CT-TAE Practice Exam Questions with Answers Certified Tester Test Automation Engineer Certification

When faced with an intermittently failing test, it is essential to remove it from the test suite to prevent it from affecting the overall test results and reliability. The next step is to conduct a thorough investigation to understand why the test is producing inconsistent results. This could involve examining the test environment, the test data, the timing of the test execution, and any potential race conditions or dependencies that could cause the test to behave differently from one run to another. Understanding and resolving the root cause of the intermittent failure is crucial to ensure the stability and accuracy of the automated test suite.

References = The approach to handling intermittently failing tests is discussed in various ISTQB Test Automation Engineer documents, which emphasize the importance of maintaining the integrity of the test suite and ensuring consistent and reliable test results123.

Good practice for maintaining the Test Automation System (TAS) involves ensuring that the system is under configuration management, which includes the test suite, the testware artifacts, and the test environment. It also involves separating the test scripts from the environment and associated harnesses and artifacts to promote modularity and maintainability. Additionally, the TAS should be designed with replaceable components to allow for easy updates and changes without disrupting the overall system. However, stating that the TAS must run in the development environment because development and programming knowledge are required for its maintainability is not a good practice. The TAS should be able to run in multiple environments, and maintainability should not be dependent solely on the development environment or require development knowledge, as it should be maintainable by the testing team as well12345.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer (CT-TAE) certification materials and the associated syllabus provide guidelines on the best practices for maintaining the TAS, emphasizing the importance of configuration management, separation of concerns, and modularity12345.

When evaluating test modeling tools, the inability to export generated test cases into a preferred format like .csv can be a significant limitation. The best next step in this scenario, given that the tool meets all other requirements except for the export facility, is to inquire with the vendor and explore community forums to determine if a solution is available or planned for future releases (Option C). Engaging with the vendor and the user community can provide insights into workarounds, upcoming features, or third-party plugins that might address the export functionality gap. This approach allows leveraging the tool's strengths while exploring possibilities to overcome its limitations without immediately discarding it for lacking a single feature. It also opens opportunities for customization or collaboration with the vendor to enhance the tool's capabilities according to user needs.

Introducing a ‘TAS error’ status (b) would provide a clear distinction between failures caused by the SUT and those due to issues within the TAS itself, which is essential for accurate failure analysis and effective defect reporting. Including system configuration information (e), such as software/firmware and operating system versions, is also critical. This information can significantly aid developers in reproducing issues, as it provides context about the environment in which the test was executed.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer documents and training resources emphasize the importance of detailed logging for failure analysis and defect reporting. These resources advocate for clear categorization of test case outcomes and comprehensive recording of test environment configurations123.

Observability in the context of a System Under Test (SUT) refers to the degree to which the internal states of the system can be inferred from knowledge of its external outputs. It is a measure of how well internal states of a system can be understood by examining its outputs. In test automation, observability is crucial because it allows testers to understand what is happening inside the SUT without having direct access to its internal workings. This characteristic is essential for identifying and diagnosing issues, understanding system behavior, and ensuring that the system is functioning correctly. High observability means that the system’s outputs, including its states and any intermediate results or error messages, are readily available for examination, which is vital for effective testing and debugging.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus and study materials emphasize the importance of observability as part of the testability of systems. It is highlighted as a key characteristic that enables testers to detect defects and understand system behavior through the outputs the system provides during test execution123.

When planning the pilot for an in-house developed Test Automation Solution (TAS), it is crucial to prepare the involved personnel and ensure that the necessary resources are allocated. Running training workshops for new users (option c) is essential to familiarize them with the TAS and to promote effective usage. Additionally, developing a project plan and reserving the necessary budget and resources (option d) are fundamental steps to ensure that the pilot is well-structured and that its implementation is feasible. These steps help in laying a solid foundation for the pilot, which can lead to a successful deployment of the TAS.

References = The answer is derived from the ISTQB CT-TAE guidelines, which outline the importance of training and resource allocation in the planning process of a test automation solution123.

The best approach to ensure the correct functioning of the Test Automation System (TAS) after an operating system update is to start with a small, representative set of automated tests. This allows for the identification of any issues caused by the update with minimal impact. Once the smaller set of tests is confirmed to be working as expected, the remaining tests can be run to ensure the entire suite is functioning correctly. This phased approach helps in isolating problems and ensures that the TAS remains stable and reliable throughout the process.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus discusses the importance of verifying the behavior of the TAS in various scenarios, including after updates to the operating system1. It also emphasizes the need for a systematic approach to testing and the potential impact of environmental changes on the TAS12. The syllabus provides guidance on how to manage and maintain the TAS, ensuring its effectiveness and reliability1.

