development lifecycle being followed, and factors related to the business context, for example corporate structure, competitive considerations or time to market.

Syllabus section 1.1.1

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