ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) v4.0 – Core Vocabulary

Flashcards cover fundamental vocabulary from the ISTQB® CTFL v4.0 syllabus, useful for exam preparation and day-to-day testing practice.

Testing

A set of activities to discover defects and evaluate the quality of software work products.

Dynamic Testing

Testing that involves executing software and checking actual versus expected results.

Static Testing

Evaluation of work products without executing code (e.g., reviews, static analysis).

Verification

Checking whether the system meets specified requirements.

Validation

Checking whether the system meets users’ and other stakeholders’ needs in its operational environment.

Error

A human mistake that can lead to a defect.

Defect (Fault, Bug)

A flaw in software that may cause it to fail to perform its required function.

Failure

Deviation of a component or system from its expected delivery or service.

Debugging

The process of finding, analysing and fixing the cause of a failure.

Root Cause

The fundamental reason for the occurrence of a problem or defect.

Test Objective

A reason or purpose for designing and executing a test.

Test Basis

Information needed to start test analysis and create test cases (e.g., requirements, designs, code).

Test Condition

An item or event of a component or system that could be verified by one or more test cases.

Test Case

A set of pre-conditions, inputs, actions, expected results, and post-conditions developed for a specific test objective.

Test Procedure

A sequence of instructions for executing one or more test cases.

Test Suite

A set of test cases or test procedures to be executed together.

Test Activity

A major task within the test process (e.g., planning, analysis, design, execution).

Test Analysis

Identifying what to test by deriving test conditions from the test basis.

Test Design

Specifying how to test by creating test cases, test data, and coverage items.

Test Implementation

Building testware and arranging test suites and schedules ready for execution.

Test Execution

Running tests according to the execution schedule and logging the outcome.

Test Monitoring

Ongoing gathering of information about testing progress and quality to compare with the plan.

Test Control

Actions taken to steer testing back on course when monitoring shows deviations.

Test Completion

Collecting and consolidating results, lessons learned and remaining risks at a project milestone.

Test Process

The complete set of test activities carried out in a project, tailored to its context.

Testware

Work products produced during testing (e.g., test plans, cases, scripts, data, logs).

Traceability

Ability to link related work products (e.g., requirements ↔ tests ↔ results) across the lifecycle.

Coverage

Degree to which specified items have been exercised by a test suite, expressed as a percentage.

Independence of Testing

Separation of responsibilities so testers can examine software with minimal bias.

Whole-Team Approach

Practice where all team members share responsibility for quality and testing.

Shift Left

Performing testing activities earlier in the software development lifecycle.

DevOps

Culture and practices that integrate development, testing and operations through automated CI/CD pipelines.

Confirmation Testing

Re-execution of a test to verify that a specific defect has been fixed.

Regression Testing

Testing to detect defects introduced by changes in previously unchanged areas of the software.

Maintenance Testing

Testing of a system in operation after modification, migration or retirement.

Test Level

A group of related test activities based on the test objects (e.g., component, integration, system).

Component Testing

Testing individual software components in isolation (unit testing).

Component Integration Testing

Testing interactions and interfaces between integrated components.

System Testing

Testing the complete, integrated system to evaluate compliance with requirements.

System Integration Testing

Testing interfaces and interactions between the system under test and external systems/services.

Acceptance Testing

Formal testing with respect to user needs, requirements and business processes before release.

Black-Box Test Technique

Deriving tests from specifications without reference to internal structure.

White-Box Test Technique

Designing tests based on the internal structure or code of a component.

Experience-Based Test Technique

Creating tests using tester’s skills, intuition and past experience.

Equivalence Partitioning

Dividing data into partitions that should be treated the same to reduce the number of tests.

Boundary Value Analysis

Designing tests to exercise values at the edges of equivalence partitions.

Decision Table Testing

Testing combinations of conditions and actions captured in a decision table.

State Transition Testing

Designing tests to cover states and valid/invalid transitions of a system.

Statement Coverage

Percentage of executable statements exercised by tests.

Branch Coverage

Percentage of decision outcomes (true/false branches) exercised by tests.

Error Guessing

Deriving test cases based on experience of typical errors and past defects.

Exploratory Testing

Simultaneous test design, execution and learning guided by tester insight.

Checklist-Based Testing

Executing tests based on a pre-defined list of conditions or questions.

Collaborative User Story Writing

Creating user stories jointly with business, development and testing roles to ensure shared understanding.

Acceptance Criteria

Conditions that a user story implementation must satisfy to be accepted.

ATDD (Acceptance Test-Driven Development)

Defining acceptance tests before implementing a user story; tests guide development.

Test Plan

Document describing test objectives, scope, approach, resources, schedule and risks.

Entry Criteria

Pre-conditions that must be met before a test activity can start.

Exit Criteria

Conditions that must be met to conclude a test activity.

Estimation Technique

Method (e.g., ratios, extrapolation, Wideband Delphi, three-point) used to predict test effort.

Test Case Prioritization

Ordering test execution to meet goals such as risk reduction or early defect detection.

Test Pyramid

Model showing that many low-level automated tests and fewer high-level tests give efficient feedback.

Testing Quadrants

Matrix classifying tests by business/technology focus and whether they guide or critique the product.

Risk

A factor that could result in future negative consequences; expressed as likelihood × impact.

Product Risk

Possibility that the software may fail to satisfy functional or non-functional requirements.

Project Risk

Potential event that threatens the success of the project (e.g., schedule, resources).

Risk Likelihood

Probability that a risk will occur.

Risk Impact

Magnitude of harm if the risk occurs.

Risk Level

Combined measure of likelihood and impact used to prioritise risk treatment.

Risk-Based Testing

Planning, prioritising and controlling testing based on product and project risks.

Risk Mitigation

Action taken to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk (e.g., additional testing).

Risk Monitoring

Continuous observation of identified risks and the effectiveness of mitigation actions.

Test Progress Report

Regular summary of testing status, metrics, impediments and next steps.

Test Completion Report

Final evaluation of testing against objectives, including residual risks and lessons learned.

Configuration Management

Discipline for identifying, controlling and tracking versions of work products and test items.

Defect Management

Process of logging, classifying, fixing and closing defects found during testing.

Defect Report

Record containing details to reproduce, analyse and resolve a detected defect.

Test Automation

Use of tools to execute tests, compare outcomes and report results with minimal human intervention.

Test Management Tool

Software that supports planning, monitoring, traceability and reporting of test activities.

Static Analysis Tool

Tool that examines code or other work products without execution to find defects.

Test Design Tool

Software that generates test cases, data or procedures from models or requirements.

Test Execution Tool

Software that runs automated test scripts and logs outcomes.

Non-Functional Testing Tool

Tool supporting tests of attributes such as performance efficiency, security or usability.

Test Environment

Hardware, software, data and interfaces required to execute tests.

Test Harness

Environment containing stubs and drivers needed to execute a test object.

Stub

Temporary component that simulates a called component in tests.

Driver

Temporary component that calls a component under test.

Simulator / Service Virtualization

Tool that emulates behaviour of external components or systems for testing.