CTAL-TAE · Question #109
A web application was released into production one year ago, it has regular release which follow a V-model lifecycle and testing is well-established and fully integration into the development…
The correct answer is D. Sustainability of the automated environment. Option D is the most problematic because the third-party GUI controls - which are incompatible with existing automation solutions - will almost certainly be updated or changed by their vendors over the system's six-year lifespan. Since the automation must use custom or…
Question
A web application was released into production one year ago, it has regular release which follow a V-model lifecycle and testing is well-established and fully integration into the development lifecycle. You have been asked to implement a TAS for the regression test suite. The regression tests have been developed via the GUI and are expected to be run at least four times a month, for each planned release, for the whole operation solution life of the system (six years). Each screen of the GUI uses several third-party controls which are not compatible with the existing automation solutions. The environment for the automation will be stable, fully controllable and separated from other environments (development, staging, production). What could be the MOST problematic for this TAS?
Options
- AMaturity of the test process
- BComplexity to automate
- CFrequency of use
- DSustainability of the automated environment
How the community answered
(32 responses)- A19% (6)
- B9% (3)
- C6% (2)
- D66% (21)
Explanation
Option D is the most problematic because the third-party GUI controls - which are incompatible with existing automation solutions - will almost certainly be updated or changed by their vendors over the system's six-year lifespan. Since the automation must use custom or non-standard solutions to handle these controls, every vendor update risks breaking the test suite, creating a continuous maintenance burden that spans the entire operational life of the system. This is a sustainability problem driven by external dependencies outside the team's control, not a one-time technical hurdle.
Why A is wrong: The question explicitly states that testing is well-established and fully integrated into the development lifecycle - test process maturity is already high and is not a concern here.
Why B is wrong: Complexity to automate is a challenge at implementation time, but it is a one-time problem that can be solved by selecting appropriate tools or writing custom adapters. Once solved, it stays solved (until the third-party controls change - which loops back to sustainability, reinforcing D).
Why C is wrong: Running tests four times per month is actually a strong argument in favor of automation - high frequency increases ROI and justifies the investment. Frequency here is a benefit, not a risk.
Memory tip: The execution environment is explicitly described as stable (ruling out that angle on D), so "sustainability" here refers to keeping the TAS itself alive over 6 years despite third-party controls evolving outside your control. When you see "third-party," think "long-term maintenance risk."
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