Software Quality Assurance Practice Exam

Which step is part of the deductive debugging process?

1. Enumerate possible causes

2. Document test results

3. Formulate test strategies

4. Set up the test environment

The correct answer is: Enumerate possible causes

Enumerating possible causes is a fundamental part of the deductive debugging process. This step involves analyzing the problem at hand and listing all the potential factors that could have led to the observed failure or bug. By creating a comprehensive list of possible causes, a tester can systematically investigate each one, working through them to eliminate those that do not apply and narrow down the actual source of the issue. This logical approach is critical in deductive debugging, as it allows for a structured examination of the fault and aids in deriving conclusions from the evidence gathered during testing. Other steps like documenting test results, formulating test strategies, and setting up the test environment are certainly important aspects of software testing and quality assurance, but they do not specifically align with the core principles of deductive debugging. Documenting test results focuses more on recording information for future reference rather than solving the current issue, while formulating test strategies is about planning for testing rather than analyzing existing bugs. Setting up the test environment pertains to preparing the conditions for testing rather than diagnosing a problem.