ISTQB-CTFL-FOUNDATION practice question 14 of 35

A new web app aims at offering a rich user experience. As a functional tester, you have run some functional tests to verify that, before releasing…

A new web app aims at offering a rich user experience. As a functional tester, you have run some functional tests to verify that, before releasing the app, such app works correctly on several mobile devices, all of which are listed as supported devices within the requirements specification. These tests were performed on stable and isolated test environments where you were the only user interacting with the application. All tests passed, but in some of those tests you observed the following issue: on some mobile devices only, the response time for two web pages containing images was extremely slow. Based only on the given information, which of the following recommendation would you follow?

Answer options

A: You should open a defect report providing detailed information on which devices and by running which tests you observed the issue Correct answer

B: The issue is related to performance efficiency, not functionality. Thus, as a functional tester, you should not open any defect report as all the functional tests passed

C: You should not open any defect report as the problem is most likely due to poor hardware equipment on the devices where you observed the issue

D: You should not open any defect report and inform the test manager that the devices on which you observed the issue should no longer be supported so that they will be removed from the requirements specification

Correct Answer:

A. You should open a defect report providing detailed information on which devices and by running which tests you observed the issue

Explanation

A tester's responsibility is to report any observed behavior that deviates from implicit or explicit expectations, which includes non-functional characteristics like performance. Even though the tester's primary task was functional testing, observing a significant performance issue on supported devices is a valid and important finding. A defect report should be created with all relevant details (e.g., device models, test steps, observed response times) to allow for proper investigation and resolution. Ignoring the issue or making assumptions about the cause is unprofessional and detrimental to the overall quality of the product.

Why Incorrect

B. A tester should report any potential quality issue, regardless of their specific role. Siloing information between functional and non-functional testing leads to quality gaps.
C. Making an assumption about "poor hardware" without evidence is inappropriate. The devices are specified as supported, implying they should provide an acceptable user experience.
D. Recommending changes to requirements (dropping device support) is not the tester's role; their role is to provide objective information about the system's behavior.

References

ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus v4.0, Section 1.4.3, "Testing and Debugging". This section implicitly supports the idea that testers identify failures, which are then reported. A severe performance issue is a failure to meet non-functional requirements.

ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus v4.0, Section 5.3, "Defect Reports". It outlines the need for clear, objective reporting of failures to enable debugging. The observed slow response is a failure that needs to be reported.

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