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Q1. What is Software Testing? 

Ans. Operation of a system or application under controlled conditions and evaluating the
results. The controlled conditions must include both normal and abnormal conditions. It is
oriented to detection.

Q2. What is Software Quality Assurance? 

Ans. Software QA involves the monitoring and improving the entire software development
process, making sure that any agreed-upon standards and procedures are followed. It is
oriented to prevention.

Q 3. What are the qualities of a good test engineer?

Ans.

A good test engineer has a test to break attitude.

An ability to take the point of view of the customer
a strong desire for quality
Tactful and diplomatic
Good communication skills
Previous software development experience can be helpful as it provides a deeper
understanding of the software development process
Good judgment skills

Q4. What are the qualities of a good QA engineer?

Ans.

The same qualities a good tester

Additionally, they must be able to understand the entire software development process and
how it can fit into the business approach and goals of the organization.
In organizations in the early stages of implementing QA processes, patience and diplomacy
are especially needed.
An ability to find problems as well as to see 'what's missing' is important for inspections and
reviews.

Q5. What are the qualities of a good QA or Test manager? 

Ans.

Must be familiar with the software development process

able to maintain enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere
always looking for preventing problems
able to promote teamwork to increase productivity
able to promote cooperation between software, test, and QA engineers
have the skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes
have the ability to say 'no' to other managers when quality is insufficient or QA processes are
not being adhered
have people judgement skills for hiring and keeping skilled personnel
be able to run meetings and keep them focused

Q6. What is the 'software life cycle'?

Ans. The life cycle begins when an application is first conceived and ends when it is no longer
in use.
Q7. Tell us about some world famous bugs
Ans. 1. In December of 2007 an error occurred in a new ERP payroll system for a large urban
school system. More than one third of employees had received incorrect paychecks that
results in overpayments of $53 million. Inadequate testing reportedly contributed to the
problems

2. A software error reportedly resulted in overbilling to 11,000 customers of a major

telecommunications company in June of 2006. Making the corrections in the bills took a
long time.

3. In March of 2002 it was reported that software bugs in Britain's national tax system
resulted in more than 100,000 erroneous tax overcharges.

Q8. What are the common problems in the software development process?
Ans.

Poor requirements
Unrealistic schedule
Inadequate testing
A request to pile on new features after development is unnderway.
Miscommunication

Q9. What are the common solutions to software development problems?

Ans.

Solid requirements
Realistic schedules
Adequate testing
stick to initial requirements where feasible
require walkthroughs and inspections when appropriate

Q10. What is a Quality Software?

Ans. Quality software is reasonably bug-free, delivered on time and within budget, meets
requirements and / or expectations, and is maintainable.

Q11. What is good code?

Ans. Good code is code that works, is reasonably bug free, and is readable and maintainable.

Q12. What is good design?

Ans. Good internal design is indicated by software code whose overall structure is clear,
understandable, easily modifiable, and maintainable. It should also be robust with sufficient
error-handling and status logging capability and work correctly when implemented. And,
good functional design is indicated by an application whose functionality can be traced back
to customer and end-user requirements.

Q13. What's the role of documentation in QA?

Ans. QA practices must be documented to enhance their repeatability. There should be a
system for easily finding and obtaining information and determining what documentation
will have a particular piece of information.

Q14. Which projects may not need independent test staff?

Ans. It depends on the size & nature of the project. Then, it depends on business risks,
development methodology, the skills and experience of the developers.

Q15. Why does software have bugs?

Ans.

miscommunication or no communication
software complexity
programming errors
changing requirements
time pressures
poorly documented code
software development tools
egos - people prefer to say things like:
• 'no problem'
• 'piece of cake'
• 'I can whip that out in a few hours'
Q15. How QA processes can be introduced in an organization?
Ans. 1. It depends on the size of the organization and the risks involved. e.g. for large
organizations with high-risk projects a formalized QA process is necessary.

2. If the risk is lower, management and organizational buy-in and QA implementation may
be a slower.

3. The most value for effort will often be in

- Requirements management processes

- Design inspections and code inspections
- post-mortems / retrospectives

Q16. What are the steps to perform software testing?

Ans.

