Testing Throughout the SDLC

Chapter 2 in the CTFL exam

Exam questions

6 / 40

Share of exam

15%

Highest K-level

K2

Glossary terms

69

Chapter 2 is entirely K1 and K2. Expect recall of test levels and types, and explanation of how lifecycle choice affects testing.

What this chapter covers

Chapter 2 places testing inside the software development lifecycle. At 6 of 40 questions it is a smaller slice than its breadth suggests, and the questions concentrate on test levels, test types, and the difference between confirmation and regression testing.

Lifecycle models shape testing. In sequential models such as the V-model, each development phase has a corresponding test level and test design begins early against a stable basis. Iterative and incremental models deliver in increments, so regression testing grows in importance and automation becomes close to mandatory. The syllabus is explicit that good testing practices are lifecycle-independent: every development activity has a corresponding test activity, each test level has objectives specific to that level, and test analysis and design begin during the corresponding development phase.

Testing can drive development. Test-driven development, acceptance test-driven development, and behaviour-driven development all write tests before code, using the tests as specification. DevOps and continuous integration shorten the feedback loop and make automated regression suites the gate on delivery. Shift left means performing testing earlier — reviewing requirements, static analysis, writing unit tests alongside code — on the basis that defects found earlier cost less to fix.

Test levels are groups of activities organised by the object under test: component testing (individual units in isolation), component integration testing (interactions between units), system testing (end-to-end behaviour of the whole system), system integration testing (interactions with other systems and external services), and acceptance testing (validation against user needs, contracts, or regulation). Acceptance testing subdivides into user acceptance, operational acceptance, contractual and regulatory acceptance, and alpha and beta testing.

Test types cut across levels and describe what is being evaluated. Functional testing checks what the system does; non-functional testing checks how well it does it — performance, usability, reliability, security, portability and the rest of the quality characteristics. Black-box testing derives tests from the specification; white-box testing derives them from the internal structure.

Confirmation testing and regression testing are examined together and confused constantly. Confirmation testing re-runs the failed test after a fix to verify the defect is gone. Regression testing runs other tests to check the fix has not broken previously working behaviour. Maintenance testing covers modification, migration, and retirement, and depends on impact analysis to scope the regression set.

CTFL v4.0 syllabus outline

1. 2.1 Testing in the Context of a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

   • Impact of the Software Development Lifecycle on Testing
   • Software Development Lifecycle and Good Testing Practices
   • Testing as a Driver for Software Development
   • DevOps and Testing
   • Shift Left
   • Retrospectives and Process Improvement

2. 2.2 Test Levels and Test Types

   • Test Levels
   • Test Types
   • Confirmation Testing and Regression Testing

3. 2.3 Maintenance Testing

Highest-value terms in this chapter

Start here if you are short on time.

• test level
• test type
• component testing
• system testing
• acceptance testing
• regression testing
• confirmation testing
• maintenance testing
• shift left

Common exam traps

• ⚠️Swapping confirmation and regression testing. Confirmation verifies the fix; regression protects everything else.
• ⚠️Treating test levels and test types as the same axis — they are independent, and any type can be run at any level.
• ⚠️Assuming acceptance testing is always performed by users; operational, contractual, and regulatory acceptance are not.
• ⚠️Believing shift left means testing only earlier. It means testing earlier in addition to, not instead of, later activities.