1.3 Testing principles Flashcards
What does the first principle of testing state about the presence of defects?
Testing shows the presence of defects, not their absence.
Why is exhaustive testing considered impossible?
Testing everything is not feasible except in trivial cases; instead, focus should be on test techniques, test case prioritization, and risk-based testing.
How does early testing save time and money?
Early defect removal prevents subsequent defects in derived work products, reducing the cost of quality and minimizing failures later in the SDLC.
What does the principle of defect clustering suggest?
A small number of system components usually contain most of the defects or cause most operational failures, illustrating the Pareto principle.
What happens when the same tests are repeated many times?
They become increasingly ineffective in detecting new defects, requiring modification of existing tests and creation of new tests, though repeating tests can be beneficial in automated regression testing.
What does it mean that testing is context dependent?
There is no universally applicable approach to testing; it varies depending on the context.
What is the absence-of-defects fallacy?
It is the misconception that verifying all requirements and fixing all defects will ensure system success, while validation is also necessary to meet users’ needs and business goals.
What are the seven testing principles?
Testing shows the presence, not the absence of defects.
Exhaustive testing is impossible.
Early testing saves time and money.
Defects cluster together.
Tests wear out.
Testing is context dependent.
Absence-of-defects fallacy.
