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

A test charter is a document that describes the scope, objective, and approach of an exploratory testing session. It is used mainly in exploratory tests to guide the tester’s actions and record the findings. A test charter may make reference to user stories, requirements, risks, or other sources of information that are relevant to the testing mission. A test charter also contains notes taken during a test session, such as test ideas, test results, bugs, issues, and observations. A test charter is not used to monitor a test process, as it is not a formal metric or report. It is also not used to outline the company test policy, as it is specific to a particular test session and context. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.2.3, page 18; ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 2.2.3, page 18; How to Write an Exploratory Test Charter, Creating an Exploratory Testing Charter, What is Exploratory Testing?.

As an agile tester, you should work together with the developer, suggesting reasons why the tests are failing. This is an example of the agile principle of collaboration and communication within the team, as well as the agile testing practice of early and frequent feedback. By working together with the developer, you can help to identify and resolve the root causes of the test failures, as well as share your testing knowledge and perspective. This can lead to faster and better quality delivery of the user story, as well as improved team relationships and trust.

Option A is not a good action, because reviewing and improving the design of the user story is not the tester’s responsibility, and it may not address the test failures. Option B is also not a good action, because creating bug reports for blocked tests is not an agile way of handling issues, and it may create unnecessary overhead and waste. Option D is not a good action, because it does not help to unblock the current user story, and it may distract you from the sprint goal and the team’s focus.

An Agile retrospective is a regular meeting where the team reflects on their work process and identifies the areas for improvement12. The following statements about Agile retrospectives are correct12:

During Agile retrospectives, testers should be encouraged to provide constructive suggestions on both testing and non-testing activities, as testing is an integral part of the Agile team and testers can contribute to the overall quality of the product and the process.

In an Agile retrospective, the moderator can encourage and make sure that good practices are kept by the team, by asking what the team is doing well. This helps to reinforce the positive aspects of the team’s work and to appreciate the team members’ efforts and achievements.

Agile retrospectives should be focused mainly on impediments that are within the control of the team because these issues are more actionable and can be resolved by the team. Impediments that are outside the control of the team should also be discussed, but they may require the involvement of other stakeholders or external parties to be addressed.

The following statement about Agile retrospectives is incorrect12:

Unlike working sessions or meetings held in non-Agile projects, Agile retrospectives do require follow-up activities. The team should agree on the action items that result from the retrospective and assign them to the responsible team members. The team should also monitor the progress and effectiveness of the action items in the next iteration and review them in the next retrospective.

Therefore, the correct answer is B, as it is the only statement that is correct about Agile retrospectives. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 24; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2,

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 3.3Behavior-Driven Development, and 3.2Test-Driven Development:

"TDD focuses on writing unit tests that guide the implementation of code."

"BDD focuses on writing scenarios that describe the behavior of the software, often using a language that stakeholders can understand."

Thus,Option Bis accurate — TDD targetscode implementation, BDD targetsbehavioral expectations.

Option Ais incorrect —TDD is at unit level, whileBDD is at the acceptance level.

Option Cis false —BDD is more readable and accessiblefor non-technical stakeholders.

Option Dconfuses BDD withuser story formats; BDD usesGiven-When-Then, not the "As a... I want..." template.

Testers replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts. Comprehensive Explanation: The integration of development and testing activities in Agile projects is based on the principle of cross-functional teamwork, where all team members 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. Therefore, the following sentences are correct:

While developers develop automated unit test scripts, testers write automated system level tests. This is an example of how developers and testers can work in parallel and complement each other’s testing efforts. Developers can focus on testing the internal quality of the code, while testers can focus on testing the external quality of the product.

Developers write acceptance criteria and test cases, together with testers. This is an example of how developers and testers can work together to define and verify the user requirements and expectations. Developers can provide their technical expertise and input, while testers can provide their business and user perspective and feedback.

Developers and testers may work as a pair to develop and test a feature. This is an example of how developers and testers can work closely and interactively to deliver a feature. Developers and testers can exchange ideas, suggestions, and information, and support each other in the coding and testing tasks.

