Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST) Practice Test

What is a core principle of functional testing techniques?

1. Focusing on internal structures

2. Ensuring system operations meet specifications

3. Testing with maximum data volume

4. Randomized test case generation

The correct answer is: Ensuring system operations meet specifications

A core principle of functional testing techniques is centered on ensuring that system operations meet specifications. Functional testing aims to validate the functionality of the software against the defined requirements and specifications, focusing on what the system does rather than how it does it. The essence of functional testing is to confirm that the software performs its intended functions correctly in accordance with user expectations and requirements. This approach involves executing test cases that derive from requirements or user stories, often including positive and negative scenarios, to verify that the outputs are as expected based on the given inputs. Because functional testing assesses how the application behaves under various conditions, it plays a critical role in identifying defects and ensuring quality before the software is deployed or delivered to users. Focusing on the internal structures, maximum data volume testing, or randomized test case generation are more relevant to other testing techniques, such as structural testing or performance testing, rather than functional testing, which is primarily concerned with validating outputs against specifications.