Which of the following are valid testing principles?

Which of the following are valid testing principles?

I) Exhaustive testing is in general impossible.

II) Exhaustive testing should be executed for code intended to be reused.

III) Testing may guarantee that a program is correct.

IV) Testing cannot guarantee that a program is correct.

V) Defects cluster together in certain areas of the product.
A . I, IV, V
B . II, Iv
C . I, V
D . I, Ill

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

Statements I, IV and V are valid testing principles according to the ISTQB syllabus. Statement I states that exhaustive testing is in general impossible, because it would require testing all possible inputs, outputs and combinations of states, which is usually impractical or impossible. Statement IV states that testing cannot guarantee that a program is correct, because testing can only show the presence of defects, not their absence. Statement V states that defects cluster together in certain areas of the product, which means that some modules or functions are more likely to contain defects than others. Statements II and III are invalid testing principles. Statement II states that exhaustive testing should be executed for code intended to be reused, which contradicts statement I, Statement III states that testing may guarantee that a program is correct, which contradicts statement IV, Verified

Reference: A Study Guide to the ISTQB® Foundation Level 2018 Syllabus – Springer, pages 4-5.