ISTQB CT-PT Practice Exam Questions & Answers

For batch processing performance metrics, the two most important factors are:

Throughput -- Measures the number of transactions processed over time.

Wait times -- Evaluates delays in processing batches.

Option B (Number of records deleted) is irrelevant unless batch processing specifically involves deletions.

Option C (Network latency percentage) applies to real-time transaction processing, not batch jobs.

Option D (Concurrent virtual users) applies more to load testing rather than batch performance.

Business stakeholders are most concerned with risks that affect deployment and production stability. The primary risk in performance testing is that the test environment may differ from production, leading to misleading test results.

Option A (HTTP response goals) is too technical for a business stakeholder audience.

Option B (Hardware specifications) is relevant for technical teams, not business stakeholders.

Option C (Support staff details) is a logistical aspect, not a key performance testing risk for business decision-makers.

Mobile and browser-based applications often rely on APIs for data retrieval and processing. Unexpected API load can cause latency issues, bottlenecks, and system crashes.

Option A (Hard disk speed) is not a major issue in cloud-based or mobile systems.

Option B (Misconfigured host machine) affects on-premise systems, not mobile/browser-based applications.

Option D (Internet connectivity issues) is a user-side issue, not a system performance risk.

Spike testing is a type of performance testing that evaluates how a system responds to sudden, extreme increases or decreases in load. It is designed to simulate unexpected surges in user activity or workload, such as flash sales, viral events, or cyberattacks.

Option A (Gradual load increase testing) describes load testing, not spike testing.

Option B (Handling expected peak load) describes stress testing, which pushes the system to or beyond its limits but does not focus on sudden changes.

Option C (Meeting future efficiency requirements) relates to capacity planning rather than spike testing.

Spike testing helps to identify system bottlenecks, resource allocation issues, and performance degradation when traffic surges unexpectedly.

One of the key performance risks in mainframe architectures is slow hard disk speed, which can impact transaction processing, batch jobs, and database access times.

Option A (Inconsistent loads via APIs) is more relevant to distributed or cloud architectures rather than mainframes.

Option C (Misconfigured host machine) is a configuration issue, not a typical performance risk.

Option D (Lack of RAM) is less common in mainframes, which typically use optimized memory management.

One of the most critical test acceptance criteria in performance testing is to ensure that the hardware in the test environment is comparable to production. Differences in CPU, memory, disk I/O, or network infrastructure can distort performance results.

Option A (Convincing stakeholders to set goals) is a planning activity, not an acceptance criterion.

Option B (Describing the system under test) is important but does not directly affect test acceptance.

Option D (Comparing baselined metrics) is useful, but without a comparable test environment, baseline metrics may be misleading.

A ramp-up period in a performance test gradually increases load over time, and a ramp-down period does the opposite. This prevents sudden surges in system load, making test results more realistic.

Option A (Ensuring transactions complete in a time window) is incorrect because ramp-up/down periods do not control transaction timing.

Option C (Providing a buffer for slow transactions) is incorrect because ramp-up/down is about load balancing, not transaction timing.

Option D (Keeping all virtual users active throughout the test) is incorrect because ramp-down periods reduce users gradually.