Multiple Condition Coverage
Multiple Condition Coverage (MCC) is a structural coverage criterion that requires every possible combination of condition outcomes within a decision to be tested.
“The coverage of all possible combinations of all single condition outcomes within one statement.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Multiple Condition Coverage?
MCC provides stronger coverage than condition or branch coverage but often requires many test cases because every true/false combination must be exercised.
Complete combinations: Every combination of Boolean conditions is tested.
High confidence: Detects interaction defects between conditions.
Testing effort: Required test cases increase rapidly as conditions grow.
Real World Example
A travel platform is changing its refund policy for cancelled flights, with different outcomes depending on ticket type, cancellation time, loyalty status, and airline disruption reason.
No single happy-path test can cover the combinations. Multiple condition coverage helps the tester see which conditions must be varied together and which outcomes should result.
The tester maps the policy into compact rules, removes impossible combinations, and designs cases that prove each meaningful refund decision is handled correctly.
The team avoids contradictory refund behavior because Multiple condition coverage makes hidden rule combinations visible before customers start cancelling trips.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Multiple condition coverage in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Multiple condition coverage to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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