How many test cases are required to test a specification that has three conditions using a decision table testing which is not collapsed? 1 credit [K2]

Decision table testing is a black-box test design technique used to model complex logical conditions. For an uncollapsed (or full) decision table, every possible combination of outcomes for the conditions must be tested. When each condition has two possible outcomes (e.g., True/False), the total number of rules, which corresponds to the number of test cases, is calculated as 2^n, where 'n' is the number of conditions. In this scenario, there are three conditions (n=3). Therefore, the number of required test cases is 2^3 = 8.

A. 2: This is incorrect. It represents the number of test cases for a single binary condition (2^1), not three.
B. 4: This is incorrect. It represents the number of test cases for two binary conditions (2^2), not three.
C. 6: This is incorrect. This value likely results from an improper calculation, such as multiplying the number of conditions by two (3 2), rather than using the correct exponential formula.

1. ISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus v3.1.2 (2019). Section 4.3.2, "Decision Table Testing," states: "A full decision table has a column for every combination of conditions. For n binary conditions, there are 2^n rules in a full decision table." This directly supports the calculation for three conditions as 2^3 = 8.

2. Jorgensen, P. C. (2013). Software Testing: A Craftsman's Approach, Fourth Edition. CRC Press. Chapter 8, "Decision Table-Based Testing," explains the construction of decision tables. It specifies that for 'n' conditions, a complete decision table will have 2^n columns (rules), each representing a test case before any reduction or collapsing is performed. (See Section 8.2, "Decision Table Terminology and Components").

3. Naik, K., & Tripathy, P. (2008). Software Testing and Quality Assurance: Theory and Practice. Wiley. Chapter 5, "Functional Testing," Section 5.3.2, "Decision Table-Based Testing," details that the number of rules in a decision table is the product of the number of values each condition can assume. For three binary conditions, this is 2 x 2 x 2 = 8 rules.