ISTQB - International Software Testing Qualifications Board Static Testing and Reviews Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following statements BEST describes a primary benefit of static testing?
- It is effective at finding memory leaks and performance bottlenecks.
- It can be performed late in the development lifecycle without impacting the schedule.
- It identifies defects in work products directly, rather than identifying failures caused by defects. (Correct answer)
- It guarantees the complete absence of defects in the software.
Correct answer: It identifies defects in work products directly, rather than identifying failures caused by defects.
Static testing examines work products like requirements, code, or models without executing them. Its main benefit is finding defects directly within these documents, such as ambiguities in requirements or coding standard violations, before they lead to failures during dynamic testing. Dynamic testing, which involves running the code, is used to find failures like performance issues or memory leaks.
Question 2: A development team is conducting a review of a user story. The author of the story is leading the session, explaining the work product to a group of peers to gain feedback and achieve a common understanding. Which type of review is MOST likely being conducted?
- Inspection
- Technical Review
- Walkthrough (Correct answer)
- Informal Review
Correct answer: Walkthrough
A walkthrough is a type of review where the author leads the meeting and presents the work product to their peers. The main goals are often to educate the team, gain a common understanding, and gather feedback. Inspections are more formal, led by a trained moderator, and focus on defect finding using defined roles and checklists. Technical reviews are also formal and focus on technical aspects and conformance to standards, often led by a moderator. While a walkthrough can be informal, its key characteristic described here is being author-led for understanding and feedback.
Question 3: In a formal review process, which role is primarily responsible for planning the review, leading the meeting, and ensuring the process is followed correctly?
- Author
- Scribe
- Reviewer
- Moderator (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Moderator
The Moderator (or facilitator) is the person who leads the review. Their responsibilities include planning, scheduling, running the meeting, ensuring the focus remains on the objectives, and following up on the results. The Author created the work product, the Scribe records issues found, and Reviewers are the individuals examining the work product for defects.
Question 4: Which of the following is an organizational success factor for reviews?
- Participants have different skill sets and perspectives.
- The review outcome is used for evaluating the performance of the author.
- Management allocates adequate time for review activities in project schedules. (Correct answer)
- The review meeting is held with a large group to get as much input as possible.
Correct answer: Management allocates adequate time for review activities in project schedules.
For reviews to be successful, management support is crucial. This includes incorporating adequate time for all review activities (planning, individual preparation, meetings, rework, and follow-up) into project plans and schedules. Using reviews to evaluate participants is a known anti-pattern that creates an atmosphere of distrust. While having the right people is a success factor, it's a people-related factor, and very large groups can make meetings inefficient. The question specifically asks for an *organizational* success factor.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of using static analysis tools?
- To execute test cases automatically and report failures.
- To find defects by analyzing the dynamic behavior of the code at runtime.
- To analyze work products like source code or models for structural defects and deviations from standards without executing them. (Correct answer)
- To facilitate communication and feedback during an informal review meeting.
Correct answer: To analyze work products like source code or models for structural defects and deviations from standards without executing them.
Static analysis is a form of static testing that uses tools to examine work products. These tools can detect issues such as coding standard violations, potential security vulnerabilities, and code complexity (e.g., cyclomatic complexity) by analyzing the code's structure without actually running it.
Question 6: During which phase of a formal review process do participants examine the work product to identify potential defects BEFORE the review meeting?
- Planning
- Kick-off
- Individual Preparation (Correct answer)
- Follow-up
Correct answer: Individual Preparation
The 'Individual Preparation' (or 'Individual Review') phase is when each participant reviews the work product on their own to find potential defects, questions, and comments. This is done before the review meeting to make the meeting itself more efficient and effective. Planning involves defining the scope and objectives, Kick-off is the initial meeting to distribute documents, and Follow-up involves checking that defects have been addressed after the rework phase.
ISTQB - International Software Testing Qualifications Board Static Testing and Reviews Questions and Answers
Which of the following statements BEST describes a primary benefit of static testing?