ISTQB CTFL-AT Certified Tester Foundation Level Agile Tester Exam Dumps and Practice Test Questions Set 10 Q181-200

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Question 181: 

Which Agile principle emphasizes sustainable development with a constant pace indefinitely?

A) Customer collaboration
B) Responding to change
C) Maintain a sustainable pace
D) Deliver working software frequently

Answer: C) Maintain a sustainable pace

Explanation:

Customer collaboration is one of the core principles of Agile, emphasizing close and continuous interaction with stakeholders to ensure the product meets evolving needs. This principle encourages ongoing communication, feedback loops, and mutual understanding, which help guide development priorities and adjustments. While customer collaboration is crucial for aligning product features with stakeholder expectations, it does not address the internal rhythm or workload management of the development team, which is the focus of sustainable pacing. Its primary concern is value delivery through engagement rather than ensuring the team can maintain consistent productivity over time.

Responding to change is another fundamental Agile principle, emphasizing the team’s ability to adapt to new requirements or unexpected conditions without being constrained by rigid plans. Agile recognizes that requirements often evolve as understanding grows, so responsiveness is critical. Teams that embrace change are flexible, iterative, and able to pivot when necessary. However, this principle focuses on adaptability and responsiveness rather than the team’s capacity to sustain effort at a steady pace. Teams can respond effectively to change but still risk burnout if they are overcommitted or work under unsustainable conditions.

Delivering working software frequently is aimed at providing tangible value to customers in short iterations, usually every few weeks. It emphasizes early and continuous delivery to gather feedback, reduce risk, and demonstrate progress. Frequent delivery accelerates learning and helps validate assumptions with real users. While this principle inherently requires discipline in planning and execution, it does not specifically address the long-term management of team workload or the ability to maintain consistent energy and focus. Delivery frequency is about iteration cycles rather than sustainability of effort.

Maintaining a sustainable pace is the principle that specifically targets long-term team performance and well-being. It encourages the team to work at a consistent, manageable rate that can be sustained indefinitely, avoiding the spikes and crashes associated with overwork or unrealistic deadlines. Maintaining this pace ensures that team members remain productive without suffering from fatigue, reducing errors, stress, and turnover. It fosters predictable workflows and a stable environment in which quality and morale remain high. By balancing effort, focus, and recovery, the team can consistently deliver value over multiple iterations, making this principle particularly critical for Agile’s iterative and incremental approach to software development. It aligns with continuous improvement, iterative delivery, and team health, which collectively contribute to reliable, high-quality product increments.

Question 182: 

Which Agile ceremony provides an opportunity for the team to discuss lessons learned and improve processes?

A) Sprint Planning
B) Daily Stand-up
C) Sprint Retrospective
D) Sprint Review

Answer: C) Sprint Retrospective

Explanation:

Sprint Planning is a ceremony where the team plans work for the upcoming sprint. It involves selecting backlog items, estimating effort, and defining sprint goals. While Sprint Planning is critical for aligning the team on priorities and scope, it primarily focuses on preparation for future work rather than reflecting on past performance. Discussions during Sprint Planning are forward-looking and centered on commitment, not on process improvement or lessons learned from previous iterations.

Daily Stand-up is a brief, time-boxed meeting held every day to synchronize activities and share progress, obstacles, and immediate plans. Its main purpose is to ensure alignment, detect blockers early, and facilitate team coordination. Although team members may briefly touch on challenges or successes, the Daily Stand-up is not designed as a forum for in-depth reflection or structured improvement discussions. Its scope is operational and tactical rather than strategic or process-focused.

Sprint Review is a ceremony that focuses on inspecting the increment produced during the sprint and obtaining feedback from stakeholders. The team demonstrates completed work, and stakeholders provide input that may influence the product backlog. Sprint Review is primarily concerned with product value, stakeholder engagement, and future priorities, not internal process improvement. While it indirectly contributes to learning by showing what works and what doesn’t, it does not formally analyze team performance or workflow efficiency.

