ISTQB CTAL-TM Free Practice Questions — Page 1

Q: You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. Consider the typical objectives of testing. Which of the following metrics can be used to measure the effectiveness of the testing process in achieving one of those objectives? 1 credit

B. Percentage of requirements covered. A key objective of testing is to verify that requirements are met. The percentage of requirements covered (B) directly measures how well testing is achieving that objective. Option A measures defect resolution speed, which relates to defect management efficiency, not testing effectiveness. Option C measures developer productivity, which is unrelated to testing. Option D measures effort distribution, not effectiveness. Coverage of requirements is a standard metric for evaluating whether testing is fulfilling its core purpose of validating the system against its specification.

Q: You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. You have been given responsibility for the non-functional testing of a safety-critical monitoring & diagnostics package in the medical area. Which of the following would you least expect to see addressed in the test plan? 1 credit

C. Portability. In a safety-critical medical monitoring and diagnostics system, availability (A), safety (B), and reliability (D) are critical non-functional concerns — all expected in the test plan. Portability (C) refers to the ability to move software across environments or platforms, which is the least critical concern for a fixed-purpose medical device. Safety-critical systems prioritize dependability attributes like reliability and availability far above portability. While portability may still be tested, it is the least expected of the four options in this context.

Question 1

You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. You are about to release a test progress report to a senior manager, who is not a test specialist. Which of the following topics should NOT be included in the test progress report? 1 credit

Answer

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Correct Answer: D. Detailed overview of the risk-based test approach being used to ensure the exit criteria to be achieved

A test progress report for a senior manager (non-specialist) should be concise and business-focused. It should include risk status (A), controlling action recommendations (B), and exit criteria status (C) — all relevant at a management level. Option D describes a detailed technical explanation of the risk-based test approach, which is too technical and granular for a non-specialist senior manager. Progress reports should communicate status, not educate the reader on testing methodology. The audience determines the level of detail. Senior managers need decisions and status, not process descriptions. Including such detail would reduce clarity and usefulness of the report.

Question 2

You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. Explain how the above mentioned report may differ from a report that you produce for the project manager, who is a test specialist Select TWO items from the following options that can be used to report to the project manager and would not be included in a report to senior management. 1 credit

Answer

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Correct Answers: A. Show details on effort spent; B. List of all outstanding defects with their priority and severity

A report for a project manager who is a test specialist can include more technical detail. Showing detailed effort spent (A) and listing all outstanding defects with priority and severity (B) are granular, technical details suitable for a specialist. Senior management does not need effort breakdowns or full defect lists — they need summaries. Options C (product risk status), D (trend analysis), and E (release recommendations) are all appropriate for senior management reports as well. Therefore, only A and B are items exclusive to the specialist-level report.

Question 3

You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. Consider the typical objectives of testing. Which of the following metrics can be used to measure the effectiveness of the testing process in achieving one of those objectives? 1 credit

Answer

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B. Percentage of requirements covered

A key objective of testing is to verify that requirements are met. The percentage of requirements covered (B) directly measures how well testing is achieving that objective. Option A measures defect resolution speed, which relates to defect management efficiency, not testing effectiveness. Option C measures developer productivity, which is unrelated to testing. Option D measures effort distribution, not effectiveness. Coverage of requirements is a standard metric for evaluating whether testing is fulfilling its core purpose of validating the system against its specification.

Question 4

You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. You have been given responsibility for the non-functional testing of a safety-critical monitoring & diagnostics package in the medical area. Which of the following would you least expect to see addressed in the test plan? 1 credit

Answer

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: C. Portability

In a safety-critical medical monitoring and diagnostics system, availability (A), safety (B), and reliability (D) are critical non-functional concerns — all expected in the test plan. Portability (C) refers to the ability to move software across environments or platforms, which is the least critical concern for a fixed-purpose medical device. Safety-critical systems prioritize dependability attributes like reliability and availability far above portability. While portability may still be tested, it is the least expected of the four options in this context.

Question 5

You are working as a test manager in the medical domain leading a team of system testers. You are currently working on a major release of the product which gives customers many new features and resolves a number of problem reports from previous releases. Since the system is in the medical domain and therefore in the safety critical area, testing needs to be rigorous and evidence is required that the system has been adequately tested. Identify THREE measures that would typically be part of the test approach in this domain and which are not always applicable in other domains! 1 credit

Answer

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Correct Answers: A. High level of documentation; B. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) sessions; C. Traceability to requirements

In safety-critical domains like medical, high-level documentation (A) is mandatory to provide audit trails and regulatory evidence. FMEA sessions (B) are a formal risk analysis technique specifically used in safety-critical industries to identify failure modes. Traceability to requirements (C) is essential for proving complete test coverage in regulated environments. Non-functional testing (D), master test planning (E), test design techniques (F), and reviews (G) are common in all domains. The three measures that are specifically characteristic of safety-critical domains, but not always applied elsewhere, are A, B, and C.

ISTQB CTAL-TM Free Practice Questions — Page 1

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