Istqb F.l. Glossary Chapter 4

Front 1

Procedure used to derive and/or select test cases.

Back 1

Test design technique

Front 2

The ability to identify related items in documentation and software, such as requirements with associated tests.

Back 2

Traceability

Front 3

A document specifying the test conditions (coverage items) for a test item, the detailed test approach and identifying the associated high level test cases.

Back 3

Test design specification

Front 4

A document specifying a set of test cases (objective, inputs, test actions, expected results, and execution preconditions) for a test item.

Back 4

Test case specification

Front 5

A document specifying a sequence of actions for the execution of a test. Also known as test script or manual test script.

Back 5

Test procedure specification

Front 6

Commonly used to refer to a test procedure specification, especially an automated one.

Back 6

Test script

Front 7

Procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on an analysis of the specification, either functional or non-functional, of a component or system without reference to its internal structure.

Back 7

Black-box test design technique

Front 8

Procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on an analysis of the internal structure of a component or system. Another name for white-box test design technique.

Back 8

Structure-based test design technique

Front 9

Procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on the tester’s experience, knowledge and intuition.

Back 9

Experienced-based test design technique

Front 10

A black box test design technique in which test cases are designed to execute representatives from equivalence partitions. In principle test cases are designed to cover each partition at least once.

Back 10

Equivalence partitioning

Front 11

A portion of an input or output domain for which the behavior of a component or system is assumed to be the same, based on the specification.

Back 11

Equivalence partition

Front 12

An input value or output value which is on the edge of an equivalence partition or at the smallest incremental distance on either side of an edge, for example the minimum or maximum value of a range.

Back 12

Boundary value

Front 13

A black box test design technique in which test cases are designed based on boundary values.

Back 13

Boundary value analysis

Front 14

A table showing combinations of inputs and/or stimuli (causes) with their associated outputs and/or actions (effects), which can be used to design test cases.

Back 14

Decision table

Front 15

A black box test design technique in which test cases are designed to execute the combinations of inputs and/or stimuli (causes) shown in a decision table.

Back 15

Decision table testing

Front 16

A black box test design technique in which test cases are designed to execute valid and invalid state transitions. See also N-switch testing.

Back 16

State transition testing

Front 17

A diagram that depicts the states that a component or system can assume, and shows the events or circumstances that cause and/or result from a change from one state to another.

Back 17

State diagram

Front 18

A grid showing the resulting transitions for each state combined with each possible event, showing both valid and invalid transitions.

Back 18

State table

Front 19

A black box test design technique in which test cases are designed to execute user scenarios.

Back 19

Use case testing

Front 20

Procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on an analysis of the internal structure of a component or system.

Back 20

Structure-based test design techniques

Front 21

The degree, expressed as a percentage, to which a specified coverage item has been exercised by a test suite.

Back 21

Coverage (test coverage)

Front 22

An analysis method that determines which parts of the software have been executed (covered) by the test suite and which parts have not been executed

Back 22

Code coverage

Front 23

The percentage of executable statements that have been exercised by a test suite.

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Statement coverage

Front 24

The percentage of decision outcomes that have been exercised by a test suite.

Back 24

Decision coverage (100% branch coverage & 100% statement coverage)

Front 25

A test design technique where the experience of the tester is used to anticipate what defects might be present in the component or system under test as a result of errors made, and to design tests specifically to expose them.

Back 25

Error guessing

Front 26

An informal test design technique where the tester actively controls the design of the tests as those tests are performed and uses information gained while testing to design new and better tests.

Back 26

Exploratory testing

Front 27

Directed and focused attempt to evaluate the quality, especially reliability, of a test object by attempting to force specific failures to occur.

Back 27

Attack (fault attack)