ICP Quality Assurance & Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary benefit of pair programming from a quality assurance perspective?
- It doubles the team's headcount requirements
- It provides real-time code review, catching defects as they are introduced (Correct answer)
- It eliminates the need for automated tests
- It speeds up individual developer output
Correct answer: It provides real-time code review, catching defects as they are introduced
Pair programming acts as continuous code review, allowing two developers to catch errors immediately rather than discovering them later in a formal review cycle.
Question 2: Which agile practice uses short feedback loops from actual users to validate whether a feature delivers value?
- Sprint planning
- Backlog refinement
- Frequent releases and user feedback cycles (Correct answer)
- Daily standup
Correct answer: Frequent releases and user feedback cycles
Releasing frequently and gathering real user feedback validates whether built features actually deliver value, closing the loop between assumptions and reality.
Question 3: A new regulatory requirement emerges mid-project. How should an agile team handle it?
- Ignore it until the next major release
- Add it to the product backlog, prioritize with the Product Owner, and incorporate it into upcoming sprints (Correct answer)
- Halt the project and renegotiate the entire contract
- Assign it exclusively to the compliance officer
Correct answer: Add it to the product backlog, prioritize with the Product Owner, and incorporate it into upcoming sprints
Agile's adaptive nature means new requirements, including regulatory ones, are added to the backlog and prioritized collaboratively for inclusion in future iterations.
Question 4: What distinguishes verification from validation in agile quality assurance?
- Verification checks if the product works as designed; validation checks if it meets user needs (Correct answer)
- Verification is done by users; validation is done by developers
- They are synonymous in agile contexts
- Verification happens after release; validation happens before
Correct answer: Verification checks if the product works as designed; validation checks if it meets user needs
Verification confirms the product was built correctly according to specifications, while validation confirms the right product was built to satisfy actual user needs.
Question 5: How does a team's Definition of Done differ from acceptance criteria on a user story?
- They are the same thing used in different contexts
- The DoD applies to every increment team-wide; acceptance criteria are story-specific conditions (Correct answer)
- Acceptance criteria replace the DoD in mature teams
- The DoD is set by external auditors; acceptance criteria are internal
Correct answer: The DoD applies to every increment team-wide; acceptance criteria are story-specific conditions
The Definition of Done is a team-wide quality standard applied to all work, while acceptance criteria are story-specific conditions defined by the Product Owner for individual backlog items.
Question 6: Which technique helps agile teams identify the root cause of a recurring defect rather than just fixing the symptom?
- Burndown chart analysis
- Five Whys analysis (Correct answer)
- Story point estimation
- Kanban pull system
Correct answer: Five Whys analysis
The Five Whys technique iteratively asks 'why' to drill down from a symptom to its underlying root cause, enabling permanent rather than symptomatic fixes.
Question 7: In an agile context, what is the role of automated regression testing?
- To replace exploratory testing entirely
- To ensure previously working functionality remains intact as new code is added (Correct answer)
- To generate user story acceptance criteria automatically
- To manage sprint backlog prioritization
Correct answer: To ensure previously working functionality remains intact as new code is added
Automated regression tests provide a safety net that confirms existing functionality is not broken by new changes, enabling teams to move fast with confidence.
ICP Quality Assurance & Compliance 3
What is the primary benefit of pair programming from a quality assurance perspective?