Model-based Testing
Model-Based Testing (MBT) is a test design technique in which test cases are generated from models describing the expected behavior of a system.
“Testing based on or involving models.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Model-based Testing?
Instead of writing test cases manually, testers create behavioral models that tools use to automatically derive efficient and consistent tests.
Behavior modeling: States, transitions, or rules describe expected behavior.
Automatic generation: Test cases are derived directly from the model.
Coverage measurement: Model coverage helps assess testing completeness.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Model-based testing appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Model-based testing 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 Model-based testing and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Model-based testing is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Model-based testing in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Model-based testing to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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