Chapter 5 – Test Management
Cost of Quality – ISTQB Definition
Last Updated: July 12, 2026 · SoftwareTestPilot QA Team
Official ISTQB Definition
The total cost of activities related to preventing, detecting, and correcting defects, plus the cost of external failures.
In simple words
Prevention + appraisal + internal failure + external failure costs.
Exam tip
Investing in prevention and appraisal usually reduces total cost of quality.
Related terms
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