ATA Complete Guide – Updates

Software Testing Advanced Test Analyst – Complete Guide for ISTQB® Exam (Basis ISTQB v3.1.2 Syllabus January 2022)
Author C. Newbould BSc.(Hons) AKC. Editor and Graphic Design N. Powell. Proofreading E. Powell BA(Hons.), CTAL-TA, CTAL-TM
ISBN 978-0-9536056-3-7  Released 4 October 2022 Paperback 322 page.
Please note, there are a number of updates and changes pending for this publication (mid-2025). If you have any queries about the content of this publication, please use the contact email address and we will endevour to respond within two business days. All updates will be published here in advance of a revision to the publication. Contacting the publisher directly via [email protected] is the best way to aid your understanding of a topic that may be confusing and locating, identifying and resolving issues with the content of all publications. Errata.

Page 127. Q#1  With all three questions on Pages 127/128 having b) as the correct option, the correct answer to Question #1 was swapped late on to be Option d). The correct option letter should now be d). This is a ‘not true’ question. (See below my thoughts on this type of question).

Page 147. Q#2 Went through several revisions, with the question stem changing from ‘Which of the following is true’ to the published version ‘Which is not true’. Options were changed during these revisions, and the problem with option b) crept in.  The aim of the question, is to check understanding that a higher risk equates to a lower risk level number.

For any future editions, I am considering revising questions to avoid negative stems. As a rule, I prefer questions ‘which are true’ to ‘which are not true’ or ‘are true except for which’.  However, the use of some negative question stems checks the student is carefully reading the question stem and spotting the use of words such as ‘not’, ‘never’, ‘incorrect’ etc. This is part of intentionally making some questions harder than those used by some Exam Boards to give students more practice, deeper understanding and ultimately help them gain success in their exams.

*For Example 1: In the given scenario, which of the following provide the best strategy?

1. State transition testing
2. Decision testing
3. Boundary value testing
4. Use case testing
5. Pairwise testing

Select TWO options – (There are 20 possibilities).

*For Example 2:  In the given scenario, which of the following provides the best strategy?

1. State transition testing
2. Decision testing
3. Boundary value testing
4. Use case testing
5. Pairwise testing

Select ONE option

1. 1 and 5
2. 2 and 3
3. 3 and 4
4. 4 and 5

Now there are only 4 options, and if you are sure about any one of 1 to 5, it reduces the choice further.

1. Page 265 Answer 16. The correct option is a).
All possible pairs can be tested with six test cases. For example:

The symbol ~ represents any value of the variable.
All possible pairs can be tested with six test cases. For example:
TC1 SSD/standard, SSD/NVIDIA, SSD/20, standard/NVIDIA, standard/20
TC 2 SSD/extended. SSD/AMD, SSD/27, extended/AMD, extended/27
TC3 HDD/standard, HDD/NVIDIA, HDD/20
TC4 HDD/extended, HDD/AMD, HDD/27
TC5 Standard/27
TC6 extended/20

1. b) is an incorrect option. 16 test cases would be required for multiple condition testing, where every combination of parameter values is tested.
2. c) is an incorrect option for the reasons given for a).
3. d) is an incorrect option for the reasons given for a).

2. Page 263 Method 3 The X is in the correct row for test case 1, hours worked less than 40, hours record deduction X. No hours get added. However, in reviewing this again, we see that in this method, test case 3, the X should be in hours record addition for the hours worked greater than 40.

3. Page 262 further review.
Method 1, the output entry cell for hours = 40 and contract employee should be Standard Pay.
Method 2, the bottom two conditions in the tables should be reversed, Hours Record addition should be after hours Record deduction.
This makes the X s then correct in both tables.  Test cases 1 and 5 in method 2 are both infeasible, it is not possible to work both less than 40 hours
and equal to 40 hours at the same time.

4. Page 108. We are aware of another issue.
Question 1 a) is the correct option. All transitions are shown.
1.  b) is an incorrect option. Transition e) failed should go from ‘Sold Subject to Contract’ back to ‘Property listing. There should be a transition f) Sale confirmed
to go from ‘Sold Subject to Contract’ to ‘Property Sold’.
   2.  c) is an incorrect option. c) Reject from ‘Review Offer’ does not need to go back to where a property listing is created, it should go back to ‘Waiting for Offer’.
   3.  d) is not the correct option. Transitions e) and f) are incorrectly inversed in the key in the lower part of the state transition diagram.
It also has the same error as for c) with the return from ‘Review offer.

5. Note: We intend to publish an update / second edition of the Advanced Test Analyst with these and other corrections and some minor text alterations for clarification.

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Previous Edition Errata
Software Testing Advanced Test Analyst – Complete Guide for ISTQB® Exam (Basis ISTQB v3.1 Syllabus March 2021)
Author C. Newbould, Editor and Graphic Design N. Powell, Proofreading E. Powell CTAL-TA, CTAL-TM
Published June 2021 AiFlex Publishing UK 308 pages
ISBN 978-0-9536056-3-7

UPDATES posted 7th March 2022

P86 Text change: ‘three columns are required’ should be replaced with ‘four parameter columns are required’.
This refers to the following table with the four parameter columns which produces the correct answer.
(Similarly on p80 in the Complete Guide for ISTQB® Exam based on v3.0 Syllabus published January 2021)

P200 Add clarification to Practice Paper One Question #9 answer explanation:
(Similarly p166 and p191 in the Complete Guide for ISTQB® Exam based on v3.0 Syllabus)

After the four partitions 1 to 4 are listed, insert: ‘

If option d) is arranged in increasing temperature values (coldest to hottest), it would be:

d) -5.5°C, -5°C, 4°C, 4.5°C, 14.5°C, 15°C, corresponding to the table above’.

Add text: after ‘a) does not have accuracy to 0.5 °C.’ Insert ‘Option a) appears to have a duplicate of 4°C, this is because the accuracy is not to 0.5°C (one of the numbers could have been truncated from 4.5°C). The option a) would still not be correct because of the inclusion of -6°C, rather than -5.5°C. Option b) is missing -5.5°C and 14.5°C so is not two-value boundary testing.’

Delete text: ‘and also includes 0°C which is not specified as a boundary’ where it refers to option b). The statement applies to all the options and this is already included in the note at the end of the answer explanation box.

P261 Change: first occurrence on this page of ISO 29119-4 change to ISO 29119-1. The full title of the document is correct and otherwise unchanged.
(Similarly p255 in the Complete Guide for ISTQB® Exam based on v3.0 Syllabus)

P266 First paragraph, text change: ‘…railcard does not apply to a standard ticket’ should be replaced with ‘…railcard does not apply to a Super-Saver ticket’. The following table is correct with the railcard applying to the Super-Saver ticket and produces the correct answer.
(Similarly on p260 in the Complete Guide for ISTQB® Exam based on v3.0 Syllabus)