The following sentence is incorrect:

Testers replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts. This is not a valid example of the integration of development and testing activities in Agile projects, because it implies that testers take over the responsibility of developers, rather than collaborate with them. Testers should not replace developers in writing unit test automation scripts, because developers have more knowledge and experience in coding and debugging, and because unit testing is an essential part of the development process. Testers should instead work with developers to ensure that the unit test automation scripts are adequate, effective, and maintainable. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 1.2.1, page 9; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, pages 16 and 55.

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 2.1Acceptance Criteria and Testability, and Section 3.1:

"Acceptance criteria may also address non-functional quality characteristics such as reliability, performance, and usability."

The criterion referencesfailure rate over time, which is areliability attribute, makingOption D (Quality characteristics)the correct answer.

Option A(Scenarios) refers to usage paths.

Option Brefers to functional correctness.

Option Crefers to interface interaction points.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromISTQB Glossary (also referenced in CTFL-AT):

"Configuration management is a discipline applying technical and administrative direction and surveillance to: identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of a configuration item, control changes to those characteristics, record and report change processing and implementation status, and verify compliance."

Thus,Option Dis the formal and accurate definition ofConfiguration Management.

Option Adescribestest control, not configuration management.

Option Brefers tosession-based testing, unrelated to configuration management.

Option Crefers tocombinatorial test design, not configuration control.

 Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) is a software development approach that allows a developer to define accurate unit tests focused on business needs. BDD uses a common language that is understandable by both technical and non-technical stakeholders, such as Given-When-Then scenarios. BDD helps to align the development and testing activities with the customer expectations and business goals . 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

According to the ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, acceptance criteria are a set of conditions that a user story must satisfy to be accepted by the customer or stakeholder. Acceptance criteria should be testable, meaning that they can be verified by objective measurements or observations. Testable acceptance criteria should be clear, unambiguous, complete, and consistent. Therefore, option A is the best example for testable acceptance criteria, as it specifies a clear and measurable condition for the input value of the ID field. Option B is not a good example for testable acceptance criteria, as it is vague and does not define any specific condition or expectation for the interface to External System. Option C is not a good example for testable acceptance criteria, as it is incomplete and does not specify what the specific authorization level is or how it is determined. Option D is not a good example for testable acceptance criteria, as it is subjective and not measurable. What is clear and attractive for one user may not be for another. References: ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 1.1.1, page 7; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 1.1.2, page 8; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 3.1.1, page 23; ISTQB Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester syllabus, section 3.1.2, page 24.

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Regression of software is the risk that a change in one part of the software causes a defect in another part of the software that was previously working correctly. Regression of software is a high risk in agile projects because there is code churn due to change in business needs over several sprints. Code churn is the amount of code that is added, modified, or deleted in a software project over time. Code churn can indicate the volatility and complexity of the software, and the frequency and magnitude of the changes. In agile projects, code churn can be highbecause the business needs and the user requirements can change rapidly and frequently over several sprints, which are short iterations of development and testing. This means that the software is constantly evolving and adapting to the changing needs, and that the existing functionality and quality may be affected by the new or modified code. Therefore, regression of software is a high risk in agile projects, and it requires effective testing strategies and techniques to prevent, detect, and fix the regression defects. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus1, Section 2.3.2, page 17; ISTQB® Glossary of Testing Terms2, version 4.0, pages 36 and 55

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

From theCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 4.2Continuous Integration, it states:

"Continuous integration involves integrating code into a shared repository several times a day. Each integration is verified by an automated build and automated tests."

Hence,Option D—at least once a day— correctly reflects best practice in continuous integration.

Option A(once per iteration) andB,Care far too infrequent to meet the goals of CI.

The objective is to detect integration issuesearly and often, which is only achievable throughdaily (or more frequent)integrations.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 3.2Test-Driven Development, and 1.3The Whole-Team Approach, testers:

"Collaborate in test-related activities including test case creation, exploratory testing, and user story clarification."

"Unit tests are typically the responsibility of developers, especially in TDD practices."

Therefore,Option Aisleast likely, asunit test tracking in TDDis primarily adeveloper responsibility, not a tester's routine task.

Options B, C, and D all describekey Agile tester activities, such asmaintaining regression tests,collaborating with developers, andparticipating in specification workshops (BDD/ATDD practices).

 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.

