You are a tester in an agile team. The user story you are due to test is still under development so your tests are blocked. The main issue holding progress on this user story is that the developer's unit tests are constantly failing.
As an agile tester, which of the following actions should you take?
Correct Answer:
C
As an agile tester, you should work together with the developer, suggesting reasons why the tests are failing. This is an example of the agile principle of collaboration and communication within the team, as well as the agile testing practice of early and frequent feedback. By working together with the developer, you can help to identify and resolve the root causes of the test failures, as well as share your testing knowledge and perspective. This can lead to faster and better quality delivery of the user story, as well as improved team relationships and trust.
Option A is not a good action, because reviewing and improving the design of the user story is not the tester’s responsibility, and it may not address the test failures. Option B is also not a good action, because creating bug reports for blocked tests is not an agile way of handling issues, and it may create unnecessary overhead and waste. Option D is not a good action, because it does not help to unblock the current user story, and it may distract you from the sprint goal and the team’s focus.
References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.3.1, page 171; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Sample Exam Questions, Question 2.3.1-2, page 82
Which of the following would provide the MOST independence for testers working with agile teams?
Correct Answer:
B
Independence in testing is the degree of separation between the person who tests something and the person who developed it. Independence can help to reduce bias, increase objectivity, and provide different viewpoints. However, independence also has some drawbacks, such as increased communication overhead, reduced collaboration, and delayed feedback. In agile projects, testers are usually embedded in the agile teams to perform many of the testing tasks, such as unit testing, integration testing, acceptance testing, etc. This provides a high level of collaboration and fast feedback, but also reduces the independence of the testers. Testers from an independent test team who do not get involved with the agile team, but are assigned to do System Testing once all sprints are completed, would provide the most independence for testers working with agile teams. However, this would also introduce many disadvantages, such as lack of alignment with the agile principles, loss of context and domain knowledge, delayed defect detection and resolution, and increased risk of missing customer expectations. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 1.1.2, page 8; ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 1.1.2, page 8.
Which one of the following is a testable acceptance criterion?
Correct Answer:
C
A testable acceptance criterion is a condition that can be verified or measured objectively by the tester, customer, or stakeholder. It should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). A testable acceptance criterion should also be written from the user’s perspective, achievable within the sprint, and written before development begins1.
Among the four options, only option C meets these criteria. It is specific (the response time to confirm a customer submission), measurable (must not exceed 5 seconds), achievable (within the technical and business constraints), relevant (to the user’s needs and expectations), and time-bound (must be met in every sprint). It is also written from the user’s perspective, testable (by measuring the response time), and written before development (as part of the user story definition).
Option A is not testable because it is vague and subjective. What does it mean to support business processes? How can this be verified or measured? Option B is also not testable because it is subjective and ambiguous. What does it mean to be easy to use? How can this be verified or measured? Option D is not testable because it is not written from the user’s perspective. It is an internal quality criterion for the testing team, not an acceptance criterion for the product or feature.
References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.3.2, page 182; ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Sample Exam Questions, Question 2.3.2-2, page 93
Which of the following statements about Agile retrospectives is CORRECT?
Correct Answer:
B
An Agile retrospective is a regular meeting where the team reflects on their work process and identifies the areas for improvement12. The following statements about Agile retrospectives are correct12:
✑ During Agile retrospectives, testers should be encouraged to provide constructive
suggestions on both testing and non-testing activities, as testing is an integral part of the Agile team and testers can contribute to the overall quality of the product and the process.
✑ In an Agile retrospective, the moderator can encourage and make sure that good practices are kept by the team, by asking what the team is doing well. This helps to reinforce the positive aspects of the team’s work and to appreciate the team members’ efforts and achievements.
✑ Agile retrospectives should be focused mainly on impediments that are within the control of the team because these issues are more actionable and can be resolved by the team. Impediments that are outside the control of the team should also be discussed, but they may require the involvement of other stakeholders or external parties to be addressed.
The following statement about Agile retrospectives is incorrect12:
✑ Unlike working sessions or meetings held in non-Agile projects, Agile retrospectives do require follow-up activities. The team should agree on the action items that result from the retrospective and assign them to the responsible team members. The team should also monitor the progress and effectiveness of the action items in the next iteration and review them in the next retrospective.
Therefore, the correct answer is B, as it is the only statement that is correct about Agile retrospectives. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 24; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2,
A calculator application is being developed. The third sprint has been planned to add functionality to the calculator to allow scientific calculations.
Which TWO examples below represent activities that would likely be managed on an agile task board for the third sprint?
1) A task to design the features planned for the next sprint.
2) A task to run an acceptance test for a user story.
3) A task to automate regression tests.
4) A task to participate in training in preparation for the fourth sprint.
5) A task to produce a daily progress report for the agile team members.
Correct Answer:
A
According to the ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, an agile task board is a visual tool that displays the status of the work items in an agile sprint. The task board typically shows the user stories, tasks, and their progress from “to do” to “done”. The task board helps the agile team to monitor and coordinate their work, and to communicate with stakeholders. Therefore, the examples that represent activities that would likely be managed on an agile task board for the third sprint are those that are related to the user stories, tasks, and their progress in the current sprint. Option A is the correct answer, as it contains two examples of such activities: running an acceptance test for a user story, and automating regression tests. These are both tasks that are part of the testing process in the current sprint, and their status can betracked on the task board. Option B is not a correct answer, as it contains two examples of activities that are not related to the current sprint: designing the features planned for the next sprint, and participating in training in preparation for the fourth sprint. These are both activities that are part of the planning or learning process for the future sprints, and they are not managed on the task board. Option C is also not a correct answer, as it contains two examples of activities that are not related to the current sprint: participating in training in preparation for the fourth sprint, and producing a daily progress report for the agile team members. These are both activities that are part of the learning or reporting process, and they are not managed on the task board. Option D is also not a correct answer, as it contains two examples of activities that are not related to the current sprint: designing the features planned for the next sprint, and producing a daily progress report for the agile team members. These are both activities that are part of the planning or reporting process, and they are not managed on the task board. References: ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.1.1, page 14; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.1.2, page 15; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.2.1, page 16; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 2.2.2, page 17.
