CTFL-v4 Testing Throughout the SDLC Practice Question
What is the primary difference between confirmation testing and regression testing?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently use confirmation testing and regression testing interchangeably, failing to distinguish between verifying a specific fix and checking overall system stability.
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
✓
Confirmation testing focuses on the fix; regression on the system.
Confirmation testing (re-testing) confirms that a specific defect has been fixed. Regression testing ensures that the fix—or any other change—has not broken previously working functionality. Understanding this distinction is vital for testers to properly manage their test suites and ensure that they are verifying both the resolution of reported bugs and the overall stability of the existing system after changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Regression testing is only for automated scripts.
Why it's wrong here
Regression testing can be performed both manually and automatically. While automation is preferred for regression due to the large volume of tests involved, there are many scenarios where manual regression testing is necessary, such as when the UI is highly dynamic or the testing scope is limited.
- ✓
Confirmation testing focuses on the fix; regression on the system.
Why this is correct
Confirmation testing aims to prove that the specific defect reported is no longer present. Regression testing, however, is broader; it checks the entire system to ensure that the code changes did not cause unintended side effects or break features that were previously working as expected.
- ✗
Regression testing is performed before the bug is fixed.
Why it's wrong here
Regression testing is performed after a change or a fix has been applied to the codebase. Performing it before the fix would be counter-productive, as the regressions are usually expected to be caused by the fix itself, not by the original state of the system.
- ✗
Confirmation testing is a form of negative testing.
Why it's wrong here
Confirmation testing is fundamentally positive testing; it aims to confirm that the software behaves correctly after a repair. Negative testing, conversely, tries to force the system into an error state, which is not the objective when verifying that a known issue has been resolved.
About these practice questions
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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.