Entry Criteria and Exit Criteria in ISTQB CTFL: A Comprehensive Guide

Entry Criteria and Exit Criteria in ISTQB CTFL: A Comprehensive Guide

Why Entry and Exit Criteria Are Important

Entry and exit criteria form the backbone of effective test activity management. They provide:

• Clear Definition of Scope: They establish precisely when testing can begin and when it can be concluded
• Quality Assurance: They ensure that testing activities meet minimum standards and are executed thoroughly
• Risk Management: They prevent premature testing or incomplete testing that could allow defects to slip through
• Stakeholder Alignment: They create a shared understanding between developers, testers, and business stakeholders about test readiness and completion
• Resource Planning: They enable teams to allocate time and resources effectively by knowing exactly when testing can proceed
• Communication: They provide measurable criteria that can be objectively assessed and reported to management

What Are Entry and Exit Criteria?

Entry Criteria (Definition)

Entry criteria are the preconditions that must be satisfied before a testing activity can begin. They define the prerequisites and readiness indicators that must be in place before testers can start their work.

In simple terms: Entry criteria answer the question: "What must be done before we can start testing?"

Exit Criteria (Definition)

Exit criteria are the conditions that must be fulfilled before a testing activity can be considered complete or before the product can be released. They define the objectives and quality standards that must be achieved before testing can be concluded.

In simple terms: Exit criteria answer the question: "When can we stop testing and declare it complete?"

How Entry and Exit Criteria Work

The Testing Lifecycle Framework

Entry and exit criteria operate within the broader testing process:

Planning → Entry Criteria Check → Test Execution → Exit Criteria Check → Closure

Entry Criteria in Detail

Entry criteria are typically established during test planning and verified before test execution begins. Common examples include:

• Test environment is ready and stable
• Test data is prepared and available
• Test cases are written and reviewed
• Test tools are installed and configured
• Build/version to be tested is available
• Required documentation is complete and accessible
• All necessary approvals have been obtained
• Previous defects have been resolved or documented
• Team members are trained and available

Exit Criteria in Detail

Exit criteria are established during planning but evaluated throughout and at the end of testing. Common examples include:

• All planned test cases have been executed
• A minimum percentage of test cases have passed (e.g., 95%)
• All critical and high-priority defects have been resolved
• Code coverage metrics have been achieved (e.g., 80% statement coverage)
• No critical bugs remain open
• Risk-based testing targets have been met
• Performance and reliability targets are met
• Regression testing is complete
• Test report is complete and approved
• Business sign-off has been obtained

Key Characteristics of Good Entry and Exit Criteria

• Measurable: Must be objectively verifiable, not subjective
• Realistic: Must be achievable within project constraints
• Relevant: Must align with project goals and risk profile
• Clear: Must be easily understood by all stakeholders
• Documented: Must be formally recorded in test plans or test strategies
• Agreed Upon: Must be approved by project stakeholders before testing begins

Differences Between Entry and Exit Criteria

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Entry Criteria and Exit Criteria

Tip 1: Understand the Distinction Clearly

Many exam questions test whether you can distinguish between entry and exit criteria. Remember:

• Entry criteria = START POINT (before testing)
• Exit criteria = END POINT (after/during testing)
• If a question asks "when can testing begin?" → Think entry criteria
• If a question asks "when can testing end?" or "when can we release?" → Think exit criteria

Tip 2: Look for Keywords in Exam Questions

Exam questions often use specific language patterns:

Entry Criteria Keywords:

• "Before testing starts..."
• "Prerequisites for testing..."
• "Conditions needed to begin..."
• "What must be ready..."
• "Requirements before proceeding..."

Exit Criteria Keywords:

• "When can testing stop..."
• "Conditions for release..."
• "Completion criteria..."
• "When is testing finished..."
• "Objectives to be achieved..."

