Chapter 5 – Managing the Test Activities
Baseline – ISTQB Definition
Last Updated: July 12, 2026 · SoftwareTestPilot QA Team
Official ISTQB Definition
A specification or work product that has been formally reviewed and agreed upon, that thereafter serves as the basis for further development, and that can be changed only through a formal change control process.
In simple words
A frozen version of a document or build that becomes the reference point for everything after it.
Exam tip
You test against a baseline; changes to the baseline require change control.
Related terms
- Configuration ItemAnything under version/change control: a source file, a doc, a test script, a build.
- Configuration ManagementThe process that keeps track of what code, data, docs and environments belong together at every point in time.
- Impact AnalysisBefore making a change, work out what else it will touch so you can plan tests and effort.
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