Cause-Effect Diagrams CTEL-ITP-ATP Practice Questions (Page 3)

Questions 11–15

1. 11application · medium

   A test team has completed a cause-effect diagram showing why test automation scripts are frequently failing. The diagram contains many potential causes across several categories. The team needs to decide which causes to investigate first. What is the most appropriate next step?

   • ATreat every cause on the diagram as equally important and investigate all of them in parallel.
   • BDiscard the diagram and start a new brainstorming session to confirm the causes.
   • CSelect the category with the most causes and assume the root cause is within that category.
   • DPrioritize the causes based on the team's collective judgment and available evidence, then investigate the top candidates.
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2. 12foundation · easy

   What is the purpose of prioritizing causes after analyzing a cause-effect diagram?

   • ATo eliminate the need for further data collection
   • BTo create a chronological list of causes for documentation
   • CTo focus limited resources on the causes most likely to have the greatest impact
   • DTo assign blame to the team responsible for the causes
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4. 13application · medium

   A test manager is facilitating a cause-effect diagram session for the problem 'test automation code is difficult to maintain.' The team has defined the effect and brainstormed causes. They are now ready to organize the causes into categories. What should they do next?

   • AGroup the causes into logical categories, such as the 6Ms, and place them as sub-branches under the appropriate main branches.
   • BImmediately start investigating the causes that seem most obvious to the team.
   • CRemove any causes that the team cannot agree on to keep the diagram clean.
   • DAsk each team member to create their own diagram and then merge them later.
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5. 14application · medium

   A test team has created a cause-effect diagram for 'test execution is frequently interrupted by environment failures.' The diagram shows many causes under the 'Machine' category and only a few under 'Method' and 'Man.' The team is unsure where to focus. What is the most appropriate way to use the diagram for prioritization?

   • ACombine the diagram with data on the frequency and impact of each cause to identify the most significant contributors.
   • BFocus on the 'Machine' category because it has the most causes and is therefore the most likely source of the problem.
   • CIgnore the categories with few causes because they are unlikely to be significant.
   • DAsk the most experienced tester to decide which category to investigate.
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6. 15foundation · easy

   What is a key benefit of using a structured brainstorming approach when creating a cause-effect diagram?

   • AIt eliminates the need for data collection in the improvement process
   • BIt guarantees that the root cause is identified immediately
   • CIt reduces the time needed for the entire improvement initiative
   • DIt ensures that all potential causes are considered systematically
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