Chapter 4 – Test Techniques
Hexagonal / Ports & Adapters Testing – ISTQB Definition
Last Updated: July 12, 2026 · SoftwareTestPilot QA Team
Official ISTQB Definition
A testing approach aligned with hexagonal architecture, in which the domain is tested through ports while adapters are tested separately.
In simple words
Test business logic through clean interfaces; test the plumbing separately.
Exam tip
Enables fast, dependency-free unit tests and focused integration tests.
Related terms
- Unit TestingSame as component testing: developers verify one small piece of code at a time with fast, automated tests.
- Integration TestingAfter units work alone, you plug them together and check the seams — API calls, data hand-offs, contracts.
- Contract TestingProducer and consumer each publish and verify a shared contract so integrations don't silently break.
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