What could be a consequence of slippage in testing timelines?

Choosing the option that highlights potentially lower software quality due to rushed testing is an astute observation of the impact slippage can have on testing timelines. When timelines are compressed, testing activities may be rushed to meet project deadlines. This compression can lead to inadequate testing, as testers might not have sufficient time to execute test cases thoroughly, evaluate defects accurately, or run sufficient regression tests. As a result, critical issues that might affect the software's reliability, functionality, or performance can go unnoticed, ultimately compromising the overall quality of the software product.

In the context of the other options, increased documentation duties for testers and higher budgets allocated for testing resources do not directly stem from slippage in timelines. Often, with tighter deadlines, teams might sacrifice documentation to prioritize testing activities. Similarly, while budget adjustments can occur for various reasons, they are not a direct consequence of testing timeline slippage. Additionally, adding new features to compensate for lost time could further exacerbate the situation, adding complexity to an already rushed testing cycle, but isn’t inherently a direct consequence of the slippage itself. Hence, the impact on software quality is the most critical and direct fallout from slippage in testing timelines.