@pytest.mark.xfail for expected failures - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test uses @pytest.mark.xfail to mark a test that is expected to fail. It verifies that the test fails as expected without causing the whole test suite to fail.

Test Code - PyTest

PyTest

import pytest

@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="Known bug: division by zero")
def test_divide_by_zero():
    result = 10 / 0
    assert result == 0

Execution Trace - 5 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test starts	PyTest test runner initializes and loads test_divide_by_zero	-	PASS
2	Test function test_divide_by_zero is called	Inside test_divide_by_zero function	-	PASS
3	Code executes division 10 / 0 causing ZeroDivisionError	Exception ZeroDivisionError raised	-	FAIL
4	PyTest recognizes test is marked xfail and failure is expected	Test marked as expected failure	Test failure matches expected failure condition	PASS
5	Test suite continues without marking overall run as failed	Test suite summary shows xfail for this test	Test suite reports test as xfailed, not failed	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: Test marked xfail unexpectedly passes (no error raised)

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does @pytest.mark.xfail do in this test?

A Marks the test as expected to fail without failing the suite

B Skips the test completely

C Makes the test always pass

D Runs the test twice

Key Result

Use @pytest.mark.xfail to mark tests that are known to fail due to bugs or incomplete features. This helps keep the test suite green while tracking expected failures.