Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST) Practice Test

What is an example of failure costs?

1. Training costs

2. Idle users due to defects

3. Setup costs for testing

4. Salaries of quality assurance teams

The correct answer is: Idle users due to defects

Failure costs refer to the expenses associated with defects or failures in a product or service after it has been delivered to the customer. These costs typically include any costs incurred when a product does not meet quality standards, leading to customer dissatisfaction or the need for rework. Idle users due to defects exemplifies failure costs well because it highlights a scenario where users cannot effectively utilize a product due to issues that arose during development. When these defects occur, organizations may face various expenses, such as resolving the issues reported by users, possible penalties, or the loss of customer goodwill. This scenario reflects the consequence directly associated with product failures, which is the crux of failure costs. In comparison, training costs, setup costs for testing, and salaries of quality assurance teams are not categorized as failure costs. Training costs are considered prevention costs, as they aim to improve the quality and performance of employees to prevent defects. Setup costs for testing are also prevention costs because they are incurred to set up tests aimed at catching defects before the product goes live. Lastly, salaries of quality assurance teams represent appraisal costs related to assessing product quality through inspections and evaluations, rather than costs resulting from failures in the end product.