What indicates a defect is in the 'Closed' status?

• A. The defect is still under observation
• B. The defect no longer exists
• C. The defect has been deferred
• D. The defect has been assigned back to testing

Answer: (B)

The status of a defect as 'Closed' indicates that the defect no longer exists. This means that the issue has been addressed, resolved, and the necessary changes have been made to the system or codebase. Once a defect is confirmed as fixed through testing, it is marked as closed to reflect that there are no further actions required on that particular defect. A closed status provides clarity to the team that the issue is not active and does not need to be revisited unless new related issues arise.

In the context of the other options, they do not signify that a defect has been resolved. For instance, a defect still under observation implies that it may need further analysis or validation before any resolution can be confirmed. A defect that is deferred indicates that the team has decided to postpone addressing it; thus, it is still considered unresolved. Finally, if a defect has been assigned back to testing, it suggests that it is still being evaluated or that additional testing is required prior to marking it as closed.