Sprint Retrospective is the ceremony specifically dedicated to examining the team’s processes, interactions, and outcomes. During this meeting, the team reflects on successes, challenges, and areas for improvement in a safe and structured environment. They identify actionable improvements to implement in the next sprint, which may involve communication patterns, workflow adjustments, or tooling enhancements. This ceremony promotes continuous learning, fosters a culture of openness, and ensures that the team iteratively improves its effectiveness. By systematically reviewing past performance and discussing lessons learned, Sprint Retrospective directly supports Agile’s inspect-and-adapt philosophy, making it the most suitable forum for process improvement.

Question 183: 

Which artifact provides a prioritized list of all desired features for a product?

A) Sprint Backlog
B) Product Backlog
C) Burndown Chart
D) Definition of Done

Answer: B) Product Backlog

Explanation:

Sprint Backlog is the list of tasks or user stories the team commits to completing in a specific sprint. It is a subset of the Product Backlog and is focused on the short-term sprint objectives rather than the complete product vision. While the Sprint Backlog is crucial for planning and executing current work, it is not a comprehensive representation of all desired features for the product.

Burndown Chart is a visual tool used to track progress over the sprint or release, showing work completed versus remaining work. While it provides insights into velocity and trends, it is not a repository of product requirements or feature priorities. It is more of a progress-monitoring instrument rather than a planning artifact that organizes and prioritizes the full scope of desired functionality.

Definition of Done sets the criteria for when a work item is considered complete. It ensures consistent quality and clarity around deliverables but does not provide a list of features or a prioritization framework. It is a quality standard rather than a planning or requirement artifact.

Product Backlog is the prioritized list of all desired features, enhancements, and bug fixes for a product. It serves as the central repository of work to be done, continuously refined and reprioritized based on business value, risk, and feedback. The Product Backlog enables the team to focus on delivering the most valuable features first while adapting to changing requirements. It supports Agile’s iterative development by providing a clear, transparent, and evolving roadmap of what needs to be delivered, ensuring alignment with stakeholder priorities and strategic goals.

Question 184: 

Which practice ensures that new code does not break existing functionality?

A) Unit Testing
B) Regression Testing
C) Exploratory Testing
D) Load Testing

Answer: B) Regression Testing

Explanation:

Unit Testing focuses on testing individual components or modules of the code in isolation to ensure they function correctly. While unit testing is important for verifying functionality at a granular level, it does not guarantee that changes in one area will not negatively affect other parts of the system. Unit tests are limited to specific components and may miss integration or system-level regressions.

Exploratory Testing is an unscripted, creative approach where testers simultaneously learn about the system, design test cases, and execute them. This method is excellent for uncovering unexpected defects, understanding user workflows, and finding edge cases, but it is not designed primarily for ensuring that previously working features continue to function correctly after code changes. Exploratory testing complements regression efforts but does not replace them.

Load Testing evaluates the system’s performance under high user or data load to identify bottlenecks, scalability issues, and potential failures. While important for non-functional quality, load testing does not address correctness or functional integrity of existing features when new code is introduced. It is concerned with system behavior under stress rather than ensuring that previously working features remain intact.

Regression Testing is the practice specifically aimed at verifying that recent changes have not adversely impacted existing functionality. In Agile environments, where incremental development and frequent releases are common, regression testing is critical for maintaining stability and confidence in the system. Automated regression tests provide quick feedback, reduce the risk of defects slipping into production, and ensure that enhancements or fixes do not introduce new errors. By systematically re-executing tests for previously verified functionality, regression testing protects the integrity of the software and supports continuous delivery.

Question 185: 

Which testing technique involves learning, test design, and execution simultaneously?

A) Unit Testing
B) Exploratory Testing
C) Smoke Testing
D) Load Testing

Answer: B) Exploratory Testing

Explanation:

Unit Testing is a structured approach to test individual components of code against expected outcomes. While it is systematic and essential for verifying correctness at the module level, unit testing is planned and scripted in advance. It does not involve the dynamic learning and adaptation inherent to exploratory testing, where understanding evolves during execution.

Exploratory Testing is characterized by simultaneous learning, test design, and execution. Testers investigate the system creatively, adapt on the fly, and uncover defects that may not be captured by predefined test scripts. This technique leverages intuition, experience, and observation, making it particularly valuable in Agile environments where requirements and code change rapidly. Exploratory testing is flexible, supports immediate feedback, and complements automated testing by identifying unanticipated issues that structured testing may miss.

