Free Practice Questions for ASQ CSQE Exam

Function point analysis is a standardized method used to measure the size and complexity of software based on its functionality. It uses counts of specific elements like external inquiries, which refer to the user-initiated requests for information from the system. These are one of the five major components (the others being external inputs, external outputs, internal logical files, and external interface files) considered in function point analysis.

References:

"Function Point Analysis: Measurement Practices for Successful Software Projects" by David Garmus and David Herron

"Function Point Counting Practices Manual" by IFPUG (International Function Point Users Group)

For a measure to be reliable, it must be consistently interpreted and applied across different contexts and by different people.

Operational Definition: An operational definition specifies the exact procedures or criteria used to measure something, ensuring consistency and repeatability.

Consistency: With a clear operational definition, different people can use the measure in the same way, which is crucial for reliability.

Clarity: This definition eliminates ambiguity and ensures that everyone understands what is being measured and how.

Example: If measuring "response time," the operational definition might specify that it is the time between a user submitting a request and the system's initial response.

The amount of work completed by a software system over a period of time is classified under performance requirements. Performance requirements define how well the system performs under certain conditions, focusing on aspects such as response time, throughput, and resource utilization. They are crucial in ensuring that the software system meets the expected performance standards, which directly impact user satisfaction and system efficiency.

References:

"Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach" by Roger S. Pressman

"Performance Engineering of Software Systems" by Connie U. Smith

Virtualization is a technology that enables multiple virtual machines (logical computers) to run on a single physical hardware system. This is achieved by using software (hypervisors) to createand manage these virtual machines, allowing for better resource utilization and isolation between different environments.

A sprint retrospective is a meeting held at the end of a sprint in Agile methodologies, where the team reflects on the past sprint to identify and agree on continuous improvement actions. The goal is to improve the process, teamwork, and methods used in the project. This may result in action items aimed at making the next sprint more efficient and productive. References: Schwaber, Ken, and Sutherland, Jeff. "The Scrum Guide".

In a Scrum project, the responsibility for determining time estimates falls on the project team as a whole. This process occurs during the sprint planning meetings where the team collaboratively estimates the effort required for each task or user story. The Scrum Master facilitates this process, but the actual estimation is performed by the team members who will be doing the work.This collective approach ensures that estimates are realistic and based on the team's understanding and agreement.

References:

Schwaber, K., & Sutherland, J. (2020). The Scrum Guide.

Cohn, M. (2005). Agile Estimating and Planning.

A walk-through is a type of peer review where the author of a document or code presents their work to a group for feedback.

Presenter Role:

Developer: The person who created the document or code typically presents it.

Objective: To explain their thought process and receive feedback on potential improvements or defects.

Nature of Walk-Throughs:

Informal: Less formal than inspections, aiming to get early feedback.

Participation: Encourages participation from peers to improve the quality of the work.

References: Common practices in software development highlight that the author or developer is the presenter in walk-through sessions to ensure accurate representation and understanding of the work being reviewed.

Test data requirements describe the specific data needed to execute test cases effectively. This includes defining the characteristics and properties of data items, such as format, type, and values. Properly describing test data ensures that tests can be executed accurately and consistently, which is crucial for validating software functionality and performance.

In software testing, a driver is a piece of code that replaces a higher-level module to test a lower-level module by establishing a function and passing test data to that function. Drivers are used inbottom-up integration testing to simulate the behavior of higher-level modules that have not yet been developed or integrated.

References:

"Software Testing and Quality Assurance: Theory and Practice" by Kshirasagar Naik and Priyadarshi Tripathy

IEEE Standard for Software Unit Testing (IEEE Std 1008-1987)

Open Source Software (OSS) offers many benefits, such as cost savings and community support. However, it also presents challenges:

Frequent Updates: OSS often undergoes frequent updates and changes, which can be difficult to track and implement, especially in a production environment.

Compatibility Issues: New versions of OSS may introduce changes that are not backward compatible, leading to potential integration and functionality issues.

Maintenance Burden: Organizations using OSS need to dedicate resources to keep up with these updates to ensure security and functionality.