Bug report writing in Testing Fundamentals - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Key elements in a bug report

Which of the following is NOT a necessary element to include in a clear and effective bug report?

A Personal opinion about the developer

B Expected and actual results

C Steps to reproduce the bug

D Environment details like browser or OS version

💡 Hint

Think about what information helps fix the bug versus what is irrelevant or unprofessional.

A good bug report focuses on facts and reproducible details. Personal opinions about developers do not help solve the issue.

❓ assertion

intermediate

Correct priority assignment in bug reports

You find a bug that causes the application to crash every time a user tries to save data. What is the correct priority level to assign in the bug report?

A Low priority

B No priority needed

C Medium priority

D High priority

💡 Hint

Consider how severely the bug affects the user experience and application functionality.

A bug causing application crashes on a common action should be assigned high priority to fix quickly.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Identifying missing information in a bug report

Review the following bug report excerpt and identify what critical information is missing:

Title: Login button not working
Description: Clicking the login button does nothing.
Steps: 1. Open app 2. Enter username and password 3. Click login button
Expected: User should be logged in
Actual: Nothing happens

A The time of day the test was done

B The version of the app or browser used

C The color of the login button

D The username and password used

💡 Hint

Think about what environment details help developers reproduce the bug.

Knowing the app or browser version is essential to reproduce and fix the bug. User credentials should not be shared for privacy. Button color and test time are irrelevant.

❓ framework

advanced

Using bug tracking tools effectively

Which feature of a bug tracking tool helps avoid duplicate bug reports and improves team communication?

A Automatically closing bugs after 24 hours

B Hiding bug reports from testers

C Linking related bugs and adding comments

D Assigning bugs to multiple developers simultaneously

💡 Hint

Think about how teams keep track of similar issues and share updates.

Linking related bugs and adding comments helps avoid duplicates and keeps everyone informed. Assigning to multiple developers or hiding reports causes confusion. Auto-closing bugs too soon risks losing important issues.

❓ Predict Output

expert

Output of bug report status transitions

Consider this simplified bug report status flow code snippet:

status = "Open"

match status:
    case "Open":
        status = "In Progress"
    case "In Progress":
        status = "Resolved"
    case "Resolved":
        status = "Closed"
    case _:
        status = "Unknown"

print(status)

What will be printed when this code runs?

A In Progress

B Resolved

C Open

D Closed

💡 Hint

Look at the initial status and which case matches first.

The initial status is 'Open'. The match-case changes it to 'In Progress'. So the printed output is 'In Progress'.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of writing a bug report in software testing?

easy

A. To clearly explain the problem and how to reproduce it

B. To praise the software for its features

C. To describe the software's design

D. To list all the software's functions

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of a bug report

   A bug report is meant to communicate a problem clearly so developers can fix it.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct purpose

   Among the options, only explaining the problem and how to reproduce it matches the bug report's goal.

3. Final Answer:

   To clearly explain the problem and how to reproduce it -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Bug report purpose = clear problem explanation [OK]

Hint: Focus on clear problem explanation and reproduction steps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing bug report with feature description
• Writing vague problem statements
• Ignoring reproduction steps

2. Which of the following is the correct way to write the 'Expected Result' in a bug report?

easy

A. The software crashes sometimes.

B. The software is slow.

C. I don't like how the software looks.

D. The software should save the file without errors.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what 'Expected Result' means

   It describes what should happen when the software works correctly.

2. Step 2: Choose the option that clearly states the correct expected behavior

   The software should save the file without errors. clearly states the expected behavior: saving the file without errors.

3. Final Answer:

   The software should save the file without errors. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Expected result = correct software behavior [OK]

Hint: Expected result shows correct behavior, not opinions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Writing vague or subjective expected results
• Confusing actual and expected results
• Skipping expected result section

3. Consider this bug report snippet:

Steps to reproduce:
1. Open the app
2. Click 'Save'
3. Observe error message

Expected result:
File saves successfully

Actual result:
Error message 'Save failed'

What is the main problem this bug report helps identify?

medium

A. The save function shows an error instead of saving

B. The app crashes on startup

C. The error message text is correct

D. The app saves files too quickly

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the steps and results

   The steps show clicking 'Save' leads to an error message instead of saving.

2. Step 2: Match the problem with options

   The save function shows an error instead of saving correctly describes the issue: save function shows error instead of saving.

3. Final Answer:

   The save function shows an error instead of saving -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Bug report identifies save error issue [OK]

Hint: Match steps and results to find the problem [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring actual vs expected results
• Misreading the steps
• Choosing unrelated options

4. A tester writes this bug report:

Steps:
1. Login
2. Click 'Profile'
3. See blank page

Expected: Profile page loads
Actual: Blank page

What is missing that would improve this bug report?

medium

A. The tester should add unrelated screenshots

B. The tester should remove the expected result

C. The tester should add environment details like browser and OS

D. The tester should write a longer story

Solution

1. Step 1: Review the bug report content

   The report has steps, expected and actual results but lacks environment details.

2. Step 2: Identify what improves bug reports

   Adding environment details helps developers reproduce and fix bugs accurately.

3. Final Answer:

   The tester should add environment details like browser and OS -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Environment details improve bug reports [OK]

Hint: Always include environment info for better bug reports [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping environment details
• Adding irrelevant information
• Ignoring clear reproduction steps

5. You find a bug that only happens when the user uploads a file larger than 5MB on a slow internet connection. What is the best way to write this bug report?

hard

A. Report the bug without any reproduction steps.

B. Report the bug with steps, expected vs actual results, and mention file size and network speed.

C. Report the bug but say it happens on all file sizes.

D. Report only that the upload fails without details.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify key details for reproduction

   File size and network speed are important to reproduce this bug.

2. Step 2: Choose the option that includes clear steps and environment details

   Report the bug with steps, expected vs actual results, and mention file size and network speed. includes steps, expected vs actual results, and important conditions.

3. Final Answer:

   Report the bug with steps, expected vs actual results, and mention file size and network speed. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Include all relevant details for complex bugs [OK]

Hint: Include all conditions that trigger the bug [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting important reproduction conditions
• Giving vague or incomplete steps
• Ignoring environment factors