Smoke Testing involves verifying that the most critical functions of a system work after a new build. While smoke testing ensures basic stability, it is limited in scope and does not incorporate the continuous learning and dynamic test design central to exploratory testing. It is primarily a gatekeeping activity rather than a comprehensive defect discovery process.

Load Testing examines system behavior under stress conditions, such as high user concurrency or heavy transaction volumes. Although important for performance and scalability validation, it does not involve the iterative learning, adaptation, or real-time test design that defines exploratory testing. Its purpose is measurement and analysis rather than exploration and discovery.

Exploratory testing is correct because it combines learning, design, and execution in real time. It allows testers to adapt to findings dynamically, uncover subtle defects, and provide rapid feedback to developers, ensuring high-quality outcomes in Agile development cycles. It fosters creativity, enhances understanding of the system, and strengthens the team’s ability to respond to evolving requirements efficiently.

Question 186:

Which ceremony allows stakeholders to inspect the increment and provide feedback?

A) Sprint Planning
B) Sprint Review
C) Daily Stand-up
D) Sprint Retrospective

Answer: B) Sprint Review

Explanation:

Sprint Planning is a ceremony conducted at the beginning of a sprint to determine what work the team will undertake and how it will achieve the sprint goal. During this event, the team collaborates to select user stories or backlog items from the Product Backlog and breaks them down into actionable tasks. While Sprint Planning sets the direction and scope for the sprint, it does not provide an opportunity for stakeholders to inspect completed work or provide feedback on an increment. Its primary purpose is planning rather than inspection or evaluation.

Daily Stand-up is a short, daily synchronization meeting where team members discuss progress, highlight obstacles, and coordinate their activities. It is typically a time-boxed event aimed at fostering communication and ensuring that the team remains aligned during the sprint. Although important for internal team coordination, the Daily Stand-up is not intended for stakeholder involvement, nor does it facilitate inspection of completed work. It is a tactical check-in rather than a review mechanism for deliverables.

Sprint Retrospective occurs at the end of a sprint and focuses on the team’s processes, collaboration, and performance. The objective is to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and identify actionable steps for continuous improvement. While it is critical for process enhancement, the Retrospective does not involve stakeholders in reviewing the product increment. Its emphasis is on the team’s internal workflow and not on external validation or feedback on deliverables.

Sprint Review, on the other hand, is designed specifically for stakeholder engagement. During this ceremony, the team presents the completed increment to stakeholders, gathers feedback, and discusses potential adjustments or future priorities. This interaction ensures that the product aligns with evolving business needs and enables early course correction if the delivered work does not meet expectations. By incorporating stakeholder insights, the Sprint Review promotes transparency, enhances collaboration, and helps maximize value delivered in each sprint. It serves as a critical bridge between development efforts and business expectations, ensuring that every iteration is aligned with real-world requirements.

Question 187: 

Which artifact tracks work remaining in a sprint and is visualized over time?

A) Product Backlog
B) Burndown Chart
C) Sprint Backlog
D) Definition of Done

Answer: B) Burndown Chart

Explanation:

The Product Backlog is a prioritized list of features, enhancements, and defect fixes that represent the overall product vision. While it serves as the source of work items for sprints, it does not visualize progress within a sprint or provide a time-based view of remaining effort. Its purpose is to capture and prioritize requirements, not to track day-to-day sprint progress.

The Sprint Backlog consists of the work items selected for a particular sprint along with detailed tasks. It helps the team focus on the sprint goal and provides a reference for what needs to be completed. However, although it tracks work to be done, it does not inherently provide a visual representation over time showing trends or remaining effort. It is more a planning and execution tool rather than a progress-tracking artifact.

Definition of Done sets the criteria for when a work item is considered complete. It ensures consistency and quality but does not provide any mechanism to track remaining work or visualize sprint progress. It is a qualitative standard applied to work items rather than a quantitative measure of ongoing effort.

The Burndown Chart is specifically designed to visualize remaining work against time during a sprint. It provides a clear view of whether the team is on track to complete the sprint goal. By showing remaining effort on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis, it highlights trends, progress, and potential bottlenecks. This transparency allows the team and stakeholders to quickly assess the sprint’s status, take corrective actions if needed, and maintain alignment with sprint objectives. It is particularly valuable for iterative planning, progress monitoring, and fostering accountability.

