ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Technical Test Analyst (CTAL-TTA)

Course Objectives

After successfully completing the course and passing the exam, delegates should be able to demonstrate the following business-based outcomes: 

• Recognize and classify the typical risks associated with the performance, security, reliability, portability and maintainability of software systems; 
• Provide technical elements to the planning, design and execution of tests for mitigating performance, security, reliability, portability and maintainability risks; 
• Select and apply appropriate white-box test techniques to ensure that tests provide an adequate level of confidence, based on design coverage; 
• Effectively participate in reviews with developers and software architects applying knowledge of typical defects in the code and architecture; 
• Improve the quality characteristics of code and architecture by making use of different analysis techniques; 

• Outline the costs and benefits to be expected from introducing particular types of test automation. 
• Select appropriate tools to automate technical testing tasks; 
• Understand the technical issues and concepts in applying test automation. 

In addition, after successfully completing the course and passing the exam, thew newly qualified ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst s should be able to use and put into practice the following learning objectives: 

• Summarize the generic risk factors that the Technical Test Analyst typically needs to consider. 
• Summarize the activities of the Technical Test Analyst within a risk-based approach for testing activities. 
• Design test cases for a given test object by applying statement testing to achieve a defined level of coverage. 
• Design test cases for a given test object by applying the Decision test technique to achieve a defined level of coverage. 

• Design test cases for a given test object by applying the modified condition/decision test technique to achieve full modified condition/decision coverage (MC/DC). 
• Design test cases for a given test object by applying the multiple condition test technique to achieve a defined level of coverage. 
• Understand the applicability of API testing and the kinds of defects it finds. 
• Select an appropriate white-box test technique according to a given project situation. 
• Use control flow analysis to detect if code has any control flow anomalies and to measure cyclomatic complexity. 

• Use data flow analysis to detect if code has any data flow anomalies. 
• Propose ways to improve the maintainability of code by applying static analysis. 
• Apply dynamic analysis to achieve a specified goal. 
• For a particular scenario, analyze the non-functional requirements and write the respective sections of the test plan. 
• Given a particular product risk, define the particular non-functional test type(s) which are most appropriate. 

• Understand and explain the stages in an application’s software development lifecycle where non-functional testing should typically be applied. 
• For a given scenario, define the types of defects you would expect to find by using the different non-functional test types. 
• Explain the reasons for including security testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the principal aspects to be considered in planning and specifying security tests. 
• Explain the reasons for including reliability testing in a test approach. 

• Explain the principal aspects to be considered in planning and specifying reliability tests. 
• Explain the reasons for including performance testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the principal aspects to be considered in planning and specifying performance testing. 
• Explain the reasons for including maintainability testing in a test approach. 
• Explain the reasons for including portability testing in a test approach. 

• Explain the reasons for including co-existence testing in a test approach. 
• Explain why review preparation is important for the Technical Test Analyst. 
• Analyze an architectural design and identify problems according to a checklist provided in the syllabus. 
• Analyze a section of code or pseudo-code and identify problems according to a checklist provided in the syllabus. 
• Summarize the activities that the Technical Test Analyst performs when setting up a test automation project. 

• Summarize the differences between data-driven and keyword-driven automation. 
• Summarize common technical issues that cause automation projects to fail to achieve the planned return on investment. 
• Construct keywords based on a given business process. 
• Summarize the purpose of tools for fault seeding and fault injection. 
• Summarize the main characteristics and implementation issues for performance testing tools. 

• Explain the general purpose of tools used for web-based testing. 
• Explain how tools support the practice of model-based testing. 
• Outline the purpose of tools used to support component testing and the build process. 
• Outline the purpose of tools used to support mobile application testing.