The Test Pyramid is a model for organizing tests in a way to make the process of testing faster, efficient and cost-effective. This model focusses on getting maximum functional testing getting covered by faster and less brittle tests like Unit and API tests1. The main benefit of the Test Pyramid is that it helps in evaluating the amount of test cases needed for each level of testing. The Test Pyramid suggests that the number of test cases should decrease as we move up the pyramid, from unit tests to integration tests to end-to-end tests. This is because unit tests are more granular, isolated, and easy to write and maintain, while end-to-end tests are more complex, dependent, and brittle. The Test Pyramid also helps in balancing the test coverage and the test execution time, as unit tests provide high coverage and low execution time, while end-to-end tests provide low coverage and high execution time. By following the Test Pyramid, teams can optimize their testing efforts and resources, and ensure that they have a sufficient and effective test suite for their software. References: ISTQB® Foundation Level Agile Tester Syllabus, Section 2.2.1, page 16; ASTQB Agile Tester Certification Resources, Section 2.2.1, page 16; What is Test Pyramid : Getting started with Test Automation Pyramid, The Practical Test Pyramid - Martin Fowler, Testing Pyramid: What Is It and How To Use It | Solvd.

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.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 2.2Release and Iteration Planning, it describes Planning Poker as:

"Planning Poker involves group discussion, especially from the highest and lowest estimators, to ensure that different perspectives and assumptions are aligned, which leads to more accurate and shared understanding of the effort involved."

Thus,Option Cis correct — Team B usesdiscussion-based estimation, which is a corebenefitof Planning Poker.

Option Ais speculative — we cannot know the actual effort difference.

Option Bis incorrect — convergence without discussion may indicatelack of engagement or pressure to agree.

Option Dis false — Planning Poker isnot based on averaging, but onconsensus.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

FromCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 4.3Test Automation and Continuous Integration, it states:

"Automated tests help detect regression defects quickly and can be run frequently during development, thus reducing regression risk."

So,Option Dis correct —test automation supports regression testingwithin iterations, making it an essential Agile practice.

Option Ais false —automated unit tests are designed to be fastand are ideally run with every check-in.

Option Bis incorrect — more code changesincrease, not reduce, regression risk.

Option Cis incorrect —technical debt can still existwith automation if the automation is poorly designed or not maintained.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

From theCTFL-AT Syllabus v4.0, Section 5.1Agile Retrospectives and Process Improvement, it states:

"Retrospectives are used to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. They should include qualitative insights and quantitative measures such as velocity, burndown charts, and number of stories completed."

Therefore,Option Cis correct, as using metrics to support process improvement is arecommended best practicein retrospectives.

Option Ais incorrect — retrospectivesshould include what went well, not just negatives.

Option Bis inaccurate — not all improvements must be implemented immediately; they areprioritized and plannedbased on capacity and impact.

Option Dis false — retrospectives are heldat the end of every iteration, regardless of story points completed.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

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

"In Agile projects, testing activities are conducted in parallel with development activities within an iteration, unlike traditional models where testing is done after development."

Therefore,Option Dis correct — Agile promotesparallel testing, while traditional projects (e.g., V-model) followsequential phases.

Option Ais incorrect — Agile projectsdo perform system testing, but it's integrated within iterations.

Option Bis misleading — while Agile emphasizeslower-level test automation, traditional projects also use automation at various levels.

Option Cis partially correct but oversimplifies the process —risks are reassessed iteratively, not just once during release planning.

Risk-based testing is a technique that prioritizes testing activities based on the level of risk associated with each feature or requirement. The level of risk is usually calculated by multiplying the probability and impact of each risk. The higher the risk level, the more testing effort should be allocated to mitigate the risk. In this case, the risk level for each option is as follows: A. Risk level = Low x Low = Low B. Risk level = Low x High = Medium C. Risk level = High x High = High D. Risk level = High x Low = Medium Therefore, the highest risk level is C, followed by B and D, and then A. The User Story for the Operator-Instructions module should be tested according to this risk order, starting with C, then B, then D, and finally A. Hence, the answer is B, as it is the second highest risk level and should be tested after C. References: ISTQB Foundation Level Agile Tester Extension Syllabus1, page 16; ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exam2, question 18.