1.4 Test Activities, Testware, and Roles

Question 1

When do we decide which test activities to include, how they are implemented, and when they occur?

Answer 1

As part of Test Planning.

Question 2

What are the 7 Test Activities?
(PMADIEC)

Answer 2

• planning
• monitoring and control
• analysis
• design
• implementation
• execution
• completion

Question 3

What is Test Planning?

Answer 3

Defining the test objectives and then selecting an approach that best achieves the objectives within the constraints imposed by the overall context.

Question 4

What is Test Monitoring and Control?

Answer 4

Test monitoring involves the ongoing checking of all test activities and the comparison of actual progress against the plan.
Test control involves taking the actions necessary to meet the objectives of testing.

Question 5

What is Test Analysis?

Answer 5

Test Analysis includes:
- analyzing the test basis to identify testable features
- defining and prioritizing test conditions
- defining risks and risk levels
- evaluating test basis docs and test objects to identify existing defects
- assessing testability

Test Analysis answers the question: “What to test?” with measurable coverage criteria.

Question 6

What is Test Design?

Answer 6

Test design elaborates test conditions (testable features, functions, etc) into test cases and other testware like test charters.

It may be supported with test techniques.

It also includes identifying coverage items, defining test data requirements, designing the test environment, and identifying other required infrastructure and tools.

It answers the question: “How to test?”

Question 7

What is Test Implementation?

Answer 7

Creating or acquiring testware needed, such as test data.

Test cases can be organized into test procedures and suites. Manual and automated test scripts are created.

Test procedures are prioritized and scheduled.

Test environments are built, configured, and verified.

Question 8

What is Test Execution?

Answer 8

Running tests in accordance with the schedule. Includes manual and automated.

Actual test results are compared with expected results.

Anomalies are analyzed to identify their likely causes, so we can report them based on the failures observed.

Question 9

What are Test Completion activities?

Answer 9

Any testware that may be useful in the future is identified and archived or handed over to the appropriate teams.

The test environment is shut down to an agreed state.

The test activities are analyzed to identify lessons learned and improvements for future iterations, releases, or projects.

A test completion report is created and communicated to the stakeholders.

Question 10

When do Test Completion activities occur?

Answer 10

Test completion activities usually occur at project milestones (e.g., release, end of iteration, test level completion) for any unresolved defects, change requests or product backlog items created.

Question 11

What are factors that affect how testing is carried out?

Answer 11

• Stakeholders
• Team members
• Business domain
• Technical factors
• Project constraints
• Organizational factors
• SDLC
• Tools

Question 12

What are Test planning work products? (testware)

Answer 12

• test plan
• test schedule
• risk register
• entry and exit criteria

Question 13

What does a Risk Register include?

Answer 13

A list of risks with:
- likelihood
- impact
- info about mitigation

Question 14

Test monitoring and control work products (testware) include?

Answer 14

• test progress reports
• doc of control directives
• risk info

Question 15

Test analysis work products include? (testware)

Answer 15

• prioritized test conditions / acceptance criteria
• open defect reports for the test basis

Question 16

Test design work products include? (testware)

Answer 16

• prioritized test cases
• prioritized test charters
• coverage items
• test data requirements
• test environment requirements

Question 17

Test implementation work products include? (testware)

Answer 17

• test procedures
• automated test scripts
• test suites
• test data
• test execution schedule
• test environments

Question 18

Test execution work products include? (testware)

Answer 18

• test logs
• defect reports

Question 19

Test completion work products include? (testware)

Answer 19

• test completion report
• action items for future
• documented lessons learned
• change requests / product backlog items

Question 20

What are two important types of traceability?

Answer 20

Traceability of test cases to requirements helps to verify requirements are covered by test cases.

Traceability of test results to risks helps evaluate the level of residual risk in a test object.

Question 21

What are some ways maintaining traceability can be helpful?

Answer 21

It provides information to assess product quality, process capability, and project progress toward business goals.

It also helps make reports more understandable and assists in communicating technical aspects of testing to stakeholders.

Finally, it helps to determine the impact of changes, helps with test audits, and meets IT governance criteria.

Question 22

What are the two main roles in testing?

Answer 22

Test management and testing.

Question 23

What does the test management role have responsibility for?

Answer 23

• test process
• test team
• leadership of test activities
• test planning
• test monitoring and control
• test completion

Question 24

What does the testing / tester role have responsibility for?

Answer 24

• engineering / technical aspects of testing
• test analysis
• test design
• test implementation
• test execution