Question 188: 

Which Agile principle emphasizes responding to changing requirements even late in development?

A) Working software over documentation
B) Responding to change
C) Customer collaboration
D) Individuals and interactions

Answer: B) Responding to change

Explanation:

Working software over documentation emphasizes delivering functional software rather than extensive documentation. While this principle encourages practical results, it does not directly address the flexibility needed to adapt to changing requirements. Its focus is on value delivery rather than adaptability to change.

Customer collaboration emphasizes ongoing engagement with stakeholders to ensure the product meets their needs. This principle is about communication and shared understanding but does not explicitly prioritize the ability to adjust requirements mid-development. It supports alignment but is not the same as actively embracing change.

Individuals and interactions highlight the importance of teamwork, communication, and collaboration within the team. While critical for effective Agile practices, this principle focuses on human factors rather than responding to external changes in requirements.

Responding to change is the principle that directly addresses adaptability. Agile values flexibility and recognizes that requirements may evolve due to shifting market conditions, stakeholder needs, or technological opportunities. By responding to change even late in development, Agile teams can ensure the product remains relevant, reduce wasted effort on obsolete features, and continuously maximize delivered value. This principle underpins iterative planning and risk mitigation, making it central to Agile success.

Question 189: 

Which practice integrates code frequently with automated testing to detect integration defects early?

A) Continuous Integration
B) Regression Testing
C) Exploratory Testing
D) Load Testing

Answer:  A) Continuous Integration

Explanation:

Regression Testing ensures that existing functionality remains intact after changes. While it is crucial for quality, regression testing is typically performed at defined stages rather than continuously and does not by itself merge or integrate code changes.

Exploratory Testing is an approach that focuses on simultaneous learning, test design, and execution. It helps uncover defects creatively but is not inherently tied to frequent code integration or automated testing, making it different from Continuous Integration.

Load Testing measures system performance under expected or peak loads. It evaluates scalability and reliability but does not provide mechanisms for early defect detection in integrated code changes.

Continuous Integration combines frequent code integration with automated builds and tests. Each change is merged into a shared repository, automatically built, and tested to detect integration defects as early as possible. This practice reduces the cost and effort of fixing defects, supports incremental delivery, and encourages team collaboration. By providing rapid feedback on integration issues, Continuous Integration aligns perfectly with Agile principles, promoting continuous improvement, early problem resolution, and faster delivery of high-quality software.

Question 190: 

Which artifact contains all work items the team plans to deliver in a sprint?

A) Product Backlog
B) Sprint Backlog
C) Burndown Chart
D) Definition of Done

Answer: B) Sprint Backlog

Explanation:

Product Backlog captures all desired features and work items for the product but is not specific to a particular sprint. It serves as a repository of potential work, allowing prioritization over time rather than guiding day-to-day sprint execution.

Burndown Chart visualizes progress and remaining work over time, helping monitor sprint execution. While informative, it does not list the actual work items planned for the sprint; it simply tracks progress against those items.

Definition of Done ensures that each completed item meets agreed quality and completion criteria. It is a standard for validating work but does not function as a planning or tracking artifact listing tasks to be performed.

Sprint Backlog is the correct artifact because it explicitly lists all user stories, tasks, and work items that the team commits to completing during a sprint. It provides focus, facilitates tracking progress, and guides execution throughout the sprint. Additionally, it is a living artifact that can be updated to reflect emerging insights, ensuring the team remains adaptive while pursuing the sprint goal. The Sprint Backlog embodies Agile principles by combining planning, transparency, and iterative execution in a single, actionable view.

Question 191: 

Which practice encourages early involvement of testers to improve quality and reduce defects?

A) Shift-left Testing
B) Regression Testing
C) Exploratory Testing
D) Load Testing

Answer:  A) Shift-left Testing

Explanation:

Shift-left Testing is an Agile testing approach that emphasizes engaging testers as early as possible in the software development lifecycle. This approach encourages testers to participate in requirements gathering, design discussions, and planning activities, rather than waiting until development is complete. By doing so, testers can identify ambiguities, potential gaps, and issues at a stage when they are cheaper and easier to fix. This early involvement fosters proactive quality assurance, reduces rework, and supports more predictable project delivery timelines. It aligns closely with Agile principles of collaboration and iterative feedback, ensuring that quality is built into the product from the outset rather than inspected in later stages.