- Understand requirements and business logic

- Get budget and schedule requirements
- Determine required standards and processes
- Set priorities, and determine scope and limitations of tests
- Determine test approaches and methods
- Determine test environment, test ware, test input data requirements
- Set milestones and prepare test plan document
- Write test cases
- Have needed reviews/inspections/approvals of test cases
- Set up test environment
- Execute test cases
- Evaluate and report results
- Bug Tracking and fixing
- Retesting or regression testing if needed
- Update test plans, test cases, test results, traceability matrix etc.

Q17. What is a test plan?

Ans. A document that describes the objectives, scope, approach, and focus of a software
testing effort.

Q18. What are the contents of test plan?

Ans.

- Title and identification of software including version etc.

- Revision history
- Table of Contents
- Purpose of document and intended audience
- Objective and software product overview
- Relevant related document list and standards or legal requirements
- Naming conventions
- Overview of software project organization
- Roles and responsibilities etc.
- Assumptions and dependencies
- Risk analysis
- Testing priorities
- Scope and limitations of testing effort
- Outline of testing effort and input data
- Test environment setup and configuration issues
- Configuration management processes
- Outline of bug tracking system
- Test automation if required
- Any tools to be used, including versions, patches, etc.
- Project test metrics to be calculated
- Testing deliverables
- Reporting plan
- Testing entrance and exit criteria
- Sanity testing period and criteria
- Test suspension and restart criteria
- Personnel pre-training needs
- Relevant proprietary, classified, security and licensing issues.
- Open issues if any
- Appendix

Q19. What is a test case?

Ans. A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and an expected
response, to determine if a feature of a software application is working correctly.

Q20. What are the components of a bug report?

Ans.

- Application name
- The function, module, name
- Bug ID
- Bug reporting date
- Status
- Test case ID
- Bug description
- Steps needed to reproduce the bug
- Names and/or descriptions of file/data/messages/etc. used in test
- Snapshot that would be helpful in finding the cause of the problem
- Severity estimate
- Was the bug reproducible?
- Name of tester
- Description of problem cause (filled by developers)
- Description of fix (filled by developers)
- Code section/file/module/class/method that was fixed (filled by developers)
- Date of fix (filled by developers)
- Date of retest or regression testing
- Any remarks or comments

Q21. What is verification?

Ans. It involves reviews and meetings to evaluate documents, plans, code, requirements, and
specifications. It can be done with checklists, issues lists, walkthroughs, and inspection
meetings etc.

Q22. What is validation?

Ans. It involves actual testing and takes place after verifications are completed.

Q23. What is a walkthrough?

Ans. An informal meeting for evaluation or informational purposes.

Q24. What's an inspection?

Ans. It is more formalized than a 'walkthrough', typically with 3-8 people including a
moderator, reader, and a recorder to take notes. The subject of the inspection is typically a
document such as a requirements spec or a test plan, and the purpose is to find problems and
see what's missing, not to fix anything.

Q25. What is configuration management?

Ans. It covers the processes used to control, coordinate, and track: code, requirements,
documentation, problems, change requests, designs, tools / compilers / libraries / patches,
changes made to them, and who makes the changes.

Q26. When you can stop testing?

Ans.

- Deadlines (release deadlines, testing deadlines, etc.)

- Test cases completed with certain percentage passed
- Test budget depleted
- Coverage of code/functionality/requirements reaches a specified point
- Bug rate falls below a certain level Beta or alpha testing period ends

Q27. What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?

Ans. Consider the following scenarios:

- Which functionality is most important from business point of view?

- Which functionality is most visible to the user?
- Which functionality has the largest financial impact?
- Which aspects of the application are most important to the customer?
- Which parts of the code are most complex?
- Which parts of the application were developed in rush?
- Which aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems?
- What do the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application?
- What kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity?
- What kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints?
- What kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities?