Tip 3: Recognize Context-Specific Criteria

Entry and exit criteria vary by test level:

Unit Testing:

• Entry: Unit code complete, coding standards reviewed
• Exit: Code coverage threshold met, all unit tests pass

Integration Testing:

• Entry: Unit testing complete, integrated modules ready
• Exit: Integration test cases passed, interfaces validated

System Testing:

• Entry: Integration complete, system build ready
• Exit: All system test cases executed, performance criteria met

User Acceptance Testing (UAT):

• Entry: System testing complete and approved
• Exit: Business user approval, sign-off obtained

Tip 4: Recognize What Is NOT Entry/Exit Criteria

Exam questions sometimes include distractors. These are NOT typically entry or exit criteria:

• Vague statements like "system should be good"
• Single team member opinions without approval
• Immeasurable goals like "sufficient quality"
• Post-release activities
• Items already completed in previous phases (unless relevant to current phase)

Tip 5: Apply to Real Scenarios

Exam questions often present scenarios. When answering:

1. Identify the test phase: Unit, integration, system, UAT, regression?
2. Determine the phase objectives: What are we trying to achieve?
3. Ask the key question: Is this about readiness (entry) or completion (exit)?
4. Check measurability: Can it be objectively verified?
5. Eliminate obvious wrong answers: Those lacking clarity or measurability

Tip 6: Remember Business Alignment

Exit criteria especially should align with business objectives. Questions may test whether you understand:

• Risk-based testing affects what counts as "complete"
• Business stakeholders must approve exit criteria
• Different projects may have different exit criteria
• Exit criteria must balance quality with delivery timelines

Tip 7: Practice With Multiple-Choice Strategy

For multiple-choice questions:

• Option Format 1: "Is this entry or exit criteria?" → Identify which phase and what's being assessed
• Option Format 2: "Which is a valid entry/exit criteria?" → Look for measurable, relevant, achievable criteria
• Option Format 3: "What's missing from these criteria?" → Look for lack of clarity, measurability, or approval
• Option Format 4: "In this scenario, which prevents testing from starting?" → This is entry criteria

Tip 8: Know Common Exam Pitfalls

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Pitfall 1: Confusing "readiness of code" (entry) with "quality of code" (exit criteria result)
• Pitfall 2: Thinking exit criteria means "all defects fixed" (actually might be "all critical/high defects fixed")
• Pitfall 3: Assuming entry and exit criteria are the same across all test levels (they're not)
• Pitfall 4: Forgetting that exit criteria can be conditional (e.g., "OR achieve code coverage OR obtain stakeholder approval")

Tip 9: Use the SMART Approach

When evaluating whether something is valid entry/exit criteria, check if it's:

• S - Specific: Is it clearly defined?
• M - Measurable: Can it be objectively verified?
• A - Achievable: Is it realistic?
• R - Relevant: Does it matter to the test objective?
• T - Time-bound: Is completion timeframe clear?

Tip 10: Review From Test Planning Perspective

In exam questions about test planning:

• Entry criteria determine if we can proceed with test execution
• Exit criteria define the goal posts before testing begins
• Both should be established during test planning, not during execution
• Both must be documented and agreed upon
• Both should be reviewed against organizational standards

Sample Exam Question Examples

Example 1: Scenario-Based Question

Question: Your project is in system testing phase. The development team has completed integration testing, but the test environment is still unstable with intermittent connectivity issues. The project manager wants to proceed with system testing. What should you do?

Analysis: This tests understanding of entry criteria. The test environment instability violates entry criteria for system testing.

Correct Approach: Explain that entry criteria (stable test environment) have not been met, so system testing should not proceed. This prevents waste and ensures reliable test results.

Example 2: Multiple-Choice Question

Question: Which of the following is an appropriate exit criterion for system testing?
A) The development team is satisfied with code quality
B) All test cases have been executed and all critical defects have been resolved
C) The project schedule allows release
D) The testing team believes the system is ready

Analysis: Look for measurable, objective criteria. Only option B is specific and measurable.

Answer: B - It specifies concrete criteria (test execution completion + critical defects resolved)

Example 3: Definition Question

Question: Entry criteria for testing are BEST described as:

Answer: Preconditions that must be satisfied before testing activities can begin, establishing readiness of prerequisites such as availability of test environment, test data, and required documentation.

Summary Checklist for Exam Preparation

• ☑ Understand entry criteria = prerequisites; exit criteria = objectives
• ☑ Know examples specific to each test level
• ☑ Recognize keywords in questions (before/after, begin/complete)
• ☑ Remember criteria must be measurable and documented
• ☑ Understand different test levels have different criteria
• ☑ Know that exit criteria can have conditional achievement
• ☑ Practice distinguishing valid from invalid criteria
• ☑ Review role of stakeholder approval
• ☑ Understand business alignment is important for exit criteria
• ☑ Be ready for scenario-based and definitional questions