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Free CTFL Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) (CTFL) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free CTFL practice test to study every exam domain.

The CTFL exam has 40 questions and runs 1 hour.

These 10 free CTFL questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Fundamentals of Testing 20% of exam

Question 1

A developer misreads a requirement and, as a result, writes an incorrect calculation in the code. Weeks later, a customer using the software sees the application crash. In this chain of events, which term correctly describes the incorrect calculation sitting in the code?

  1. The defect
  2. The error
  3. The failure
  4. The root cause
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - The defect

Question 2

A team runs the exact same automated regression suite at the end of every sprint. Over several months, the suite finds fewer and fewer new defects, even though the product keeps changing. Which testing principle BEST explains this decline?

  1. Defects cluster together
  2. Early testing saves time and money
  3. Tests wear out (pesticide paradox)
  4. Exhaustive testing is impossible
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Tests wear out (pesticide paradox)

Question 3

Which statement correctly distinguishes quality assurance (QA) from testing?

  1. QA is process-oriented and preventive, whereas testing is product-oriented and helps evaluate quality
  2. QA finds defects in work products, whereas testing prevents them from occurring
  3. QA and testing are interchangeable terms for the same set of activities
  4. QA is performed only after testing has been completed and signed off
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - QA is process-oriented and preventive, whereas testing is product-oriented and helps evaluate quality

Question 4

An organization sets up a fully independent test team, separate from the development team. Which of the following is a genuine DRAWBACK of this level of independence?

  1. Independent testers are less likely to recognize different kinds of failures
  2. Independent testers are unable to question the assumptions made by developers
  3. Developers may feel less responsible for the quality of their own work
  4. The test team will always duplicate the tests the developers have already run
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Developers may feel less responsible for the quality of their own work

Domain 2: Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle 15% of exam

Question 5

A tester is checking the interactions and interfaces between two software modules that were developed separately, but that must work together within the same application. Which test level is this?

  1. Component testing
  2. System testing
  3. Component integration testing
  4. Acceptance testing
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Component integration testing

Question 6

A defect was fixed in the payment module. The tester confirms the fix works, then runs a set of tests on the shopping cart and order history to make sure the change has not unintentionally broken anything that previously worked. What is this second set of tests called?

  1. Confirmation testing
  2. Regression testing
  3. Maintenance testing
  4. Acceptance testing
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Regression testing

Question 7

A test is designed to measure whether an online store can process 10,000 orders per minute while keeping response times under two seconds. Which test type does this represent?

  1. Functional testing, because it tests the ordering feature
  2. White-box testing, because it inspects system throughput
  3. Non-functional testing
  4. Confirmation testing
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Non-functional testing

Domain 3: Static Testing 10% of exam

Question 8

Among the review types defined in the syllabus, which one is the MOST formal, follows a defined process, collects metrics, and has the main objective of finding the maximum number of anomalies?

  1. Walkthrough
  2. Technical review
  3. Informal review
  4. Inspection
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Inspection

Question 9

Which of the following defects is MOST likely to be found by static testing but NOT by dynamic testing?

  1. A section of unreachable (dead) code that can never be executed
  2. A slow database query that only appears under heavy load
  3. A memory leak that grows the longer the application runs
  4. A crash that occurs only when two users act at the exact same moment
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - A section of unreachable (dead) code that can never be executed

Domain 4: Test Analysis and Design 27.5% of exam

Question 10

A tester, drawing on their memory of defects found in previous similar projects and on common mistakes developers tend to make, designs a set of tests specifically aimed at exposing those kinds of problems. Which category of test technique is being used?

  1. Black-box (specification-based) technique
  2. White-box (structure-based) technique
  3. Experience-based technique
  4. Coverage-based technique
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Experience-based technique

The rest of the CTFL blueprint

The CTFL exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:

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