CTFL-v4 Static Testing — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which THREE of the following activities are typical parts of the 'Review Initiation' phase in a formal review?

Accepted Answer

Defining the scope, objectives, and roles for the review.. The initiation phase sets the foundation for a successful review by defining the scope, goals, and resources. By clearly communicating these aspects to all stakeholders, the team ensures alignment and commitment. This phase is crucial for establishing the logistical framework, ensuring that the right documents are available to the right people, and setting clear expectations for what the review is intended to accomplish.

Answer

Executing the static analysis tools on the source code.

Answer

Conducting the review meeting to discuss identified defects.

Question 2

Which THREE of the following are benefits of using static analysis tools?

Accepted Answer

Early detection of defects before the code is executed.. Static analysis tools provide consistent, automated checking that scales well with the codebase. They identify patterns that are often invisible to the human eye, such as complex security vulnerabilities or potential runtime errors. By catching these issues early and repeatedly, the tools maintain high coding standards and reduce the burden on human reviewers, allowing them to focus on higher-level architectural or business-logic issues.

Answer

Replacement of all human-led formal review activities.

Answer

Detection of complex architectural design flaws in high-level diagrams.

Question 3

A tester is performing a formal review. During the individual preparation phase, the tester discovers a critical defect in the requirement specification but decides to wait until the review meeting to discuss it. Which principle of static testing is being ignored?

Accepted Answer

The principle of early defect detection.. Static testing aims to identify defects as early as possible in the software development lifecycle to reduce remediation costs. Waiting until the formal meeting forces the team to spend valuable collaborative time on an issue that could have been documented earlier. Effective preparation involves documenting issues immediately, ensuring the meeting focuses on consensus and complex architectural discussions rather than simple defect reporting, thereby improving overall efficiency.

Answer

The principle of maintaining individual objectivity.

Answer

The principle of formal review documentation.

Answer

The principle of defining clear entry criteria.

Question 4

Which type of static testing is most suitable for a project where the team is highly experienced and needs a low-overhead, quick method to identify defects in a document?

Accepted Answer

Walkthrough. Walkthroughs are informal, low-overhead meetings led by the author to gain understanding or consensus. They are ideal for experienced teams who do not require rigorous, formal procedures to find defects. Unlike inspections, which require defined entry/exit criteria and formal roles, walkthroughs allow for flexible and rapid knowledge sharing, fitting perfectly into agile environments where speed and high team competence are present.

Answer

Formal Inspection

Answer

Technical Review

Answer

Audit

Question 5

Which THREE of the following are considered benefits of static testing in the software development lifecycle?

Accepted Answer

Reduces the cost of fixing defects found later in the lifecycle.. Static testing provides early defect detection, which is vital because the cost of fixing defects increases exponentially as development progresses. Furthermore, it improves overall code quality and maintainability by enforcing coding standards. By identifying issues in documentation and requirements before implementation begins, it helps prevent misunderstandings, ultimately leading to a more stable product and a more efficient development process for the entire project team.

Answer

Eliminates the need for regression testing entirely.

Answer

Ensures the software is 100% bug-free before deployment.

Question 6

A QA lead is planning a formal review of a requirements specification. The document is 60 pages long and contains many complex business rules. The review team consists of five members, including the author. To ensure thorough coverage and effective use of the review meeting, which review technique is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Fagan inspection. Fagan inspection is a formal review technique that provides a structured, rigorous process with defined roles and phases. For a large, complex requirements specification, it ensures thorough examination and effective defect detection. Other techniques like ad hoc, checklist-based, or perspective-based reading may lack the necessary depth and formality for such a critical document.

Answer

Checklist-based reviewing

Answer

Perspective-based reading

Answer

Ad hoc reviewing

Question 7

A software company is adopting static testing to reduce defect leakage. Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates the primary benefit of static testing over dynamic testing?

Accepted Answer

A peer review of a technical specification document reveals an ambiguity that would lead to incorrect business logic.. Static testing finds defects early in the software development lifecycle, significantly reducing the cost of remediation compared to dynamic testing. By reviewing documentation, code, or requirements before execution, teams prevent defects from propagating into later phases. This approach improves overall software quality by addressing root causes in artifacts rather than just identifying symptoms in the running system, which is crucial for early risk mitigation.

Answer

The testing team executes a test script to identify a logic error in the billing module.

Answer

Developers perform unit tests to verify that the API endpoints handle null inputs correctly.

Answer

A performance tool monitors system latency to ensure compliance with non-functional requirements.

Question 8

During a formal review process, which role is primarily responsible for documenting the defects found during the review meeting?

