Boundary value analysis is BEST described as:

Testing at, just below and just above the boundaries of equivalence partitions — Boundary value analysis (BVA) selects test values at and around the boundaries of equivalence partitions, where defects commonly occur. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.1)

A field accepts integers from 1 to 100. Using 3-value boundary value analysis for the upper boundary, which values should be tested?

99, 100, 101 — 3-value BVA at the upper boundary tests the boundary itself and one value on each side: 99 (valid), 100 (boundary), 101 (invalid). (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.1)

Equivalence partitioning divides inputs into groups that are:

Expected to be processed the same way by the system — Equivalence partitioning groups inputs (or outputs) into partitions where the system is expected to behave the same way — one representative value per partition is tested. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.1)

A decision table is MOST useful when:

The system has complex business rules with combinations of conditions — Decision tables systematically capture combinations of conditions and their resulting actions — ideal for business rules with multiple conditions. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.2)

State transition testing focuses on:

Transitions between states of a system triggered by events — State transition testing models states, events, actions and transitions of a system and derives tests to cover valid and invalid transitions. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.3)

Statement coverage measures:

The percentage of executable statements exercised by tests — Statement coverage = (executed statements / total executable statements) × 100%. It is the weakest structural coverage metric. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.3.1)

Branch coverage is stronger than statement coverage because it also requires:

Every decision outcome (true and false) to be executed — Branch (decision) coverage requires that each decision has been evaluated to both true and false — statement coverage may miss the false branch. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.3.2)

Exploratory testing is BEST characterised by:

Simultaneous test design, execution and learning, often time-boxed — Exploratory testing is experience-based: the tester designs and executes tests concurrently, learning about the product and using that learning to design better tests, often in time-boxed sessions. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.4)

Error guessing relies MOST on:

The tester's knowledge and experience of where defects are likely to occur — Error guessing is an experience-based technique in which testers use their knowledge of past defects and error-prone areas to design tests. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.4)

In collaboration-based test approaches, acceptance criteria are typically written using formats such as:

Given-When-Then (Gherkin) — Behaviour-Driven Development uses Given-When-Then (Gherkin) to express acceptance criteria collaboratively so business and technical stakeholders share understanding. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.5)

Black-box test techniques are BEST described as techniques that:

Derive tests from the specification of the test object without knowledge of its internal structure — Black-box techniques derive tests from specifications and behaviour without visibility of internal structure. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.1)

A field accepts an integer between 18 and 65 inclusive. Using equivalence partitioning, which set of values covers ONE valid and TWO invalid partitions?

17, 40, 66 — 17 (invalid low), 40 (valid), 66 (invalid high) — one valid partition and two invalid partitions. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.1)

Two-value BVA at the boundary between 'valid' and 'invalid' partitions uses which values?

The value on each side of the boundary (n and n+1) — 2-value BVA tests one value on each side of the boundary; 3-value BVA tests one value on each side plus the boundary itself. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.1)

In a decision table, each column represents:

A rule: a unique combination of conditions and the corresponding actions — Each column of a decision table is a rule — a unique combination of condition values and the resulting actions. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.2)

In state transition testing, an 'invalid transition' is one that:

Cannot occur given the current state — Invalid (or 'illegal') transitions represent state/event combinations that should NOT be allowed by the system; robust testing includes attempts to trigger them. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.2.3)

Achieving 100% statement coverage guarantees that:

Every executable statement has been executed at least once, but decisions may still be untested for one outcome — 100% statement coverage only guarantees that every statement was executed at least once — it does not exercise every decision outcome. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.3.1)

Which of the following coverage levels is achieved when every possible outcome (true and false) of each decision has been executed by tests?

Branch (decision) coverage — Branch coverage (also called decision coverage) requires every decision outcome to be exercised at least once. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.3.2)

Which of the following is NOT an experience-based test technique?

Boundary value analysis — BVA is a black-box specification-based technique. Error guessing, exploratory testing and checklist-based testing are experience-based. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.4)

Session-based test management is typically used with which technique?

Exploratory testing — Session-based test management structures exploratory testing into time-boxed sessions with charters and debriefs. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.4)

Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) helps by:

Deriving executable acceptance tests collaboratively before development starts — ATDD writes acceptance tests collaboratively (business + dev + test) before implementation, providing shared understanding and executable specifications. (CTFL v4.0 – Section 4.5)

ISTQB · CTFL v4.0 · Chapter 4

ISTQB Chapter 4 Sample Questions – Test Analysis and Design (CTFL v4.0 · 2026)

Chapter 4 is the largest chapter in the exam and covers black-box test techniques (equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, decision tables, state transition testing), white-box techniques (statement and branch coverage) and experience-based techniques (error guessing, exploratory testing, checklist-based testing) plus collaboration-based test approaches like BDD.

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.

Equivalence partitioning Boundary value analysis Decision table State transition testing Statement coverage Branch coverage Exploratory testing