Which SDLC characteristic best matches an incremental development model?

System is designed, built and tested in small pieces that add functionality — Incremental development delivers the system in slices; each increment adds functionality and is tested as it is built. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.1.1)

Which test level is MOST focused on interactions between components or systems?

Integration testing — Integration testing focuses on interactions between components (component integration) or between systems (system integration). (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.1)

User acceptance testing (UAT) is typically performed by:

Business users or customers to confirm the system meets business needs — UAT is performed by business users, customers, or product owners to gain confidence the system satisfies business needs and is ready for release. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.4)

Which test type primarily verifies WHAT the system does?

Functional testing — Functional testing evaluates what the system should do — its features and functions as specified in requirements or user stories. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.3.1)

Confirmation testing (re-testing) is executed to:

Verify that a previously failed test now passes after the defect is fixed — Confirmation testing (also called re-testing) re-executes the failing test after the defect fix to confirm the original defect has been removed. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.4)

In a sequential (waterfall) SDLC, testing usually:

Is concentrated at the end of the project — In sequential lifecycles like waterfall, most formal test execution happens after coding is complete. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.1.1)

The V-model matches every development phase with:

A corresponding test level — The V-model pairs each development activity (requirements, design, coding) with a matching test level (acceptance, system, integration, component). (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.1.1)

'Shift-left' in testing means:

Doing test activities earlier in the SDLC — Shift-left involves testing activities (reviews, unit tests, early automation) earlier in the lifecycle to prevent defects. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.1.2)

Which of the following practices is MOST associated with DevOps?

Continuous integration and continuous delivery — DevOps promotes CI/CD, automated testing and close collaboration between development and operations. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.1.3)

Component testing (unit testing) is typically performed by:

Developers — Component testing is generally performed by developers, often using unit-testing frameworks with high automation. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.1)

Which is a typical objective of system testing?

Verify the behaviour of the complete integrated system against requirements — System testing verifies the fully integrated system against functional and non-functional requirements from an end-to-end perspective. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.2)

Contract acceptance testing is used to:

Verify that the system meets the criteria in a supplier contract — Contract acceptance testing checks whether the delivered system meets the acceptance criteria specified in the contract with the supplier/customer. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.3)

Operational acceptance testing typically checks:

Backup/restore, disaster recovery and security operations — OAT verifies operational aspects: backup and restore, DR, installability, maintainability, security procedures, and typically happens in a pre-production environment. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.3)

Which is an example of a non-functional test?

Verifying that a page loads within 2 seconds under 500 concurrent users — Performance (how well the system does something) is a non-functional characteristic — see ISO 25010. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.3.1)

Which quality characteristic is BEST addressed by security testing?

Confidentiality, integrity and authenticity — Security testing addresses characteristics such as confidentiality, integrity, authenticity, non-repudiation and accountability. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.3.1)

White-box testing uses:

The system's internal structure/design/implementation to derive tests — White-box (structure-based) testing derives tests from the internal structure — code paths, branches, data flow — of the system. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.3.2)

Regression testing is performed to:

Detect unintended side effects of changes in unchanged parts of the software — Regression testing detects unintended consequences of code changes in areas that were not directly modified. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.4)

Which is a common trigger for maintenance testing?

A new feature added, environment change, or defect fix in an existing system — Maintenance testing is triggered by modifications, migrations, retirement, or planned enhancements of an operational system. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.4)

'Impact analysis' during maintenance testing is used to:

Identify areas of the system that might be affected by a change and require regression testing — Impact analysis helps decide the scope of regression tests by identifying which parts of the system may be affected by a proposed change. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.4)

Alpha and beta testing are examples of:

Acceptance testing — Alpha (at the developer's site) and beta (at the customer's site) testing are forms of acceptance testing to gain confidence before release. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 2.2.4)

ISTQB · CTFL v4.0 · Chapter 2

ISTQB Chapter 2 Sample Questions – Testing Throughout the SDLC (CTFL v4.0 · 2026)

Chapter 2 examines how testing fits into different software development lifecycles: sequential (waterfall, V-model), iterative and incremental (Agile). It defines the four test levels (component, integration, system, acceptance), the test types (functional, non-functional, white-box, change-related) and maintenance testing triggers.

Twenty CTFL v4.0-style questions below — tap any question to reveal the correct answer, a plain-English explanation and a syllabus reference. Key terms link through to the ISTQB glossary.

Test level Test type Confirmation testing Regression testing Maintenance testing