Regression Testing is primarily focused on ensuring that changes or new features do not unintentionally break existing functionality. It is typically executed after development and integration activities and is not inherently about early involvement or defect prevention. While regression testing is important for verifying system stability, it does not contribute to early defect detection or clarifying requirements, which are central to the goals of shift-left testing. It is a reactive approach rather than a proactive one and complements but does not replace early engagement strategies.

Exploratory Testing is a dynamic and flexible testing technique where testers design and execute tests simultaneously, exploring the system to uncover unexpected defects. Although exploratory testing can detect unknown issues effectively, it is usually performed after the software is in a testable state. Exploratory testing does not inherently involve early participation in planning or design discussions and therefore does not provide the same preventive benefits as shift-left testing. Its strength lies in uncovering hidden defects through creative investigation rather than improving quality early in the development lifecycle.

Load Testing evaluates the system’s performance under heavy workloads or simulated user traffic. While load testing is critical to ensure performance and reliability, it occurs later in the development cycle when a functional system is available. Load testing does not inherently reduce defects in requirements or design phases and does not involve testers early in the project. It is primarily concerned with system capacity and responsiveness rather than early collaboration or defect prevention.

Shift-left Testing is the correct answer because it actively moves testing activities to the left on the project timeline. By integrating testers early, teams can clarify acceptance criteria, prevent defects, and provide continuous feedback during design and development. This proactive involvement reduces costly late-stage defects and ensures higher-quality outputs. It supports Agile iterative delivery, allows for smoother sprint execution, and encourages a collaborative culture where testers, developers, and other stakeholders share responsibility for quality. By addressing potential problems early, shift-left testing improves both efficiency and product reliability, which are critical in fast-paced Agile environments.

Question 192: 

Which artifact defines criteria for considering a backlog item or increment complete?

A) Product Backlog
B) Sprint Backlog
C) Definition of Done
D) Burndown Chart

Answer: C) Definition of Done

Explanation:

The Product Backlog is a prioritized list of features, enhancements, bug fixes, and technical tasks that represent the work to be completed for a product. While it provides a roadmap of planned functionality, it does not define the conditions under which a backlog item can be considered complete. The backlog helps organize and prioritize work, but the criteria for completion are outside its scope. It sets direction but does not enforce quality standards or readiness for release.

The Sprint Backlog contains the subset of backlog items selected for implementation during a sprint, along with associated tasks to achieve the sprint goal. While it guides what the team plans to accomplish during a sprint, it does not explicitly provide the completion criteria. The sprint backlog is a tactical planning tool rather than a quality control mechanism. It allows the team to track progress but does not establish clear agreement on what “done” means for an increment.

The Burndown Chart is a visual tool used to track remaining work over time during a sprint. It shows the rate of progress toward completing sprint tasks but does not provide any qualitative measures for when an item or increment is finished. It serves as a progress metric rather than a criteria-defining artifact. While useful for monitoring team velocity and identifying potential delays, it is not designed to enforce standards or confirm readiness for release.

The Definition of Done is correct because it establishes a shared understanding among the team of what constitutes a completed backlog item or increment. It defines measurable criteria such as passing all tests, meeting acceptance conditions, code review completion, and documentation standards. Using the Definition of Done ensures consistency, transparency, and quality across the team. It confirms that each increment is potentially shippable and provides confidence to stakeholders. By clearly specifying completion conditions, it reduces ambiguity, prevents partial or substandard work from being considered finished, and aligns team members on expectations for quality and readiness.

Question 193: 

Which testing technique focuses on prioritizing tests based on business impact and likelihood of defects?

A) Risk-Based Testing
B) Exploratory Testing
C) Load Testing
D) Smoke Testing

Answer:  A) Risk-Based Testing

Explanation:

Risk-Based Testing is a technique where test planning and execution are guided by the relative risk of potential failures in the system. Tests are prioritized based on factors such as business impact, likelihood of defects, and criticality of functionality. This approach ensures that the most important and highest-risk areas receive the most attention, optimizing resources and reducing the probability of severe issues reaching production. It is particularly suitable for Agile environments where iterative delivery and limited testing time require focused, value-driven testing.

