ISQI ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level - Test Automation Engineering CTAL-TAE (Syllabus v2.0) Sample Questions:

1. A new TAS allows the implementation of automated data-driven test scripts. All the tasks planned for the initial deployment of this TAS, aimed at installing and configuring the TAS components and provisioning the infrastructure, will be performed manually by a dedicated, specialized team. This TAS is expected to be deployed in the future in other similar environments. As a TAE, you see a risk that the correct and reproducible deployment of the TAS cannot be guaranteed. Which of the following options is BEST suited for mitigating this risk?

A) Try to automate most of the tasks related to the installation and configuration of the TAS components and those related to the provisioning of the infrastructure
B) Partition the data tables containing test data used by data-driven test scripts into smaller data tables, using an appropriate logical criterion, to make them more manageable
C) Review data-driven test scripts to better organize test libraries by adding test functions containing identical sequences of actions commonly implemented in a relevant number of scripts
D) Nothing needs to be done, because the team that will manually perform the specified tasks, as they are specialized, will not make mistakes and will therefore be able to ensure a correct and reproducible deployment

2. Which of the following statements about a test progress report produced for an automated test suite is TRUE?

A) The test progress report should indicate, for each test in the suite, the timestamps related to the test steps
B) The test progress report should indicate, for each test in the suite, the start and end timestamps of the test
C) The content of the test progress report should not be affected by the stakeholders to whom the report is intended
D) The test progress report should indicate the test environment in which the tests were performed

3. A SUT (SUT1) is a client-server system based on a thin client. The client is primarily a display and input interface, while the server provides almost all the resources and functionality of the system. Another SUT (SUT2) is a client-server system based on a fat client that relies little on the server and provides most of the resources and functionality of the system. A given TAS is used to implement automated tests on both SUT1 and SUT2. The main objective of the TAS is to cover as many system functionalities as possible through automated tests executed as fast as possible. Which of the following statements about the automation solution is BEST in this scenario?

A) The TAS should support mainly server-side automation for both SUT1 and SUT2
B) The TAS should support mainly server-side automation for SUT1 and client-side automation for SUT2
C) The TAS should support mainly client-side automation for SUT1 and server-side automation for SUT2
D) The TAS should support mainly client-side automation for both SUT1 and SUT2

4. (Which of the following statements about how test automation is applied across different software development lifecycle models is TRUE?)

A) In Agile software development, automated regression test suites sometimes grow so large that they can become difficult to maintain, and thus, it becomes crucial to invest in test automation at multiple test levels
B) In a Waterfall model, automated tests are usually executed only during the last phase of the development lifecycle, but their implementation occurs in the early stages
C) In Agile software development, regardless of context (e.g., type of application to be developed, tools available), test automation must be based on the test automation distribution known as the test pyramid model
D) Unlike Agile software development, where automated unit tests are written by developers, often in a test-first fashion, in a V-model, automated unit tests are written by testers as part of unit testing

5. Which of the following practices can be used to specify the active (i.e., actually available) features for each release of the SUT and determine the corresponding automated tests that must be executed for a given release?

A) Feature-driven development
B) Test-driven development
C) The use of feature files
D) The use of feature toggles

Solutions: