Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST) Practice Test

Which action can minimize the efforts needed to correct identified defects?

1. Encouraging late-cycle testing

2. Failing to document defects

3. Thoroughly documenting defects

4. Reducing communication among team members

The correct answer is: Thoroughly documenting defects

Thoroughly documenting defects plays a crucial role in minimizing the efforts required to correct identified defects. When defects are well-documented, it provides all relevant information such as the steps to reproduce the defect, its severity, the environment in which it occurred, and any other pertinent details. This comprehensive documentation enables developers and testers to understand the issue quickly and work towards a resolution without having to spend additional time gathering information. Good documentation serves as a reference for similar future issues as well, establishing a knowledge base that can help teams avoid encountering the same defects again. Furthermore, it facilitates clearer communication among team members, ensuring that everyone is aligned and can effectively collaborate to fix defects. In this way, investing time into thorough defect documentation significantly reduces the efforts needed later in the development cycle when addressing these issues.