Exploratory Testing emphasizes simultaneous test design and execution to uncover defects that scripted testing might miss. While exploratory testing is effective for discovering unknown issues, it does not systematically prioritize tests based on risk. Its strength lies in creativity and flexibility rather than structured risk assessment. It complements risk-based testing but is not primarily focused on business impact or defect probability.

Load Testing evaluates system performance under high traffic conditions. It identifies performance bottlenecks and ensures scalability but is not focused on risk prioritization related to business impact or likelihood of defects in functional areas. Load testing is important for system reliability but serves a distinct purpose separate from risk-based prioritization.

Smoke Testing is a preliminary check to verify that critical functionality works after a build is deployed. While it ensures the system is stable enough for further testing, smoke testing does not prioritize test cases based on business risk or probability of defects. It is a broad, shallow check, unlike risk-based testing, which directs resources toward high-value areas with potential for major impact.

Risk-Based Testing is correct because it strategically focuses testing efforts where failure would have the highest consequences. By assessing both likelihood and impact, it enables the team to mitigate critical risks early and deliver higher-value increments with confidence. It aligns with Agile principles by emphasizing efficiency, iterative testing, and stakeholder value, ensuring that limited testing time is spent where it matters most.

Question 194: 

Which Agile practice uses test models to automatically generate test cases?

A) Model-Based Testing
B) Shift-left Testing
C) Exploratory Testing
D) Regression Testing

Answer:  A) Model-Based Testing

Explanation:

Model-Based Testing uses formal or semi-formal models of system behavior to automatically generate test cases. These models can represent workflows, business rules, or system states, allowing testers to systematically derive test cases that ensure thorough coverage. This approach increases efficiency, reduces manual effort, and supports consistency in testing. It is particularly useful for complex systems where the number of possible scenarios can be large, as it automates part of the test design process and ensures repeatable, comprehensive testing.

Shift-left Testing involves integrating testers early in requirements and design discussions. While it improves defect prevention and early feedback, it does not inherently use system models to generate test cases automatically. Its primary focus is early engagement rather than automated test generation.

Exploratory Testing relies on testers’ intuition and creativity to explore the system for defects. It is unscripted and does not systematically generate test cases from models. Its strength is in uncovering unexpected issues, but it is manual and ad hoc, contrasting with the automated, model-driven approach of model-based testing.

Regression Testing ensures that previously implemented functionality continues to work correctly after changes. While regression tests can be automated, they are based on known test cases rather than models. Regression testing focuses on stability and preventing regressions rather than creating test cases systematically from models.

Model-Based Testing is correct because it leverages models to automatically derive test cases, ensuring comprehensive coverage and efficiency. It integrates well with Agile practices by supporting rapid, iterative development, reducing manual work, and enabling consistent testing for complex or frequently changing systems. By using models, teams can validate system behavior thoroughly and reduce the risk of missed scenarios, ensuring quality with greater speed and accuracy.

Question 195: 

Which principle encourages close collaboration between developers and testers?

A) Customer collaboration
B) Continuous Integration
C) Individuals and interactions
D) Shift-left Testing

Answer: D) Shift-left Testing

Explanation:

Customer collaboration emphasizes working closely with stakeholders to understand requirements, gather feedback, and deliver value. While this principle promotes communication, it focuses on external stakeholders rather than the internal collaboration between developers and testers. Its primary goal is alignment with customer needs, not necessarily early defect detection or shared technical responsibility.

Continuous Integration is a practice where code changes are frequently merged into a shared repository, often with automated builds and tests. It helps detect integration issues early and ensures that software remains in a releasable state. While CI supports collaboration indirectly by providing rapid feedback, it is more focused on technical processes and system stability rather than fostering close interpersonal collaboration between developers and testers.

Individuals and interactions is an Agile principle that emphasizes communication, teamwork, and knowledge sharing among all team members. While this principle provides the foundation for collaboration, it is broad and general, covering the entire team rather than specifically focusing on developer-tester interaction for quality assurance purposes.