The best recommendation for improving the Test Automation System (TAS) in this scenario is to implement standard setup and teardown functions at the test case level. This approach promotes reusability and efficiency by allowing the same initial and final sequences of steps to be used across multiple test cases. By centralizing these sequences into common functions, any changes to the setup or teardown process only need to be made in one place, thus reducing maintenance efforts and potential for errors. Furthermore, it streamlines the execution of test cases and makes the automation framework more robust and easier to manage.

References = This recommendation aligns with the ISTQB Test Automation Engineer guidelines, which advocate for the use of reusable components and functions to enhance the maintainability and scalability of the test automation architecture12. The principles of designing an effective TAS include creating modular and reusable components that can be shared across different test cases, which is essential for improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the test automation efforts12.

Transitioning from a waterfall to a Scrum methodology for a Windows/GUI based SUT requires the TAS to be agile and adaptable to frequent changes. The best steps to undertake during the review would be:

d) Review the functions that act upon the controls for the GUI for possible consolidation. This step is crucial because it directly addresses the adaptability of the TAS to the new user interface, ensuring that the functions are optimized for the modernized UI.

e) Involve the test team to see what ease-of-use improvements they would like to see made to the TAS. The test team’s involvement is essential for identifying practical improvements from a user perspective, which can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the TAS during the iterative sprints of the Scrum methodology.

These steps are aligned with the ISTQB’s emphasis on ensuring that the TAS is not only technically sound but also user-friendly and responsive to the needs of the test team, which is critical in an agile environment123.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus and study materials highlight the importance of reviewing and optimizing the TAS to support new methodologies and technologies123. The ISTQB also stresses the significance of involving the test team in the review process to ensure that the TAS remains effective and relevant123.

 The goal is to verify the completeness, consistency, and correct behavior of an automated test suite (TAS) that has been successfully installed in the System Under Test (SUT) environment. Since the TAS has already been proven to install successfully, checking the repeatability of the TAS loading in the SUT environment (option C) is not a relevant check for this goal. The focus should be on verifying the correctness of the test cases and their outcomes. This includes ensuring that all test cases contain the expected results (option A), verifying that the postconditions have been fulfilled for all test cases (option B), and checking that all test cases produce repeatable outcomes (option D).

References = This explanation is based on the ISTQB’s guidelines for verifying the technical aspects of a deployed test automation solution and ensuring the correct behavior of test scripts and suites1.

Implementing custom logging functions to support different levels of tracing is considered best practice. This approach allows for the categorization of log messages according to their severity or importance, which can range from detailed debug information to high-level overviews. By doing so, it becomes easier to manage the log data and quickly locate the necessary information without being overwhelmed by excessive details. This method also enables the adjustment of the level of detail based on the context of the test execution, making it more flexible and efficient.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus emphasizes the importance of managing test logs effectively. It suggests using different levels of logging to control the amount of information captured and to facilitate easier analysis of the logs. This is aligned with industry best practices for test automation logging123.

In a keyword-driven framework, especially when dealing with a web application, having a large set of highly specific keywords can lead to redundancy and inefficiency. Implementing keywords with a higher level of granularity can help reduce the number of repeated instances of identical sequences of keywords, as identified by the static analysis tool. This approach promotes reusability and maintainability of test scripts, making the test automation suite more robust and easier to manage. It also aligns with the principles of modularity and abstraction, which are key in test automation engineering.

References = The ISTQB CT-TAE materials emphasize the importance of maintaining a manageable level of abstraction in keyword-driven frameworks to ensure that the automated tests are efficient, maintainable, and provide clear insights into the SUT’s behavior12.

When a Test Automation System (TAS) uses dedicated test interfaces added to the APIs of a System Under Test (SUT), one specific risk is the occurrence of false alarms during testing. These are test failures that do not necessarily signify defects in the SUT but are caused by the test interfaces or the test environment itself. Such false positives can lead to wasted effort in investigating non-issues and can obscure genuine defects, thus posing a significant risk to the accuracy and efficiency of the testing process.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus discusses the importance of evaluating risks associated with the test automation environment and tools. It highlights the need to analyze deployment risks and identify technical issues that could lead to failure of the test automation project, including the risk of false positives due to dedicated test interfaces123.

