CTFL-AT Certified Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester Questions and Answers

Acceptance test criteria are the conditions that a user story must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or the stakeholder. They are usually derived from the user story and its acceptance scenarios, and they should cover the functional and non-functional requirements of the user story. Acceptance test criteria should be clear, concise, testable, and agreed upon by the team and the customer or the stakeholder.

In this case, the user story describes the business rule for approving a loan request based on the customer’s income, repayment history, and loan amount. The user story also specifies the roles of the customer assistant and the bank manager in the process. Therefore, the acceptance test criteria should verify that the user story is implemented correctly and that the system behaves as expected for different scenarios and inputs.

The following test cases can be treated as acceptance test criteria for the above user story:

As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and check the history of the customer account for the last year. This test case verifies that the customer assistant can access the system and view the customer’s income information, which is one of the factors for approving the loan request.

As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and check the history of the customer debts and repayments. This test case verifies that the customer assistant can access the system and view the customer’s repayment history, which is another factor for approving the loan request.

As a bank manager I can log in to the system and receive the information of all requests waiting for approval. This test case verifies that the bank manager can access the system and see the list of loan requests that have been prepared by the customer assistant, and that the system provides the necessary information for each request.

As a bank manager I can log in to the system and decide whether to approve a loan for a customer. This test case verifies that the bank manager can access the system and perform the approval action for a loan request, and that the system applies the business rule correctly and updates the status of the request accordingly.

The following test cases cannot be treated as acceptance test criteria for the above user story:

As a customer assistant I can log in to the system and change my password. This test case is not related to the user story, as it does not verify any of the functional or non-functional requirements of the user story. It is a generic test case that applies to any user of the system, not specific to the customer assistant role or the loan approval process.

As a bank manager I can log in to the system within 10 seconds. This test case is not related to the user story, as it does not verify any of the functional or non-functional requirements of the user story. It is a performance test case that applies to any user of the system, not specific to the bank manager role or the loan approval process.

 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 be tracked 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 taskboard. 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.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 3.1Testing Techniques and Agile, it states:

"Decision table testing is useful when the outcome depends on combinations of inputs or rules."

In this case,different reimbursement percentagesare determined based ontypes of visits and subtypes, makingOption A (Decision Table Testing)the ideal technique.

Option Bfocuses onsingle input ranges, less suitable here.

Option Csuits end-to-end scenarios but not logic-driven calculations.

Option Dapplies tostate-based systems, which this is not.

 Equivalence partitioning is a black-box test design technique that divides the input domain of a system into classes of data from which test cases can be derived. The idea is that if a system works correctly for a representative value from an equivalence class, it will work correctly for all values from that class, and vice versa. Equivalence partitioning reduces the number of test cases by eliminating redundant ones. For the given user story, equivalence partitioning is the most suitable technique because it can test the different outcomes of the annual car tax calculation based on the power of the vehicle, which is the main input for the system. By testing one value from each partition, the tester can verify the functionality of the system and detect any errors in the calculation logic. The other techniques are not as suitable because they do not focus on the input domain of the system, but rather on the conditions, transitions, or scenarios that are not directly related to the user story. References:

: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Version 2014, Section 2.2.2

: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Agile Testing Foundations, Chapter 3, Section 3.2.2

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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.

 Planning poker is a consensus-based technique for agile estimation, using a deck of cards with predefined numerical values, usually based on the Fibonacci sequence or a modified version12. Therefore, statement 1 is correct. A high test estimate usually means that the user story or task is too complex, ambiguous, or risky, and should be broken down into multiple smaller stories that are easier to understand and estimate13. Therefore, statement 3 is correct. The risk level of each backlog item should be decided before the poker session, as it can affect the estimation process and the prioritization of the work14. Therefore, statement 5 is correct. Statement 2 is incorrect, as a low test estimate usually means that the user story or task is simple, clear, and well-defined, and does not need to be broken down further13. Statement 4 is incorrect, as planning poker can involve multiple rounds of estimation, reveal, and discussion, until the team reaches a consensus or agrees to defer the item12. References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation1; 2: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation2; 3: Planning Poker: An Agile Estimating and Planning Technique3; 4: Planning poker: The all-in strategy for Agile estimation - Asana4

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

From theISTQB CTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 1.1Agile Software Development and the Agile Manifesto, the Agile approach is described as:

"Agile software development uses iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams."

Option C reflects this exact concept, highlighting both theiterative-incremental lifecycleand thecollaborative natureof Agile teams.

Option A refers specifically topair programming, a practice used inExtreme Programming (XP), but it’s not a definition of Agile as a whole.

Option B mistakenly describes asequential (Waterfall-like)iteration structure where testing is delayed.

Option D describes ahybrid or phased approach, not consistent with core Agile principles.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

From theCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 5.1, it states:

"The team uses the retrospective to review how they worked during the iteration, including planning accuracy and team collaboration, and to identify actionable improvements."

Thus,Option Dis correct — retrospectives help reflect on iterationplanning accuracy, team dynamics, andefficiencyto improve future iterations.

Option Ais incorrect — retrospectives aim to focus on what the teamcan improve, not just on external hindrances.

Option Bis false — Agile retrospectivesrequire follow-up, often in the form ofaction itemstracked in the next iteration.

Option Cis incorrect —Product Ownerand possibly others may contribute, depending on team context.

Exploratory testing is a testing approach that emphasizes learning, creativity, and adaptability. It involves simultaneous test design and test execution, where the tester uses heuristics, intuition, and experience to explore the system under test and discover new information12. Exploratory testing can be performed in an Agile project to complement other testing activities, such as test-driven development, behavior-driven development, and acceptance test-driven development12.

The correct approach to adopt for exploratory testing in an Agile project is D, as it follows the best practices for exploratory testing1234:

Ask experienced testers to prepare test charters for time boxed sessions lasting no more than 2 hours: A test charter is a brief document that describes the scope, objective, and strategy of an exploratory testing session. A test charter helps to guide the tester’s exploration and to document the results. A time box is a fixed period of time allocated for an exploratory testing session. A time box helps to focus the tester’s attention and to limit the scope of exploration. A time box should not be too long, as it may reduce the tester’s concentration and creativity. A recommended duration for a time box is between 45 minutes and 2 hours.

Tests should be designed and executed within each session using heuristics, creativity and intuition: Exploratory testing is an iterative and interactive process, where the tester designs and executes tests based on the observations and feedback from the system under test. The tester uses heuristics, which are rules of thumb or shortcuts that help to simplify the testing problem and to generate test ideas. The tester also uses creativity and intuition, which are mental abilities that help to generate novel and useful solutions and to make judgments based on incomplete or uncertain information.

The incorrect approaches to adopt for exploratory testing in an Agile project are A, B, and C, as they violate the principles and practices of exploratory testing1234:

A: Allocate independent testers to design exploratory tests using test charters in time boxed sessions. Plan to run all sessions in parallel with each session lasting more than 5 hours: This approach is incorrect because it does not involve simultaneous test design and test execution, which is the essence of exploratory testing. It also uses too long time boxes, which may reduce the tester’s concentration and creativity. It also does not leverage the collaboration and communication within the Agile team, as it isolates the testers from the developers and other stakeholders.

B: Ask experienced testers to try and find new defects by using the system without the constraint of documentation and tools: This approach is incorrect because it does not use test charters, which are essential for guiding and documenting the exploratory testing sessions. It also does not use heuristics, creativity, and intuition, which are important for generating test ideas and making decisions. It also implies that exploratory testing is an unstructured and random activity, which is a common misconception. Exploratory testing is a disciplined and systematic approach that requires planning, analysis, and evaluation.

