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ISTQB Glossary (Foundation Level - Key Terms)
Part of the qa-manual-istqb skill. See SKILL.md for full context.
Essential terminology from the ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus, organized by topic.
Testing Fundamentals
| Term |
Definition |
| Testing |
Process of evaluating a software product to find defects and assess quality |
| Quality |
Degree to which a component/system meets requirements and user expectations |
| Quality Assurance (QA) |
Process-focused activities to ensure quality is built in |
| Quality Control (QC) |
Product-focused activities to verify quality (including testing) |
| Defect (Bug/Fault) |
A flaw in the software that may cause incorrect behavior |
| Failure |
Incorrect output or behavior observed during execution |
| Error (Mistake) |
Human action that produces an incorrect result |
| Root Cause |
Fundamental reason for the occurrence of a defect |
Error → Defect → Failure Chain
Developer makes ERROR → ERROR causes DEFECT in code → DEFECT triggers FAILURE when executed
Test Process
| Term |
Definition |
| Test basis |
Source of information for test analysis (requirements, stories, designs) |
| Test condition |
Testable aspect derived from the test basis (what to test) |
| Test case |
Set of preconditions, inputs, actions, and expected results |
| Test procedure |
Sequence of actions for executing a test (how to execute) |
| Test script |
Automated test procedure |
| Test suite |
Set of test cases to be executed together |
| Test run |
Execution of a test suite on a specific build/environment |
| Testware |
All artifacts produced during testing (plans, cases, data, scripts) |
Test Oracles
| Term |
Definition |
| Test oracle |
Source to determine expected results |
| Expected result |
Predicted behavior/output defined before execution |
| Actual result |
Observed behavior/output after execution |
Oracle sources: Requirements, specifications, comparable systems, user expectations, heuristics
Test Levels
| Term |
Definition |
| Component testing (Unit testing) |
Testing individual units in isolation |
| Integration testing |
Testing interactions between integrated components |
| System testing |
Testing the complete integrated system |
| Acceptance testing |
Testing to determine if system meets business needs |
Test Types
| Term |
Definition |
| Functional testing |
Testing what the system does (behavior) |
| Non-functional testing |
Testing how well the system performs (quality characteristics) |
| White-box testing |
Testing based on internal structure (code) |
| Black-box testing |
Testing based on specifications (inputs/outputs) |
| Confirmation testing (Re-testing) |
Testing to verify a specific defect was fixed |
| Regression testing |
Testing to detect unintended side effects of changes |
Test Design Techniques
| Term |
Definition |
| Equivalence partitioning |
Dividing inputs into groups expected to behave the same |
| Boundary value analysis |
Testing at the edges of equivalence partitions |
| Decision table testing |
Testing combinations of conditions and their resulting actions |
| State transition testing |
Testing based on states and transitions between them |
| Use case testing |
Testing based on user scenarios and flows |
| Error guessing |
Using experience to predict where defects might occur |
| Exploratory testing |
Simultaneous test design, execution, and learning |
Coverage
| Term |
Definition |
| Test coverage |
Degree to which test basis items are exercised by tests |
| Requirements coverage |
% of requirements with associated tests |
| Code coverage |
% of code executed by tests |
| Statement coverage |
% of executable statements exercised |
| Branch coverage |
% of branches (decisions) exercised |
Test Management
| Term |
Definition |
| Test plan |
Document describing scope, approach, resources, and schedule |
| Test strategy |
High-level description of test levels and approach |
| Entry criteria |
Conditions required to start a test activity |
| Exit criteria |
Conditions required to stop a test activity |
| Test monitoring |
Tracking test progress against the plan |
| Test control |
Taking corrective actions based on monitoring |
Defect Management
| Term |
Definition |
| Defect report (Bug report) |
Document describing a defect with reproduction steps |
| Severity |
Impact of the defect on the system/user |
| Priority |
Urgency of fixing the defect |
| Defect lifecycle |
States a defect passes through (New → Fixed → Verified → Closed) |
| Triage |
Process of evaluating and prioritizing defects |
Severity vs Priority
| Aspect |
Severity |
Priority |
| Focus |
Technical impact |
Business urgency |
| Set by |
Tester |
Product owner/manager |
| Example |
"Crash" = Critical severity |
"Fix before launch" = P0 priority |
Example combinations:
- High severity, high priority: System crashes on login
- High severity, low priority: Crash on rarely-used admin page
- Low severity, high priority: Typo in company name on homepage
- Low severity, low priority: Minor UI alignment issue
Risk
| Term |
Definition |
| Risk |
Possibility of a negative outcome |
| Product risk |
Risk affecting software quality |
| Project risk |
Risk affecting the testing project |
| Risk level |
Likelihood x Impact |
| Risk-based testing |
Prioritizing testing based on risk |
| Mitigation |
Actions to reduce risk likelihood or impact |
Static Testing
| Term |
Definition |
| Static testing |
Testing without executing code (reviews, static analysis) |
| Dynamic testing |
Testing by executing code |
| Review |
Manual examination of a work product |
| Inspection |
Formal, systematic review with defined roles |
| Walkthrough |
Author-led presentation and discussion |
| Static analysis |
Tool-based examination of code without execution |
Test Automation
| Term |
Definition |
| Test automation |
Using tools to control test execution |
| Test framework |
Architecture/library for writing automated tests |
| Test harness |
Software/tools to execute tests and capture results |
| Keyword-driven testing |
Tests written using keywords mapped to actions |
| Data-driven testing |
Tests that iterate over data sets |
Independence
| Term |
Definition |
| Independent testing |
Testing by people not involved in development |
| Levels of independence |
Same developer < Different developer < Different team < External team |
Psychological Aspects
| Term |
Definition |
| Confirmation bias |
Tendency to interpret information to confirm existing beliefs |
| Author bias |
Difficulty finding defects in one's own work |
Common Abbreviations
| Abbreviation |
Full Term |
| ISTQB |
International Software Testing Qualifications Board |
| CTFL |
Certified Tester Foundation Level |
| UAT |
User Acceptance Testing |
| SUT |
System Under Test |
| TC |
Test Case |
| EP |
Equivalence Partitioning |
| BVA |
Boundary Value Analysis |
| MTTR |
Mean Time To Repair |
| CI/CD |
Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery |
