Specification By Example
Specification by Example is a collaborative Agile practice in which concrete examples are used to define and clarify software requirements.
“A development technique in which the specification is defined by examples.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Specification By Example?
Examples become shared specifications that guide development, testing, and acceptance while reducing misunderstandings.
Shared understanding: Business and technical teams collaborate.
Concrete examples: Requirements are expressed through realistic scenarios.
Living documentation: Examples remain useful throughout development.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Specification by example appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Specification by example 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 Specification by example and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Specification by example is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Specification by example in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Specification by example to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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