Quality Assurance & Testing Practices Flashcards

Which testing technique derives test cases from the specification without examining internal code structure?

Answer: Black-box testing

Black-box testing treats the system as an opaque unit, deriving tests solely from requirements and specifications.

A software team notices defects cluster in a small set of modules. Which quality principle does this illustrate?

Answer: Defect clustering

Defect clustering is a testing principle stating that a small number of modules tend to contain the majority of defects.

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a test plan in a software project?

Answer: To define the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of testing

A test plan outlines the overall testing strategy including scope, objectives, resources, schedule, and approach.

Which type of testing evaluates how the system behaves under peak load conditions?

Answer: Stress testing

Stress testing pushes a system beyond its normal operating limits to evaluate behavior under extreme conditions.

In equivalence partitioning, what is a valid equivalence class for a field accepting values 1–100?

Answer: Values 1–100

A valid equivalence class contains values that are expected to be processed correctly, so 1–100 represents the valid partition.

Which QA activity focuses on verifying that a software product meets its specified requirements?

Answer: Verification

Verification confirms that the product is built according to specifications, asking 'Are we building the product right?'

What does the 'pesticide paradox' in software testing warn against?

Answer: Repeating the same tests, which stops finding new defects

The pesticide paradox states that running the same tests repeatedly will eventually stop finding new bugs, requiring tests to be updated.