Fault Tree Analysis
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a top-down risk analysis technique that identifies combinations of events that can lead to a specific system failure.
“A technique for analyzing the causes of failures that uses a hierarchical model of events and their logical relationships.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Fault Tree Analysis?
FTA starts with an undesirable event and works backward through logical relationships to identify contributing faults and their causes.
Top-down analysis: Begins with a defined system failure.
Logical modeling: Uses AND and OR gates to represent event relationships.
Risk reduction: Helps prioritize preventive measures and testing.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Fault tree analysis appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Fault tree analysis as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Fault tree analysis and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Fault tree analysis is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Fault tree analysis in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Fault tree analysis to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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