Q28. What if the project isn't big enough to justify extensive testing?
Ans. Do risk analysis. See the impact of project errors, not the size of the project.
Q29. How can web based applications be tested?
Ans. Apart from functionality consider the following:

- What are the expected loads on the server and what kind of performance is expected on the
client side?
- Who is the target audience?
- Will down time for server and content maintenance / upgrades be allowed?
- What kinds of security will be required and what is it expected to do?
- How reliable are the site's Internet / intranet connections required to be?
- How do the internet / intranet affect backup system or redundant connection requirements
and testing?
- What variations will be allowed for targeted browsers?
- Will there be any standards or requirements for page appearance and / or graphics
throughout a site or parts of a site?
- How will internal and external links be validated and updated?
- How are browser caching and variations in browser option settings?
- How are flash, applets, java scripts, ActiveX components, etc. to be maintained, tracked,
controlled, and tested?
- From the usability point of view consider the following:

-- Pages should be 3-5 screens longer.

-- The page layouts and design elements should be consistent throughout the application /
web site.
--Pages should be as browser-independent or generate based on the browser-type.
--There should be no dead-end pages. A link to a contact person or organization should be
included on each page.

Q30. What is Extreme Programming?

Ans. Extreme Programming is a software development approach for risk-prone projects with
unstable requirements. Unit testing is a core aspect of Extreme Programming. Programmers
write unit and functional test code first - before writing the application code. Generally,
customers are expected to be an integral part of the project team and to help create / design
scenarios for acceptance testing.

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Manual Testing Interview Questions and Answers

What makes a good test engineer?
A good test engineer has a 'test to break' attitude, an ability to take the point of
view of the customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact
and diplomacy are useful in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers,
and an ability to communicate with both technical (developers) and non-technical
(customers, management) people is useful. Previous software development
experience can be helpful as it provides a deeper understanding of the software
development process, gives the tester an appreciation for the developers' point of
view, and reduce the learning curve in automated test tool programming. Judgment
skills are needed to assess high-risk areas of an application on which to focus
testing efforts when time is limited.

What makes a good Software QA engineer? 

The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they
must be able to understand the entire software development process and how it can
fit into the business approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills
and the ability to understand various sides of issues are important. In
organizations in the early stages of implementing QA processes, patience and
diplomacy are especially needed. An ability to find problems as well as to see
'what's missing' is important for inspections and reviews.

What makes a good QA or Test manager? 

A good QA, test, or QA/Test(combined) manager should: 
• be familiar with the software development process 
• be able to maintain enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere,
despite 
• what is a somewhat 'negative' process (e.g., looking for or preventing problems) 
• be able to promote teamwork to increase productivity 
• be able to promote cooperation between software, test, and QA engineers 
• have the diplomatic skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes 
• have the ability to withstand pressures and say 'no' to other managers when
quality is insufficient or QA processes are not being adhered to 
• have people judgement skills for hiring and keeping skilled personnel 
• be able to communicate with technical and non-technical people, engineers,
managers, and customers. 
• be able to run meetings and keep them focused

What's the role of documentation in QA? 

Critical. (Note that documentation can be electronic, not necessarily paper.) QA
practices should be documented such that they are repeatable. Specifications,
designs, business rules, inspection reports, configurations, code changes, test
plans, test cases, bug reports, user manuals, etc. should all be documented. There
should ideally be a system for easily finding and obtaining documents and
determining what documentation will have a particular piece of information.
Change management for documentation should be used if possible.

What's the big deal about 'requirements'?

One of the most reliable methods of insuring problems, or failure, in a complex

software project is to have poorly documented requirements specifications.
Requirements are the details describing an application's externally-perceived
functionality and properties. Requirements should be clear, complete, reasonably
detailed, cohesive, attainable, and testable. A non-testable requirement would be,
for example, 'user-friendly' (too subjective). A testable requirement would be
something like 'the user must enter their previously-assigned password to access
the application'. Determining and organizing requirements details in a useful and
efficient way can be a difficult effort; different methods are available depending on
the particular project. Many books are available that describe various approaches
to this task. (See the Bookstore section's 'Software Requirements Engineering'
category for books on Software Requirements.) 
Care should be taken to involve ALL of a project's significant 'customers' in the
requirements process. 'Customers' could be in-house personnel or out, and could
include end-users, customer acceptance testers, customer contract officers,
customer management, future software maintenance engineers, salespeople, etc.
Anyone who could later derail the project if their expectations aren't met should be
included if possible. 
Organizations vary considerably in their handling of requirements specifications.
Ideally, the requirements are spelled out in a document with statements such as
'The product shall.....'. 'Design' specifications should not be confused with
'requirements'; design specifications should be traceable back to the requirements. 
In some organizations requirements may end up in high level project plans,
functional specification documents, in design documents, or in other documents at
various levels of detail. No matter what they are called, some type of documentation
with detailed requirements will be needed by testers in order to properly plan and
execute tests. Without such documentation, there will be no clear-cut way to
determine if a software application is performing correctly. 
'Agile' methods such as XP use methods requiring close interaction and cooperation
between programmers and customers/end-users to iteratively develop
requirements. The programmer uses 'Test first' development to first create
automated unit testing code, which essentially embodies the requirements.

What steps are needed to develop and run software tests?

The following are some of the steps to consider: 
• Obtain requirements, functional design, and internal design specifications and
other necessary documents 
• Obtain budget and schedule requirements 
• Determine project-related personnel and their responsibilities, reporting
requirements, required standards and processes (such as release processes, change
processes, etc.) 
• Identify application's higher-risk aspects, set priorities, and determine scope and
limitations of tests 
• Determine test approaches and methods - unit, integration, functional, system,
load, usability tests, etc. 
• Determine test environment requirements (hardware, software, communications,
etc.) 
• Determine testware requirements (record/playback tools, coverage analyzers, test
tracking, problem/bug tracking, etc.) 
• Determine test input data requirements 
• Identify tasks, those responsible for tasks, and labor requirements 
• Set schedule estimates, timelines, milestones 
• Determine input equivalence classes, boundary value analyses, error classes 
• Prepare test plan document and have needed reviews/approvals 
• Write test cases 
• Have needed reviews/inspections/approvals of test cases 
• Prepare test environment and testware, obtain needed user manuals/reference
documents/configuration guides/installation guides, set up test tracking
processes, set up logging and archiving processes, set up or obtain test input data 
• Obtain and install software releases 
• Perform tests 
• Evaluate and report results 
• Track problems/bugs and fixes 
• Retest as needed 
• Maintain and update test plans, test cases, test environment, and testware
through life cycle

What's a 'test plan'?

A software project test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope,
approach, and focus of a software testing effort. The process of preparing a test
plan is a useful way to think through the efforts needed to validate the acceptability
of a software product. The completed document will help people outside the test
group understand the 'why' and 'how' of product validation. It should be thorough
enough to be useful but not so thorough that no one outside the test group will
read it. The following are some of the items that might be included in a test plan,
depending on the particular project: 
• Title 
• Identification of software including version/release numbers 
• Revision history of document including authors, dates, approvals 
• Table of Contents 
• Purpose of document, intended audience 
• Objective of testing effort 
• Software product overview 
• Relevant related document list, such as requirements, design documents, other
test plans, etc. 
• Relevant standards or legal requirements 
• Traceability requirements 
• Relevant naming conventions and identifier conventions 
• Overall software project organization and personnel/contact-info/responsibilties 
• Test organization and personnel/contact-info/responsibilities 
• Assumptions and dependencies 
• Project risk analysis 
• Testing priorities and focus 
• Scope and limitations of testing 
• Test outline - a decomposition of the test approach by test type, feature,
functionality, process, system, module, etc. as applicable 
• Outline of data input equivalence classes, boundary value analysis, error classes 
• Test environment - hardware, operating systems, other required software, data
configurations, interfaces to other systems 
• Test environment validity analysis - differences between the test and production
systems and their impact on test validity. 
• Test environment setup and configuration issues 
• Software migration processes 
• Software CM processes 
• Test data setup requirements 
• Database setup requirements 
• Outline of system-logging/error-logging/other capabilities, and tools such as
screen capture software, that will be used to help describe and report bugs 
• Discussion of any specialized software or hardware tools that will be used by
testers to help track the cause or source of bugs 
• Test automation - justification and overview 
• Test tools to be used, including versions, patches, etc. 
• Test script/test code maintenance processes and version control 
• Problem tracking and resolution - tools and processes 
• Project test metrics to be used 
• Reporting requirements and testing deliverables 
• Software entrance and exit criteria 
• Initial sanity testing period and criteria 
• Test suspension and restart criteria 
• Personnel allocation 
• Personnel pre-training needs 
• Test site/location 
• Outside test organizations to be utilized and their purpose, responsibilties,
deliverables, contact persons, and coordination issues 
• Relevant proprietary, classified, security, and licensing issues. 
• Open issues 
• Appendix - glossary, acronyms, etc.

What's a 'test case'?

• A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and an

expected response, to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A
test case should contain particulars such as test case identifier, test case name,
objective, test conditions/setup, input data requirements, steps, and expected
results. 
• Note that the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the
requirements or design of an application, since it requires completely thinking
through the operation of the application. For this reason, it's useful to prepare test
cases early in the development cycle if possible.

What should be done after a bug is found? 

The bug needs to be communicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After
the problem is resolved, fixes should be re-tested, and determinations made
regarding requirements for regression testing to check that fixes didn't create
problems elsewhere. If a problem-tracking system is in place, it should encapsulate
these processes. A variety of commercial problem-tracking/management software
tools are available (see the 'Tools' section for web resources with listings of such
tools). The following are items to consider in the tracking process: 
• Complete information such that developers can understand the bug, get an idea
of it's severity, and reproduce it if necessary. 
• Bug identifier (number, ID, etc.) 
• Current bug status (e.g., 'Released for Retest', 'New', etc.) 
• The application name or identifier and version 
• The function, module, feature, object, screen, etc. where the bug occurred 
• Environment specifics, system, platform, relevant hardware specifics 
• Test case name/number/identifier 
• One-line bug description 
• Full bug description 
• Description of steps needed to reproduce the bug if not covered by a test case or if
the developer doesn't have easy access to the test case/test script/test tool 
• Names and/or descriptions of file/data/messages/etc. used in test 
• File excerpts/error messages/log file excerpts/screen shots/test tool logs that
would be helpful in finding the cause of the problem 
• Severity estimate (a 5-level range such as 1-5 or 'critical'-to-'low' is common) 
• Was the bug reproducible? 
• Tester name 
• Test date 
• Bug reporting date 
• Name of developer/group/organization the problem is assigned to 
• Description of problem cause 
• Description of fix 
• Code section/file/module/class/method that was fixed 
• Date of fix 
• Application version that contains the fix 
• Tester responsible for retest 
• Retest date 
• Retest results 
• Regression testing requirements 
• Tester responsible for regression tests 
• Regression testing results 
A reporting or tracking process should enable notification of appropriate personnel
at various stages. For instance, testers need to know when retesting is needed,
developers need to know when bugs are found and how to get the needed
information, and reporting/summary capabilities are needed for managers.

What is 'configuration management'?

Configuration management covers the processes used to control, coordinate, and
track: code, requirements, documentation, problems, change requests, designs,
tools/compilers/libraries/patches, changes made to them, and who makes the
changes. (See the 'Tools' section for web resources with listings of configuration
management tools. Also see the Bookstore section's 'Configuration Management'
category for useful books with more information.)

What if the software is so buggy it can't really be tested at all? 

The best bet in this situation is for the testers to go through the process of
reporting whatever bugs or blocking-type problems initially show up, with the focus
being on critical bugs. Since this type of problem can severely affect schedules, and
indicates deeper problems in the software development process (such as insufficient
unit testing or insufficient integration testing, poor design, improper build or
release procedures, etc.) managers should be notified, and provided with some
documentation as evidence of the problem.

How can it be known when to stop testing? 

This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so
complex, and run in such an interdependent environment, that complete testing
can never be done. Common factors in deciding when to stop are: 
• Deadlines (release deadlines, testing deadlines, etc.) 
• Test cases completed with certain percentage passed 
• Test budget depleted 
• Coverage of code/functionality/requirements reaches a specified point 
• Bug rate falls below a certain level 
• Beta or alpha testing period ends

What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing? 

Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused.
Since it's rarely possible to test every possible aspect of an application, every
possible combination of events, every dependency, or everything that could go
wrong, risk analysis is appropriate to most software development projects. This
requires judgement skills, common sense, and experience. (If warranted, formal
methods are also available.) Considerations can include: 
• Which functionality is most important to the project's intended purpose? 
• Which functionality is most visible to the user? 
• Which functionality has the largest safety impact? 
• Which functionality has the largest financial impact on users? 
• Which aspects of the application are most important to the customer? 
• Which aspects of the application can be tested early in the development cycle? 
• Which parts of the code are most complex, and thus most subject to errors? 
• Which parts of the application were developed in rush or panic mode? 
• Which aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems? 
• Which aspects of similar/related previous projects had large maintenance
expenses? 
• Which parts of the requirements and design are unclear or poorly thought out? 
• What do the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application? 
• What kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity? 
• What kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints? 
• What kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities? 
• Which tests will have the best high-risk-coverage to time-required ratio?

What if the project isn't big enough to justify extensive testing? 

Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if
extensive testing is still not justified, risk analysis is again needed and the same
considerations as described previously in 'What if there isn't enough time for
thorough testing?' apply. The tester might then do ad hoc testing, or write up a
limited test plan based on the risk analysis.

What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?

A common problem and a major headache. 
• Work with the project's stakeholders early on to understand how requirements
might change so that alternate test plans and strategies can be worked out in
advance, if possible. 
• It's helpful if the application's initial design allows for some adaptability so that
later changes do not require redoing the application from scratch. 
• If the code is well-commented and well-documented this makes changes easier for
the developers. 
• Use rapid prototyping whenever possible to help customers feel sure of their
requirements and minimize changes. 
• The project's initial schedule should allow for some extra time commensurate with
the possibility of changes. 
• Try to move new requirements to a 'Phase 2' version of an application, while using
the original requirements for the 'Phase 1' version. 
• Negotiate to allow only easily-implemented new requirements into the project,
while moving more difficult new requirements into future versions of the
application. 
• Be sure that customers and management understand the scheduling impacts,
inherent risks, and costs of significant requirements changes. Then let
management or the customers (not the developers or testers) decide if the changes
are warranted - after all, that's their job. 
• Balance the effort put into setting up automated testing with the expected effort
required to re-do them to deal with changes. 
• Try to design some flexibility into automated test scripts. 
• Focus initial automated testing on application aspects that are most likely to
remain unchanged. 
• Devote appropriate effort to risk analysis of changes to minimize regression
testing needs. 
• Design some flexibility into test cases (this is not easily done; the best bet might
be to minimize the detail in the test cases, or set up only higher-level generic-type
test plans) 
• Focus less on detailed test plans and test cases and more on ad hoc testing (with
an understanding of the added risk that this entails).

What if the application has functionality that wasn't in the requirements?

It may take serious effort to determine if an application has significant unexpected
or hidden functionality, and it would indicate deeper problems in the software
development process. If the functionality isn't necessary to the purpose of the
application, it should be removed, as it may have unknown impacts or
dependencies that were not taken into account by the designer or the customer. If
not removed, design information will be needed to determine added testing needs or
regression testing needs. Management should be made aware of any significant
added risks as a result of the unexpected functionality. If the functionality only
effects areas such as minor improvements in the user interface, for example, it may
not be a significant risk.

How can Software QA processes be implemented without stifling

productivity? 
By implementing QA processes slowly over time, using consensus to reach
agreement on processes, and adjusting and experimenting as an organization grows
and matures, productivity will be improved instead of stifled. Problem prevention
will lessen the need for problem detection, panics and burn-out will decrease, and
there will be improved focus and less wasted effort. At the same time, attempts
should be made to keep processes simple and efficient, minimize paperwork,
promote computer-based processes and automated tracking and reporting,
minimize time required in meetings, and promote training as part of the QA
process. However, no one - especially talented technical types - likes rules or
bureacracy, and in the short run things may slow down a bit. A typical scenario
would be that more days of planning and development will be needed, but less time
will be required for late-night bug-fixing and calming of irate customers.

What if an organization is growing so fast that fixed QA processes are

impossible? 
This is a common problem in the software industry, especially in new technology
areas. There is no easy solution in this situation, other than: 
• Hire good people 
• Management should 'ruthlessly prioritize' quality issues and maintain focus on
the customer 
• Everyone in the organization should be clear on what 'quality' means to the
customer

How does a client/server environment affect testing? 