Shift-left Testing is correct because it specifically encourages testers to be involved from the early stages alongside developers. This close collaboration allows both parties to clarify requirements, identify potential defects early, and share responsibility for quality. It fosters alignment between development and testing, reduces misunderstandings, and creates a continuous feedback loop. By involving testers early, shift-left testing enhances knowledge transfer, supports proactive quality assurance, and strengthens the overall efficiency of Agile teams, directly reflecting the principle of collaborative engagement between developers and testers.

Question 196: 

A tester receives a request to fund legal fees for defending against a fraud affecting the project. The test team budget allows expenditures for “support and welfare.”

A) Approve if related to welfare
B) Deny automatically
C) Approve any legal fees
D) Require team consent

Answer:  A) Approve if related to welfare

Explanation:

Option A, approve if related to welfare, reflects the most appropriate approach because it ensures that expenditures align with the designated purpose of the budget, which is support and welfare. In an Agile testing team, budgets are often constrained, and ethical allocation is critical. This option allows the tester to assess whether the legal fees contribute directly to team welfare—such as protecting team members from the consequences of project-related fraud—and then approve funding if this alignment exists. It emphasizes responsibility, fairness, and adherence to organizational policies, which are crucial for maintaining integrity in budget usage.

Option B, deny automatically, might seem conservative but is overly rigid. Automatically rejecting requests could prevent legitimate expenditures that directly benefit the team’s welfare or operational stability. This option fails to consider situational relevance and could result in harm to the team or the project if urgent needs, such as legal defense, are ignored. Agile frameworks value adaptability and decision-making guided by context, so blanket denial contradicts these principles and limits effective support for team welfare.

Option C, approve any legal fees, is also inappropriate because it risks misuse of the designated budget. Not all legal fees are related to support and welfare, and approving expenditures indiscriminately could lead to financial inefficiency and misalignment with organizational goals. Agile testing emphasizes accountability and prioritization, and this option undermines the principle of responsible resource allocation. Allowing unvetted spending could create inequities and erode trust within the team and with management.

Option D, requires team consent, introduces unnecessary bureaucracy and delays decision-making. While team consultation can be valuable for consensus, requiring approval for every expenditure may slow urgent actions, particularly in cases where rapid response is needed to protect team welfare. Agile encourages empowered decision-making within defined guidelines. Therefore, approving expenditures only when they are relevant to welfare aligns with principles of responsible autonomy, timely action, and budget adherence. Overall, option A balances ethical responsibility, context-aware decision-making, and Agile values.

Question 197: 

Which Agile technique uses risk and priority to guide the selection of test cases?

A) Model-Based Testing
B) Risk-Based Testing
C) Exploratory Testing
D) Regression Testing

Answer: B) Risk-Based Testing

Explanation:

Option A, Model-Based Testing, involves creating abstract models of the system to derive test cases. While it systematically ensures coverage of modeled behaviors, it does not inherently prioritize testing based on risk or criticality. This approach is more structured and design-focused rather than guided by potential business impact or probability of failure. In Agile contexts, where rapid feedback and risk management are essential, relying solely on model generation may not be efficient for high-risk areas.

Option B, Risk-Based Testing, is the correct answer because it explicitly considers both the likelihood of defects and the potential impact on the project or users. By prioritizing testing around high-risk areas, teams maximize the value of their efforts, ensuring critical functionalities are validated first. This aligns with Agile principles of focusing on value delivery and mitigating risks early. Risk-based testing supports efficient resource allocation, adaptive planning, and continuous improvement, which are core to Agile methodologies.

Option C, Exploratory Testing, emphasizes unscripted, creative test execution to uncover defects. While exploratory testing is highly valuable for discovery and learning, it is not inherently structured around risk or priority. Its purpose is to reveal unknown issues through ad-hoc exploration rather than systematically targeting high-impact areas, although risk considerations can be overlaid. Its flexibility complements, but does not replace, risk-based planning.

Option D, Regression Testing, ensures that existing functionality continues to work after changes. While essential for maintaining quality, regression testing is typically broad and reactive, rather than focused on risk prioritization. It validates stability but does not guide which tests to execute based on probability of failure or business criticality. Therefore, risk-based testing uniquely balances coverage with project priorities, making option B the most appropriate choice for targeted, value-driven test execution in Agile projects.

