CTFL-v4 Managing the Test Activities Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"Test_Progress": {
"Planned_Cases": 500,
"Executed_Cases": 350,
"Passed": 280,
"Failed": 50,
"Blocked": 20
}
}Refer to the exhibit. Given the current test progress report, which action should the test manager take to ensure the project remains on track for the final release deadline?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest re-running failed tests immediately, ignoring that 'blocked' tests prevent the system from being fully exercised and represent a fundamental dependency issue.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Investigate the blocked test cases to resolve dependencies and continue execution progress.
The report shows 20 blocked tests and 50 failed tests, with 150 cases remaining. The test manager must address the blocked items immediately, as these prevent full verification of the system. This demonstrates effective test management by prioritizing blockers, which are often external dependencies, to ensure the remaining 150 tests can be executed without further delays before the deadline.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Immediately increase the test execution velocity by adding more manual testers to the project.
Why it's wrong here
Adding staff mid-cycle often introduces communication overhead, known as Brooks's Law, which may decrease velocity. The focus should be on resolving the blockers first, as adding more people will not help if the underlying dependencies remain unresolved or the environment remains unstable for the team.
- ✓
Investigate the blocked test cases to resolve dependencies and continue execution progress.
Why this is correct
Blocked tests indicate environmental, data, or requirement issues that prevent the team from verifying functionality. Resolving these is the highest priority because they impact the critical path. Addressing them allows the team to resume testing, reducing the risk of a late delivery due to undiscovered software defects.
- ✗
Ignore the failed test cases for now and focus entirely on executing the remaining untested cases.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring failed tests is dangerous as it hides critical defects that might be showstoppers. While execution of new cases is important, failed tests represent confirmed quality issues that must be addressed, documented, and triaged to ensure the software meets the exit criteria before the release date.
- ✗
Update the test plan to reflect a lower number of total test cases for the final release.
Why it's wrong here
Arbitrarily reducing the test scope without a formal risk assessment is an inappropriate management action. Exit criteria should be met through legitimate testing. If the scope must change, it requires stakeholder agreement based on risk, rather than simply hiding the remaining work by modifying the test plan.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CTFL-v4 question from scratch — 144 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISTQB exam blueprint
This CTFL-v4 practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISTQB certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CTFL-v4 exam.