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First, Middle, Last Element Testing

publish date: 2026/06/18 03:41:34.889128 UTC

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A tester is testing a method that finds the maximum value in an array. According to the 'first, middle, last' sequence testing guideline, which test inputs should be included?

Test exclusively with arrays where all elements are equal

Design tests where the maximum value appears at the first position, at a middle position, and at the last position

Test only with the array sorted in ascending order

Only test with the maximum value at position 0 in the array

Correct Answer

Design tests where the maximum value appears at the first position, at a middle position, and at the last position

Explanation

The 'first, middle, last' guideline says to derive tests so that the first, middle, and last elements of the sequence are accessed. For a maximum-finding function, this means testing with the maximum value at position 0 (first), at a middle position, and at the last position. This reveals problems at partition boundaries in array processing.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition

Quizzes you can take where this question appears

Choosing Unit Test Cases - Guideline-Based Testing