Traceability matrix in Testing Fundamentals - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Purpose of a Traceability Matrix

What is the main purpose of a traceability matrix in software testing?

A To document the project schedule and milestones

B To list all bugs found during testing with their severity

C To track the number of test cases executed per day

D To map requirements to test cases ensuring all requirements are tested

💡 Hint

Think about how testers ensure every requirement is covered by tests.

A traceability matrix links requirements to their corresponding test cases. This ensures that all requirements have been tested and nothing is missed.

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Traceability Matrix Coverage Count

Given the following traceability matrix represented as a dictionary where keys are requirement IDs and values are lists of test case IDs, how many requirements have no test cases linked?

Testing Fundamentals

traceability_matrix = {
  'REQ-1': ['TC-1', 'TC-2'],
  'REQ-2': [],
  'REQ-3': ['TC-3'],
  'REQ-4': []
}

count = sum(1 for tests in traceability_matrix.values() if len(tests) == 0)
print(count)

A 2

B 1

C 3

D 0

💡 Hint

Count how many requirements have empty test case lists.

REQ-2 and REQ-4 have empty lists, so 2 requirements have no test cases linked.

❓ assertion

advanced

Valid Assertion for Traceability Matrix Completeness

Which assertion correctly verifies that every requirement in the traceability matrix has at least one test case linked?

Testing Fundamentals

traceability_matrix = {
  'REQ-1': ['TC-1'],
  'REQ-2': ['TC-2', 'TC-3'],
  'REQ-3': ['TC-4']
}

A assert any(len(tests) == 0 for tests in traceability_matrix.values())

B assert len(traceability_matrix) == 0

C assert all(len(tests) > 0 for tests in traceability_matrix.values())

D assert all(len(tests) == 0 for tests in traceability_matrix.values())

💡 Hint

Think about how to check that no requirement has zero test cases.

Using all(len(tests) > 0) ensures every requirement has at least one linked test case.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Find the Bug in Traceability Matrix Test Coverage Code

Identify the error in the following code snippet that aims to print requirements without test cases:

Testing Fundamentals

traceability_matrix = {
  'REQ-1': ['TC-1'],
  'REQ-2': [],
  'REQ-3': ['TC-2']
}

for req, tests in traceability_matrix.items():
  if tests == None:
    print(req)

A The loop should iterate over traceability_matrix.keys() instead of items()

B The condition should check if tests is an empty list, not None

C The print statement should be outside the loop

D The dictionary keys are invalid and cause a runtime error

💡 Hint

Think about what value an empty list has compared to None.

The code checks if tests == None, but empty lists are not None. It should check if tests is empty using if not tests: or if len(tests) == 0:.

❓ framework

expert

Traceability Matrix Integration in Test Automation Framework

In a test automation framework, which approach best integrates a traceability matrix to ensure all requirements are tested automatically?

A Use a mapping file linking requirement IDs to test case IDs, and generate reports showing coverage after test runs

B Manually check test cases against requirements after each test run without automation

C Store test cases and requirements separately without linking, relying on testers to verify coverage

D Only automate test execution without tracking requirement coverage

💡 Hint

Consider how automation can help track coverage and generate reports.

Using a mapping file to link requirements and test cases allows automated coverage reports, ensuring traceability and completeness.