ISQI ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level - Test Automation Engineering CTAL-TAE (Syllabus v2.0) Sample Questions:

1. Which of the following recommendations can help improve the maintainability of test automation code?

A) Avoid producing test automation code containing methods with too many levels of nesting, as deeply nested code is more difficult to understand
B) Avoid adopting design patterns that introduce high levels of abstraction in test automation code, such as the flow model pattern
C) Avoid using static analyzers on test automation code and other development tools, as they are designed to improve the maintainability of SUT code
D) Use error codes in test automation code instead of exceptions (if exceptions are supported by the programming language) for error handling

2. To improve the maintainability of test automation code, it is recommended to adopt design principles and design patterns that allow the code to be structured into:

A) Loosely coupled and highly cohesive modules
B) Loosely coupled and loosely cohesive modules
C) Highly coupled and loosely cohesive modules
D) Highly coupled and highly cohesive modules

3. An automated test case that should always pass sometimes passes and sometimes fails intermittently (non- deterministic behavior) when executed in the same test environment, even if no code (i.e., SUT code or the test automation code) has been changed. Which of the following statements about the root cause of this non- deterministic behavior is TRUE?

A) The specified root cause is a race condition that can be identified by also analyzing the log files of the test case, the SUT, and the TAF
B) Determining the specified root cause is certainly easier than if the automated test always fails (deterministic behavior)
C) The specified root cause must be in the instability of the test environment, since no code has been changed
D) Determining the specified root cause may require, in addition to the TAE, the support of others such as developers and system engineers

4. Automated tests run by a TAS on a SUT can be subject to sudden bursts of messages to log during their execution. All log messages that occur during execution must be permanently stored in the corresponding test execution logs by the TAS for later analysis. If logging is not performed correctly, these bursts can reduce the execution speed of these automated tests, causing them to produce unreliable results. Which of the following solutions would you expect to be MOST useful to address this issue for TAS logging?

A) Log all the messages directly on the corresponding log files associated with the specific execution to ensure the permanent storage of test execution logs
B) Avoid logging the messages that occur during the specified bursts to minimize any potential performance overhead in test execution
C) Use a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server to ensure that the clocks of the machines running TAS and SUT are synchronized with a common time source
D) Log all the messages in memory using a circular buffer and periodically flush the buffer to the corresponding log files associated with the specific execution

5. (Which of the following answers describes the LEAST relevant concern in selecting suitable test automation tools for a test automation project?)

A) What is the degree of technical knowledge and skills within the test team to implement code-based test automation for the project (e.g., in terms of programming and design patterns)?
B) In the case of open-source test automation tools, are these tools released under permissive or restrictive licenses, and, if applicable, is it specified whether they can be modified and by whom?
C) Has the test team been formed with the different personalities of its members in mind, to ensure that the interaction between them is effective in achieving the objectives of the test automation project?
D) In the case of commercial test automation tools, what factors determine the licensing costs of these tools (e.g., in terms of the maximum number of users supported and whether the license type is fixed or floating)?

Solutions: