Software Testing and Verification

Question 1

Define Validation Testing

Answer 1

To demonstrate to the developer and the customer that the software meets its requirements

Question 2

Define Defect Testing

Answer 2

To discover situations in which the behavior of the software is incorrect or undesirable

Question 3

Define verification, testing and formal verification

Answer 3

Verification - ensures what you have designed does the job
Testing 0 make sure the things the program does are done right
Formal Verification - proving mathematically that the underlying algorithm is correct

Question 4

Describe the difference between verification and validation

Answer 4

Verification is verifying the software conforms to its specification. Validation is validating that the software should do what the user requires

Question 5

Define principles, guidelines and standards

Answer 5

Principles - abstract design rules “an interface should be easy to navigate”
Guidelines - advice on how to achieve principle - “use color to highlight links”
Standards - specific, measurable rules “links are RGB #1010D0

Question 6

Describe the difference between software inspection and testing

Answer 6

Inspection - concerned with analysis of static system representation to discover problems (static)
Testing - concerned with exercising and observing project behavior (dynamic)

Question 7

Describe the pre-alpha stage of the software release cycle

Answer 7

All activities before testing - requirements analysis, software design, development, etc.

Question 8

Describe the alpha testing stage of the software release cycle

Answer 8

Simulated testing by potential users/independent test team.

Question 9

Describe the beta testing stage of the software release cycle

Answer 9

External user acceptance testing where early versions (beta versions) of the software is released to a limited audience outside the development team.

Question 10

Define development testing

Answer 10

All testing activities that are carried out by the team during development. This can include
- unit testing - testing individual components in isolation
- component testing - several unites are integrated and tested
- system testing - some or all components are integrated and the system and testing as a whole

Question 11

Define automated testing

Answer 11

The use of special software to control the execution of tests and the comparison of actual/predicted outcomes

Question 12

Explain the partition testing strategy

Answer 12

Identify groups of inputs that have common characteristics and should be processed in the same way. Choose tests from within each of these groups.

Question 13

Explain the guideline based testing strategy

Answer 13

Use testing guidelines to choose test cases - these guidelines reflect previous experience of the kinds of errors programmers often make

Question 14

Describe test-driven development

Answer 14

An approach to program development where test development is inter-leaved with code development. Tests are written, then code to fulfill the tests.

Question 15

Define regression testing

Answer 15

Testing the system to check that changes have not broken previously working code

Question 16

Define release testing

Answer 16

The process of testing a particular release of a system that is intended for use outside the development team. The goal is to convince the supplier that the system is good enough for use.

Question 17

Define requirements-based testing

Answer 17

This involves examining each requirement and developing tests for it

Question 18

Define performance testing

Answer 18

Testing emergent properties of a system such as performance and reliability

Question 19

What happens during user testing?

Answer 19

The user or customer provides input and advice on system testing