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ISEB-SWTINT1 · Question #57

Scenario 3 Data is transmitted over the internet as a series of packets. Each packet is sent to its destination via the best available route. The decision on the best available route is made by a…

The correct answer is C. Decision table testing. Decision table testing is correct because the router's configuration table is essentially a decision table itself - it maps combinations of conditions (destination address rules, connection performance) to actions (route the packet via primary or alternative path). This…

Test Techniques

Question

Scenario 3 Data is transmitted over the internet as a series of packets. Each packet is sent to its destination via the best available route. The decision on the best available route is made by a series of routers on the internet. In order to make the best decision on the route to take, the router: 1) Scans the destination address and matches it against rules set up in a configuration table. 2) Checks the performance of the primary connection to see if it is good enough to send the packet. If not, it seeks an alternative. Routers handle many millions of packets being sent at the same time. Packets can take the form of email messages, data files etc. You need to test that the rules have been correctly set up in the configuration table, according to the specification. Which one of the following test design techniques would be most suitable for this?

Options

  • AData flow testing.
  • BStatement testing.
  • CDecision table testing.
  • DBoundary value analysis.

How the community answered

(21 responses)
  • A
    10% (2)
  • B
    14% (3)
  • C
    71% (15)
  • D
    5% (1)

Explanation

Decision table testing is correct because the router's configuration table is essentially a decision table itself - it maps combinations of conditions (destination address rules, connection performance) to actions (route the packet via primary or alternative path). This technique systematically tests every combination of rule conditions to verify the correct outcome, which is exactly what's needed to validate a configuration table against its specification.

Why the others are wrong:

  • A (Data flow testing): Traces how variables are defined and used through code paths - it's about variable lifecycles, not rule combinations in a table.
  • B (Statement testing): A white-box technique ensuring every line of code executes at least once; it doesn't validate that business rules produce the right routing decisions.
  • D (Boundary value analysis): Tests values at the edges of input ranges (e.g., min/max packet sizes), useful for numerical inputs but not for verifying multi-condition rule logic.

Memory tip: "Rules in a table → Decision Table testing." Whenever a scenario describes a system that follows a set of if-this-then-that rules stored in a configuration or lookup table, decision table testing is almost always the answer - it's the only technique designed to exhaustively verify all condition-action combinations.

Topics

#decision table testing#routing rules#configuration logic#test technique selection

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