Model-Based Testing Essentials - Guide to the ISTQB Certified Model-Based Tester

2WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MBT BEFORE STARTING

Before we go into details of how to construct and use model-based testing (MBT) models in practice, it might be a good idea to clarify some fundamental terms such as model and MBT first. Unless stated otherwise, all definitions of terms in this chapter stem from the ISTQB standard glossary of terms used in software testing [1]. Bear with us if the following section is a bit theoretic, but if you strive to obtain the ISTQB MBT certificate, you should learn the definitions (in quotes) by heart.

2.1 ISTQB MBT GLOSSARY TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK

This section covers the terms referenced by the syllabus and defined in the ISTQB standard glossary of terms used in software testing.

Obviously, the most important term to know is “model-based testing.” The definition provided by ISTQB is as simple as it is convincing. The term “model-based testing” designates any kind of “testing based on or involving models.” As “model-based testing” is a rather long term, we usually refer to it by the acronym “MBT.” Another term we already encountered in the previous chapters is “MBT model.” It stands for “any model used in model-based testing.”

An MBT model does not necessarily describe the system, but may focus on the system's environment or describe the test itself. The best-known example of a pure “environment model” is the so-called usage model that describes the user behavior. A pure test model, as defined by the ISTQB glossary, is “a model describing ...