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

7HOW MBT RELATES TO TEST DESIGN TECHNIQUES?

This chapter covers the learning objective of syllabus Section 3.1.4 “Relation to CTFL test design techniques.”

As mentioned in the beginning, model-based testing (MBT) does not replace classic black-box test design techniques, but extends them. In this book, we do not repeat the content of the ISTQB Certified Tester – Foundation Level syllabus [6]. Still, we provide a brief overview on the most commonly used techniques and illustrate how they show up in MBT models. These techniques are as follows:

• equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis
• decision tables
• state transition testing
• use case testing.

7.1 EQUIVALENCE PARTITIONING AND BOUNDARY VALUE ANALYSIS

There are various techniques to determine test data required for efficient testing that could fill a book on its own (see e.g., Ref. [38]). Equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis are just two of them. The following example illustrates those two fundamental (and essential) techniques:

In Germany, the minimum age limit for buying cigarettes is 18. To test this restriction, we should send at least two persons to the store: a teenager and an adult (according to German law). Technically, we divide the data range for the customer's age (input data) into two equivalence partitions: one with “age < 18” and “age ≥ 18.” Similarly, there are two equivalence partitions for the output data: “cigarettes sold” and “cigarettes refused.” The minimum we should do is to select ...