C: Use testers who have not been involved in the sprint to write new test cases from the user stories. These test cases are then executed in a time boxed session for the sprint: This approach is incorrect because it does not involve simultaneous test design and test execution, which is the essence of exploratory testing. It also uses testers who have not been involved in the sprint, which may reduce their understanding of the system under test and the customer needs. It also does not use test charters, which are essential for guiding and documenting the exploratory testing sessions. It also does not use heuristics, creativity, and intuition, which are important for generating test ideas and making decisions.

Continuous integration is a practice of integrating code changes frequently and automatically into a shared repository, and running automated tests to verify the integration. Continuous integration can introduce some risks to the testing process, such as:

Testers sometimes have too many builds to test, which reduces the quality of testing. This can happen when the code changes are too frequent or too large, and the testers do not have enough time or resources to test each build thoroughly. This can lead to missed defects, incomplete test coverage, and reduced confidence in the product quality.

Testers sometimes have to deal with unstable or broken builds, which affects the testability of the product. This can happen when the code changes introduce errors or conflicts that cause the build to fail or malfunction. This can waste the testers’ time and effort, and delay the feedback cycle.

Testers sometimes have to cope with changing requirements and priorities, which affects the test planning and execution. This can happen when the stakeholders or customers provide new or modified requirements or feedback during the development cycle. This can require the testers to adapt their test strategy, test cases, and test data accordingly, and to balance the testing of new features and regression testing of existing features. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.2.3, page 14; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, page 15.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 2.1Acceptance Criteria and Testability, it states:

"Tests should directly address the acceptance criteria defined for a user story. Testers evaluate if the implemented feature meets the criteria, often using quantitative data like number of steps, time taken, or interaction patterns."

Theacceptance criterionspecifically refers tominimizing steps during checkout, soOption Dis most directly aligned with what needs to be tested.

Options A, B, and Care unrelated to the acceptance criterion’s goal of reducing abandonment due to complex checkout.

Cross-functional teamwork is an important organizational and behavioral best practice for a tester in the SCRUM team that should have also been practiced when using the sequential model. Cross-functional teamwork means that all team members, regardless of their functional roles, collaborate and share their skills and knowledge to achieve a common goal. In the context of testing, this means that testing is not seen as a separate activity or phase, but as an integral part of the development process. All team members contribute to testing in various ways, such as:

Involving people with the test strategy, test planning and execution as well as test reporting. This can help ensure that the testing activities are aligned with the business objectives, the user needs, and the technical requirements. It can also help improve the test coverage, the test quality, and the test efficiency.

Sharing the responsibility for testing among the team members. This can help reduce the workload and the dependency on a single tester or a testing team. It can also help increase the feedback and the communication among the team members, and foster a culture of quality and learning.

Leveraging the diverse skills and perspectives of the team members. This can help enhance the test design and the test execution by applying different techniques, tools, and approaches. It can also help identify and address the risks, the issues, and the opportunities for improvement from various angles. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 1.2.1, page 9; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, page 16.

 A task management tool is a software application that helps agile teams plan, organize, and monitor their work. A task management tool typically allows the team to create, assign, prioritize, update, and track user stories, tests, and other tasks that are part of the agile project. A task management tool can also provide various views and reports to visualize the progress and status of the project, such as Kanban boards, burndown charts, velocity charts, etc. Some examples of task management tools are Jira, Trello, Asana, and Monday.com12345. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.1.1, page 13; ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 2.1.1, page 13.

The Agile Manifesto is a declaration of four values and twelve principles that guide the Agile software development approach12. The four values of the Agile Manifesto are12:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

These values emphasize the importance of human collaboration, working product, customer feedback, and adaptability over rigid processes, extensive documentation, fixed contracts, and predefined plans. The values do not imply that the items on the right are not important, but rather that the items on the left are more important and should be prioritized.

Therefore, the statement that is NOT a value from the Agile Manifesto is B, as it contradicts the first value of the Agile Manifesto. The correct statement should be “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools”. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 10; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 1.