Accepted Answer

The Scribe. The scribe, or recorder, is responsible for documenting all issues, defects, and open points identified during the review meeting. This role ensures that all consensus items are captured accurately, allowing the author to address them during the rework phase. Having a dedicated scribe allows other participants, such as the moderator and reviewers, to remain focused on the technical discussion rather than administrative note-taking tasks.

Answer

The Moderator

Answer

The Author

Answer

The Reviewer

Question 9

Which TWO of the following statements accurately describe the characteristics of a formal review process?

Accepted Answer

Formal reviews follow a documented process with defined roles and entry/exit criteria.. Formal reviews are characterized by a structured process, documented results, and defined roles. They provide a disciplined approach to quality improvement by ensuring that participants follow specific procedures, such as preparation and a review meeting. These characteristics distinguish formal reviews from informal reviews, making them highly effective for ensuring compliance with standards and identifying critical defects in high-risk project artifacts throughout the development cycle.

Answer

Formal reviews must always include the participation of a test manager.

Answer

Formal reviews always require the use of automated static analysis tools.

Answer

Formal reviews are generally faster and cheaper than informal reviews.

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the purpose of 'Entry Criteria' in a formal review process?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that the work product is in a suitable state to be reviewed effectively.. Entry criteria define the conditions that must be met before a review can commence, ensuring that the work product is ready for evaluation. This prevents wasting the time of reviewers on immature or incomplete documents, which would lead to unproductive sessions. By enforcing these criteria, the team maintains high standards and ensures that the review process is focused on identifying meaningful defects.

Answer

To determine which reviewers are qualified to participate in the session.

Answer

To provide a checklist that the author can use to fix defects found during the review.

Answer

To track the number of defects found by each individual reviewer during the meeting.

Question 11

Why is it important to include the author in the review meeting?

Accepted Answer

To provide explanations that help reviewers understand the logic and intent of the product.. The author is the primary source of truth regarding the intent and design of the work product. Their presence allows for immediate clarification of ambiguous points, which prevents misinterpretation by reviewers. While some argue for excluding authors to avoid defensiveness, the collaborative benefits of rapid clarification and shared understanding of the feedback typically outweigh those concerns in a professional and constructive review environment.

Answer

To allow the author to defend their design decisions against reviewer criticisms.

Answer

To assign blame to the author for any defects discovered during the meeting.

Answer

To ensure the author can rewrite the code or document during the meeting.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of an 'informal' review?

Accepted Answer

A developer asking a colleague to look over their code for simple errors.. Informal reviews are characterized by a lack of a formal process, documentation, or defined roles. They are often performed as simple peer-to-peer checks, such as two developers discussing a piece of code before a commit. This flexibility makes them very effective for quick feedback on small changes where the overhead of a formal process would be disproportionate to the risk or size of the task.

Answer

A structured inspection with a designated moderator and scribe.

Answer

A technical review conducted by a team with a predefined checklist.

Answer

A formal walkthrough where the author explains the design to a group.

Question 13

What is the primary goal of the 'Rework' phase in a formal review process?

Accepted Answer

To correct identified defects and improve the work product.. The rework phase is dedicated to addressing the defects identified during the review. The author modifies the work product to correct the errors, incorporate suggestions, or clarify ambiguities based on the findings documented by the scribe. This ensures that the final artifact meets the quality requirements and is ready for the next stage of development, thereby preventing the defects from propagating further into the lifecycle.

Answer

To verify that the reviewers have understood the author's intent.

Answer

To conduct a final assessment of the review's overall cost and time.

Answer

To finalize the project plan based on the findings.

Question 14

When should static analysis be performed in the development lifecycle?

Accepted Answer

As early as possible, ideally during code development.. Static analysis is most effective when performed as early and as often as possible. By integrating tools into the IDE or build pipeline, developers get immediate feedback, allowing them to fix issues before they even commit code. This continuous approach minimizes the effort required for remediation and ensures that the codebase maintains high quality, preventing technical debt from accumulating throughout the development process.

Answer

Only at the end of the project to ensure the final delivery is clean.

Answer

Only after the system has passed all functional testing phases.

Answer

Only when the code is deployed to the production environment.

Question 15

Which of the following is a key success factor for any type of formal review?

Accepted Answer

The team must foster a supportive, constructive, and blame-free culture.. A supportive and constructive culture is essential for successful reviews. When participants view the process as a collaborative effort to improve quality rather than a way to criticize or punish, they are more likely to participate openly. This trust allows for honest feedback and ensures that the primary goal—finding and fixing defects—is achieved effectively without causing interpersonal friction or defensive behavior.

Answer

The review must be conducted by external auditors to ensure objectivity.

Answer

The review must result in at least one defect per page of documentation.

Answer

The author must be excluded from the meeting to prevent bias.