iSQI CTFL-AcT - ISTQB Certified Tester - Acceptance Testing (CT-AcT)

Non-functional quality attributes (also called quality characteristics) such as usability, reliability, operability, performance, and maintainability are often validated during acceptance testing to ensure the system behaves as expected under real-world conditions.

Option C is correct because operability — a subcharacteristic of usability per ISO 25010 — refers to the degree to which users can operate and control the system effectively. Acceptance testing often involves running the system in realistic settings to validate these aspects.

Other options:

A (Modularity and reusability) are more relevant to system architecture and design, not acceptance testing.

B is incorrect — time behavior (performance) can and should be tested at multiple levels, including system and integration testing before acceptance.

D is misleading — testing basic functionality is necessary, but it does not address non-functional quality attributes.

Answer: C. During acceptance testing, the operability of the product is checked in a realistic environment

Beta testing is a type of acceptance testing performed by end users in a real-world or production-like environment. It is especially relevant for cloud-based and SaaS platforms where widespread feedback is required before release.

Option B is correct because SaaS platforms often release features to a subset of users (beta users) to test the software under actual operating conditions, get feedback, and fix any defects that were not found during internal testing. This allows vendors to validate functionality, performance, and usability in diverse environments.

Other options:

A: Beta testing is not limited to Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software.

C: Incorrect — beta testing is a form of acceptance testing, not a separate unrelated technique.

D: Incorrect — beta testing and acceptance testing overlap, but they are not synonyms; the terminology does not change based on the development approach (Agile or not).

Answer: B. Beta testing is often used for acceptance testing of Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms

In business process modeling for testing purposes, especially in acceptance testing, it is not always necessary or practical to model the entire system or process in exhaustive detail. ISTQB and the CTFL-BAT (Business Analysis Testing) extension emphasize that test models — including business process models — should serve specific testing objectives.

Focusing the model on what needs to be tested allows the test team to:

Avoid unnecessary complexity,

Highlight relevant paths and decisions,

Derive precise and efficient test cases,

Facilitate stakeholder understanding and validation.

According to the ISTQB Foundation Level Extension – Business Analysis syllabus:

“Process models used in testing should represent the business behavior relevant to the test scope. Including too many irrelevant paths and decisions can lead to inefficient test case design and may distract from the core validation goals.”

Therefore, Option A is correct because limiting the scope of the business process model to the parts that are relevant for testing is a best practice, especially in acceptance testing where focus is on verifying that business needs are met.

Options B, C, and D are not strong justifications:

B suggests avoiding complexity but not purpose-driven modeling.

C incorrectly implies impossibility rather than pragmatic scope.

UX task analysis focuses on understanding how users perform their tasks in real-world contexts. It captures not only the sequence of actions but also the surrounding environment — including physical conditions (light, noise), devices used, interruptions, and constraints. These external or environmental conditions become vital inputs to UX design decisions, helping teams adapt interfaces and workflows to user realities.

Option C is correct because it emphasizes this key aspect of UX task analysis: capturing external conditions that influence usability and system interaction.

Other options:

A focuses on user profiling, not task analysis.

B refers to business process modeling, which is more strategic and less user-context specific.

D refers to benchmarking or inspiration analysis — useful for design ideation but not task analysis.

Answer: C. External conditions are considered as input for subsequent design steps.

According to ISO/IEC 25010:2011, the “Quality in Use” model includes characteristics that measure the system’s impact on stakeholders during actual usage in a specific context.

The four main characteristics of Quality in Use are:

Effectiveness

Efficiency

Satisfaction

Freedom from Risk

Option C is correct because “Satisfaction” is one of the core quality-in-use characteristics and refers to the degree to which user needs are fulfilled in context.

Other options:

A (User experience) is a broader term not formally defined as a Quality in Use characteristic in ISO 25010.

B (Security) is part of the product quality model, not quality in use.

D (Freedom of interference) is not a defined term in ISO 25010; it may be a misstatement of "freedom from risk."

Answer: C. Satisfaction

In Gherkin syntax (Given-When-Then), the purpose is to describe system behavior in a way that’s understandable to all stakeholders. Test steps should focus on user intentions and observable results — not UI implementation details — to ensure maintainability and abstraction.

Line 3 ("click 'Buy Tickets' button") refers explicitly to a UI element, which should generally be avoided in acceptance tests. Instead, it could say "I request to buy tickets."