An Agile task board is a visual framework to display and sync up on the tasks moving between production steps. It is usually applied to the two most popular Agile development frameworks — Kanban and Scrum. Used by software developers and project managers, an Agile board helps manage workloads in a flexible, transparent, and iterative way1. An Agile task board provides a detailed visual representation of the whole team’s status, showing which tasks remain to be started, which are in progress, and which are done. It also helps to track the progress of the current sprint, identify bottlenecks, and facilitate collaboration and communication among team members2. References:

: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Version 2014, Section 2.1.1

: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Agile Testing Foundations, Chapter 2, Section 2.1.1

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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.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 5.4Progress Tracking, it explains:

"Burndown charts track completed story points, which are only counted when the entire user story is 'done'."

SinceT3 and T4 are not complete, and the user story is only complete whenall its tasks are done, thestory points are not yet burned. So,Option Cis correct.

Option Ais incorrect —partial completiondoes not burn partial story points.

Option Bmisrepresents the chart’s purpose —story pointsremain the unit.

 Scrum is an agile development approach that incorporates the following practices:

a project is divided into iterations called sprints, which are typically 2-4 weeks long

each sprint starts with a planning meeting, where the team selects a subset of user stories from the product backlog to work on

each sprint ends with a review meeting, where the team demonstrates the potentially releasable/shippable product increment to the stakeholders and collects feedback

each sprint also includes a retrospective meeting, where the team reflects on the process and identifies areas for improvement123 References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.1, Agile Software Development1; 2: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 2.1, Agile Software Development2; 3: What is Agile? | Atlassian3

A tester on an Agile project typically performs the following tasks12:

Implementing test strategy: A tester helps to define and implement the test strategy for the Agile project, which includes the test approach, test levels, test types, test techniques, test tools, test environment, test data, test metrics, and test documentation.

Measuring and reporting test coverage: A tester measures and reports the test coverage of the product features and quality attributes, such as functionality, usability, performance, security, etc. Test coverage can be expressed in terms of test cases, test scenarios, test sessions, test conditions, test data, code, etc.

Coaching development team in relevant aspects of testing: A tester coaches the development team in relevant aspects of testing, such as test design, test execution, test automation, test-driven development, behavior-driven development, exploratory testing, etc. A tester also helps the development team to improve their testing skills and practices.

The following tasks are not typically performed by a tester on an Agile project:

Documenting business requirements: Business requirements are usually documented by the product owner or the business analyst, not by the tester. The tester may review and provide feedback on the business requirements, but the tester is not responsible for documenting them.

Executing test-driven development tests: Test-driven development tests are usually executed by the developers, not by the tester. The tester may assist the developers in creating and reviewing the test-driven development tests, but the tester is not responsible for executing them.

Therefore, the correct answer is C, as it contains the tasks that are typically performed by a tester on an Agile project. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, pages 14-15, 18-19, 22-23; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 17.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 2.4Testing and Iterations, it states:

"In Agile projects, developers and testers work together to ensure the correct functionality is delivered during the iteration. Business representatives and testers may also validate the software during development to provide quick feedback."

This confirms thatOption Dis correct —collaborative testingby stakeholders and testers during development is a core Agile practice.

Option Ais incorrect — testing doesnot waitfor "done"; it occursconcurrentlywith development.

Option Bmisrepresents Agile — performance isn't based on metrics like defect counts.

Option Cis true in general, butdoes not directly answerthe integration of testing and development activities.

Test automation is essential for agile projects, as it enables fast and frequent feedback on the quality of the product. Without test automation, it would be very difficult to ensure high quality in an agile project, as manual testing would be too slow and costly to keep up with the pace of development12. Automated acceptance tests are one of the key types of test automation on agile projects, as they verify that the user stories are implemented correctly and that the product meets the customer’s expectations. Automated acceptance tests are run regularly as part of the continuous integration full system build, and the results provide feedback on the overall product quality12. Therefore, statements 2 and 5 are correct with regards to test automation on agile projects. References: 1: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation1; 2: ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 3.3.1, Test Automation2