CTFL-v4 Fundamentals of Testing Practice Question
When should testing be started in the software development lifecycle?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume testing starts when code is ready, ignoring the 'shift-left' principle which emphasizes that requirement reviews are a critical part of the testing process.
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
✓
During the requirements analysis phase.
Testing should start as early as possible. Early involvement, such as reviewing requirements or design documents, allows testers to identify defects long before code is written. This is known as the 'shift-left' approach. Starting early significantly reduces the cost of fixing defects, as it is much cheaper to correct a requirement error in a document than to fix a bug in the finished application after it has been fully implemented and integrated.
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 after the code is fully implemented.
Why it's wrong here
Waiting until code implementation is complete is a late-stage testing approach that is very expensive and risky. Defects found at this stage are harder to fix and often require significant rework. It misses the opportunity to catch design flaws early, which is a major inefficiency in modern software development.
- ✓
During the requirements analysis phase.
Why this is correct
Starting testing activities during requirements analysis is the best practice. By analyzing requirements, testers can find ambiguity or logical errors before development even begins. This early detection saves time and money, and ensures that the requirements are testable and clear, which leads to higher-quality software and faster development cycles.
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Once the build is ready for deployment.
Why it's wrong here
Testing only at the deployment stage is extremely risky. It is essentially testing in production, which is dangerous for critical systems. This approach makes it impossible to perform comprehensive integration testing or unit testing beforehand, leading to a high probability of major failures that could have been identified much earlier.
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When the QA team is fully staffed.
Why it's wrong here
Testing is a process, not a state of being fully staffed. Even with a small team, testers can start reviewing documents early. Waiting for full staffing is a management issue, not a testing principle. Proactive involvement is always better than waiting for resources, as it prevents defects from being introduced into code.
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.