Question 198: 

Which ceremony is primarily used for coordination and removing impediments on a daily basis?

A) Sprint Planning
B) Daily Stand-up
C) Sprint Review
D) Sprint Retrospective

Answer: B) Daily Stand-up

Explanation:

Option A, Sprint Planning, occurs at the beginning of each sprint and focuses on defining the work to be completed. While it involves team coordination, its scope is planning-oriented rather than daily issue resolution. It sets expectations and objectives but does not address the ongoing identification and removal of impediments throughout the sprint.

Option B, Daily Stand-up, is the correct answer because it provides a short, consistent forum for team members to synchronize activities, highlight obstacles, and adjust tasks. Daily Stand-ups increase transparency and promote accountability, enabling the team to address impediments quickly. This ceremony fosters collaboration, ensures that everyone is aware of progress, and aligns with Agile principles of iterative delivery and continuous improvement.

Option C, Sprint Review, is focused on inspecting completed work and collecting stakeholder feedback. It is not a daily activity and is more oriented toward demonstrating results rather than coordinating day-to-day tasks. While valuable for validating deliverables, it does not provide a mechanism for immediate impediment resolution.

Option D, Sprint Retrospective, occurs at the end of the sprint to reflect on process improvements and team dynamics. While it identifies systemic issues, it is not designed for daily coordination. The retrospective supports long-term process improvement rather than immediate operational problem-solving. Therefore, the Daily Stand-up is the primary Agile ceremony for daily coordination and impediment management.

Question 199: 

Which Agile practice ensures that newly integrated code is tested frequently to detect defects early?

A) Continuous Integration
B) Regression Testing
C) Exploratory Testing
D) Load Testing

Answer:  A) Continuous Integration

Explanation:

Option A, Continuous Integration (CI), is the correct answer. CI is a practice where developers frequently merge code changes into a shared repository, triggering automated builds and tests. This approach allows teams to detect defects early, reducing the cost and complexity of fixing issues later. By ensuring that code is tested continuously, CI supports iterative delivery and maintains a stable codebase, which is critical in Agile environments where rapid feedback and incremental releases are valued.

Option B, Regression Testing, ensures that existing functionality continues to operate correctly after code changes. Although it helps maintain stability, regression testing alone does not guarantee early detection of defects because it is typically executed at set intervals rather than continuously on every integration.

Option C, Exploratory Testing, is valuable for discovering unknown issues through ad-hoc exploration. However, it is not a systematic practice for ensuring that all newly integrated code is automatically tested, making it less suitable for frequent defect detection in a CI pipeline.

Option D, Load Testing, assesses system performance under expected or peak load conditions. While important for performance validation, it does not address functional correctness or early defect detection during code integration. Therefore, Continuous Integration is the practice that directly supports early, frequent defect detection and aligns with Agile development principles.

Question 200: 

Which artifact sets the completion criteria for backlog items or increments?

A) Product Backlog
B) Sprint Backlog
C) Definition of Done
D) Burndown Chart

Answer: C) Definition of Done

Explanation:

Option A, Product Backlog, is a prioritized list of features, enhancements, and fixes to be implemented. While it provides clarity on what is planned, it does not define the conditions for when items are considered complete or acceptable. It serves as a planning tool rather than a quality benchmark.

Option B, Sprint Backlog, lists tasks committed for the current sprint. Although it tracks work in progress, it specifies “what” will be done rather than “how” to determine completion or quality. The backlog items require an explicit definition to ensure consistency across the team.

Option C, Definition of Done, is the correct answer. It establishes clear, objective criteria for determining when a backlog item or increment is complete, ensuring that all work meets agreed-upon standards. The Definition of Done guarantees consistency, quality, and stakeholder alignment, making increments potentially shippable and maintaining Agile principles of iterative delivery. It also reduces ambiguity, improves transparency, and facilitates predictable outcomes.

Option D, Burndown Chart, tracks progress over time by visualizing remaining work. While useful for monitoring velocity and sprint performance, it does not define what “done” means or ensure quality completion. Therefore, the Definition of Done is the essential artifact for setting completion criteria and maintaining consistency in Agile projects.