Objective: Identify Where Test Automation Produces Unexpected Results CTAL-TAE Practice Questions (Page 6)

Questions 26–30

1. 26application · medium

   A test that checks the total price in a shopping cart fails intermittently. The test adds items to the cart and then asserts the total. The failure occurs because the total is sometimes one cent higher than expected. The application calculates the total using floating-point arithmetic. What is the most likely cause of this flaky behavior?

   • AThe test environment has a network issue causing the price to be calculated incorrectly.
   • BThe test data is inconsistent because items are added in a random order.
   • CThe application has a bug in its floating-point arithmetic.
   • DThe test has a synchronization issue and reads the total before it is updated.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
2. 27application · medium

   A test that verifies a search function works correctly passes when run alone but fails intermittently when run as part of a full regression suite. The failure is always a timeout waiting for search results. The application logs show the search request is received but the response is slow. What is the most appropriate action to stabilize this test?

   • AMark the test as 'known to be flaky' and exclude it from the regression suite.
   • BIncrease the timeout for the search results element.
   • CRun the search test in isolation to avoid interference from other tests.
   • DInvestigate the performance of the application under load and consider adding a wait that polls for the results to appear.
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4. 28foundation · easy

   Which of the following is a common source of unexpected results in test automation?

   • AThe automation script is written in a programming language that is not widely used
   • BThe test data is stored in a database that is not accessible from the test environment
   • CThe automation script uses a hard-coded wait time that is too short for the application's response
   • DThe automation tool is not integrated with the defect tracking system
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5. 29expert · hard

   A test automation team has a suite of UI tests that are flaky. The tests fail intermittently with 'element not found' errors. The team has tried increasing timeouts and adding retries, but the flakiness persists. The application is a single-page application that loads data asynchronously. What is the most effective long-term strategy to stabilize the tests?

   • ARewrite the tests to use a page object model and centralize wait strategies.
   • BRun the tests in a more powerful test environment to reduce load times.
   • CInvestigate the root cause of the flakiness by analyzing the application's network requests and timing.
   • DUse a combination of implicit and explicit waits to handle asynchronous loading.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
6. 30foundation · easy

   A test automation script fails because it tries to click a button before the button is enabled. What is the most likely cause of this unexpected result?

   • AAn environmental issue such as a network delay
   • BA synchronization issue between the test automation and the application's response time
   • CA defect in the application that prevents the button from being enabled
   • DA test data issue that causes the button to remain disabled
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first