1.7Self-Assessment Quiz: Chapter 1

1. What is the primary difference between the gatekeeper model and the quality coach model?
2. Name three upstream activities a QA engineer should perform before code is written.
3. Why does finding bugs late in the development process cost more than finding them early?
4. What is the key metric that differentiates a good QA engineer from a great one?
5. Name two misconceptions about QA in Agile and explain why they are wrong.

Answers:

1. The gatekeeper sits at the end of the pipeline and judges finished work; the quality coach is embedded in the team from the start and prevents defects through collaboration, process improvement, and early testing activities.
2. Any three of: review requirements for testability, conduct Three Amigos sessions, define acceptance criteria, design test strategy for upcoming features, advocate for quality standards.
3. Late-stage bugs require more rework -- the code is already written, integrated, and potentially deployed. A requirement caught in review costs minutes to fix; the same issue in production can cost thousands of dollars and damage customer trust.
4. Bugs prevented, not bugs found. Great QA engineers build systems and processes that stop defects from being created.
5. Any two from the misconceptions table, with explanations matching the "Reality" column.