In this scenario, where the main goal is to verify the compatibility of the automation tool with the application and its ability to recognize objects and controls, capture-replay scripting would be the most suitable technique. This approach allows you to record manual test cases as they are performed in the browser and then replay them automatically. It’s a quick way to convert manual tests into automated ones without requiring extensive programming knowledge. Capture-replay tools can help validate that the tool can interact with the application as expected and identify any potential issues with object recognition.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus covers the different scripting techniques and their appropriate usage scenarios. For a detailed understanding of capture-replay scripting and its benefits for initial automation efforts, refer to the official ISTQB Test Automation Engineer documents and training resources12.

 In the context of a keyword-driven framework, especially when tests are based on low-level identifiers of web page components, significant changes to the SUT due to maintenance and new features can lead to false positive errors. This is because the identifiers used in the test scripts (like class indexes, tab sequence indexes, and coordinates) may change, causing the automated tests to interact incorrectly with the SUT or fail to interact at all. The keyword-driven approach, while offering reusability and abstraction, relies on the stability of the object identifiers; significant changes in the SUT can invalidate these identifiers, leading to false positives if the tests are not updated accordingly.

References = The ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus and related documents highlight the importance of choosing the right framework and the potential impact of SUT changes on automated tests1234.

For a Test Automation Solution (TAS) that utilizes a third-party capture-replay tool, it is crucial to ensure that: a) The tool is placed under configuration management control. This is important to maintain consistency across different environments and versions, and to manage changes effectively. c) Information about updates and new versions of the tool is obtained and applied. Keeping the tool up-to-date ensures that the latest features and fixes are utilized, which can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the TAS.

Placing the tool under configuration management control and staying informed about updates are essential practices for maintaining the reliability and integrity of the TAS.

References = The answer is based on the best practices for test automation as outlined in the ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus, which includes the management of test tools and the importance of keeping software up-to-date as part of configuration management123.

 For a test automation pilot project, the most suited types of test cases are those that provide high added value and can show this value soon after implementation. High added value test cases that require little effort to automate (option a) are ideal for a pilot because they demonstrate the effectiveness of automation quickly and with minimal investment. Reliability test cases that can show added value soon (option c) are also suitable as they help to establish trust in the automation process by providing tangible benefits early on. These types of test cases can serve as a proof of concept, showcasing the potential of automated testing to stakeholders and informing future time estimates and schedules.

References = The selection of test cases for a pilot project in test automation should focus on quick wins and demonstrable value to support the transition from manual to automated testing. This approach is supported by the ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus, which recommends starting with test cases that are likely to yield immediate and visible benefits, thereby gaining support for the automation initiative123.

 Installing the current Test Automation System (TAS) into a central repository allows for consistent use across different Systems Under Test (SUTs). This approach promotes reusability and maintainability of the automation scripts and resources, which is crucial for a company that is expanding its test automation efforts. By using the same version of the TAS, the company ensures that all teams are working with the same tools and standards, which facilitates collaboration and reduces the complexity associated with managing multiple versions of the TAS. Additionally, it helps in streamlining the automation process, as updates and improvements to the TAS can be disseminated quickly and efficiently to all SUTs.

References = The answer is based on the principles outlined in the ISTQB Test Automation Engineer certification materials, which emphasize the importance of consistency, maintainability, and efficiency in test automation practices123.

 The most significant risk for the Test Automation System (TAS) in this scenario is related to the level of abstraction and the departure of the automation architect. The architect’s role is crucial in designing and maintaining the architecture of the TAS. Their departure can lead to challenges in understanding the system’s design and making necessary updates or changes. The level of abstraction means that the system is designed in a way that may not be easily understood without the architect’s insight, which can make maintenance difficult. This risk is compounded when the TAS is used across several projects, each with its own library of keywords, which requires a deep understanding of the system’s architecture to manage effectively.

References = This answer is based on the principles outlined in the ISTQB Test Automation Engineer syllabus, which discusses the importance of maintainability and the risks associated with high levels of abstraction in test automation architectures12. The syllabus also emphasizes the role of the automation architect in ensuring the long-term success of the TAS2.