Line 7 ("I should provide my personal data") is describing an action the user must take, not an outcome or result. In a Gherkin “Then” step, we expect an observable system response, not further user interaction.

Option C identifies both of these review concerns correctly.

Other options:

A includes an incorrect comment about line 4 ("quantity should not be set") — setting a value is acceptable.

B is false — the test case has reviewable issues.

D might be valid in a different context (e.g., boundary tests), but that’s not a flaw in the existing scenario.

Answer: C. Line 3 refers to an element of the user interface, which is to be avoided and line 7 is an action and not a result

Let’s analyze the DMN table shown in the image:

Rule 1: If weight ≤15, size ≤50, and distance ≤10 → use Normal bicycle

Rule 2: If weight is between 15 and 60 kg, size ≤150, and distance ≤25 → use Electric cargo bike

Rule 3: Otherwise → use Electric van

Now consider the options:

A: Incorrect — parcel size is not the only determining factor for using electric vans; it's about weight, size, and distance combined.

B: Incorrect — normal bicycles are used only when weight ≤15 kg, size ≤50 cm, and distance ≤10 km — so not just “short trips.”

C: Incorrect — electric cargo bikes are explicitly used for short trips (≤25 km), per Rule 2.

D: Correct — based on the rules, any weight above 15 kg (and up to 60 kg) results in the use of electric cargo bikes. So if weight >50 kg (but ≤60), cargo bike is still used under the conditions of Rule 2.

Therefore, the most consistent interpretation of the decision model is:

Answer: D. When the weight of the parcel exceeds 50kg then the electric cargo bike is necessarily used

Graphical representations of business processes, particularly using BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation), serve as a bridge between business stakeholders and testers. These models help visualize the steps a user or system goes through, making it easier to derive test cases.

Option C is correct because acceptance testing aims to validate the system’s behavior from the user or business perspective. Therefore, focusing on key user workflows (rather than exhaustive technical or exception paths) aligns with the purpose of acceptance testing: to ensure that the system meets agreed-upon business requirements.

Option A is incorrect because decision tables are part of DMN (Decision Model and Notation), not BPMN.

Option B is too rigid — not all alternative/error paths must be modeled in early acceptance testing unless they are critical to business rules.

Option D misapplies the standards — DMN is used to model business rules, not the complete business process.

Answer: C. For acceptance testing, graphical business process models should focus on the user workflows to be tested.

The goal here is to achieve full decision coverage (also known as branch coverage), which means each decision point in the process must evaluate to both TRUE and FALSE at least once during testing.

From the BPMN ATM withdrawal model, we identify two key decisions:

Is the balance ≥ $100?

If yes, is receipt = YES?

To achieve full decision coverage:

One test must evaluate decision 1 as TRUE and another as FALSE.

If decision 1 is TRUE, then decision 2 must be exercised both ways (receipt = YES and NO), but for minimal decision coverage, one path through decision 2 is enough.

Analyzing test cases:

Test 1 (balance = $100, receipt = YES): decision 1 = TRUE, decision 2 = TRUE

Test 2 (balance = $99): decision 1 = FALSE

These two tests ensure:

Decision 1 evaluated TRUE (Test 1) and FALSE (Test 2)

Decision 2 evaluated at least once (receipt = YES in Test 1)

Thus, Test 1 and Test 2 form the minimal set for full decision coverage.

Other options:

C and D are redundant for the minimal set.

A includes an extra test not needed for minimal decision coverage.

Answer: B. Test 1, Test 2

Equivalence Partitioning (EP) is a black-box test design technique that divides input data into valid and invalid partitions, where each partition is expected to exhibit similar behavior. In the context of acceptance testing, EP is especially effective because it helps validate whether a system behaves correctly for representative input ranges defined in the acceptance criteria.

Acceptance testing aims to confirm that the system meets business requirements and handles inputs as expected. EP allows the tester to cover a large input space using fewer test cases while maintaining a high level of effectiveness. It supports efficiency, broad coverage, and relevance to user expectations.

Other options are less suitable:

A. Static code analysis is a white-box technique, more relevant to unit or integration testing.

B. Input validation is an objective or activity, not a test design technique.

D. Defect-based testing is more diagnostic, used after failures or during exploratory testing — less structured for planned acceptance testing.

Exact Reference – ISTQB CTFL Acceptance Testing Syllabus (Section 2.4):

“Black-box techniques such as equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis are suitable for deriving acceptance tests from user stories or business rules.”