Fundamental test process

Question 1

What is the first step of the fundamental test process and what does it involve?

Answer 1

It is test planning and control.
Planning:
- Determining what will be tested, and how to achieve this. Which activities will be done and who will do it?
- Define the test completion criteria so we know when the testing is complete.
Control:
- Control is ongoing, it is where we compare the progress with the plan
- As you progress you might figure out that you need to adjust schedule or coverage to meet a plan

Question 2

What is the second step of the fundamental test process and what does it involve?

Answer 2

Test Analysis and Design
This step is the bridge between planning and test execution. It looks backwards at the planning (schedule and people what is going to be tested) and forward to the execution activity (test expected results, what environment will be needed)
- What to test? aka test conditions, how to test cases so they test multiple conditions?. To find the smallest amount of test cases to cover as many test conditions as possible.
- You consider the test data that will be required for the test conditions and test cases that have been drawn up.
- test design involves predicting how the software should behave.. we need to detailed expectations to the outcomes before we start the test execution

Question 3

What are the main points of test analysis?

Answer 3

The main point of this part is:
- Reviewing requirements, architecture, design, interface specifications and other parts, which collectively comprise the test basis.
- Identifying test conditions and the test data required.
- Designing the tests, including assigning priority.
- Determining whether the requirements and the system are testable.
- Detailing what the test environment should look like, and whether there are any infrastructure and tools required.
- Highlighting the test data required for the test conditions and test cases.
Creating bi-directional traceability between test basis and test cases.

Question 4

What is the third step of the fundamental test process and what does it involve?

Answer 4

Test Implementation and Execution

• Setting up the test environment
• Creating the tests
• Running tests
• Most important tests run first
• The logical ordering of tests is important. If it’s possible the outcome of one test should create the preconditions for another functionality or test
• Log the test outcome and compare expected with actual result.

Question 5

What is the fourth step of the fundamental test process and what does it involve?

Answer 5

Evaluating Exit Criteria and Reporting

• Check if exit criteria is met
• Determine if more tests are needed or exit criteria should change
• Write up test result and activities for stakeholders.

Question 6

What is the fifth step of the fundamental test process and what does it involve?

Answer 6

Test Closure Activities
- Testing has finished at this stage.
Ensuring that the documentation is in order; what has been delivered is defined (it may be more or less than originally planned), closing incidents and raising changes for future deliveries, documenting that the system has been accepted.

• Closing down and archiving the test environment, test infrastructure and test ware used.
• Passing over test ware to the maintenance team.
• Writing down the lessons learned from this testing project for the future and incorporating lessons to improve the testing process (‘testing maturity’).