Client/server applications can be quite complex due to the multiple dependencies
among clients, data communications, hardware, and servers. Thus testing
requirements can be extensive. When time is limited (as it usually is) the focus
should be on integration and system testing. Additionally, load/stress/performance
testing may be useful in determining client/server application limitations and
capabilities. There are commercial tools to assist with such testing. (See the 'Tools'
section for web resources with listings that include these kinds of test tools.)

How can World Wide Web sites be tested? 

Web sites are essentially client/server applications - with web servers and 'browser'
clients. Consideration should be given to the interactions between html pages,
TCP/IP communications, Internet connections, firewalls, applications that run in
web pages (such as applets, javascript, plug-in applications), and applications that
run on the server side (such as cgi scripts, database interfaces, logging
applications, dynamic page generators, asp, etc.). Additionally, there are a wide
variety of servers and browsers, various versions of each, small but sometimes
significant differences between them, variations in connection speeds, rapidly
changing technologies, and multiple standards and protocols. The end result is that
testing for web sites can become a major ongoing effort. Other considerations might
include: 
• What are the expected loads on the server (e.g., number of hits per unit time?),
and what kind of performance is required under such loads (such as web server
response time, database query response times). What kinds of tools will be needed
for performance testing (such as web load testing tools, other tools already in house
that can be adapted, web robot downloading tools, etc.)? 
• Who is the target audience? What kind of browsers will they be using? What kind
of connection speeds will they by using? Are they intra- organization (thus with
likely high connection speeds and similar browsers) or Internet-wide (thus with a
wide variety of connection speeds and browser types)? 
• What kind of performance is expected on the client side (e.g., how fast should
pages appear, how fast should animations, applets, etc. load and run)? 
• Will down time for server and content maintenance/upgrades be allowed? how
much? 
• What kinds of security (firewalls, encryptions, passwords, etc.) will be required
and what is it expected to do? How can it be tested? 
• How reliable are the site's Internet connections required to be? And how does that
affect backup system or redundant connection requirements and testing? 
• What processes will be required to manage updates to the web site's content, and
what are the requirements for maintaining, tracking, and controlling page content,
graphics, links, etc.? 
• Which HTML specification will be adhered to? How strictly? What variations will
be allowed for targeted browsers? 
• Will there be any standards or requirements for page appearance and/or graphics
throughout a site or parts of a site?? 
• How will internal and external links be validated and updated? how often? 
• Can testing be done on the production system, or will a separate test system be
required? How are browser caching, variations in browser option settings, dial-up
connection variabilities, and real-world internet 'traffic congestion' problems to be
accounted for in testing? 
• How extensive or customized are the server logging and reporting requirements;
are they considered an integral part of the system and do they require testing? 
• How are cgi programs, applets, javascripts, ActiveX components, etc. to be
maintained, tracked, controlled, and tested? 
Some sources of site security information include the Usenet newsgroup
'comp.security.announce' and links concerning web site security in the 'Other
Resources' section. 
Some usability guidelines to consider - these are subjective and may or may not
apply to a given situation (Note: more information on usability testing issues can be
found in articles about web site usability in the 'Other Resources' section): 
• Pages should be 3-5 screens max unless content is tightly focused on a single
topic. If larger, provide internal links within the page. 
• The page layouts and design elements should be consistent throughout a site, so
that it's clear to the user that they're still within a site. 
• Pages should be as browser-independent as possible, or pages should be provided
or generated based on the browser-type. 
• All pages should have links external to the page; there should be no dead-end
pages. 
• The page owner, revision date, and a link to a contact person or organization
should be included on each page. 
Many new web site test tools have appeared in the recent years and more than 280
of them are listed in the 'Web Test Tools' section.

How is testing affected by object-oriented designs?

Well-engineered object-oriented design can make it easier to trace from code to
internal design to functional design to requirements. While there will be little affect
on black box testing (where an understanding of the internal design of the
application is unnecessary), white-box testing can be oriented to the application's
objects. If the application was well-designed this can simplify test design.

What is Extreme Programming and what's it got to do with testing?

Extreme Programming (XP) is a software development approach for small teams on
risk-prone projects with unstable requirements. It was created by Kent Beck who
described the approach in his book 'Extreme Programming Explained' (See the
Softwareqatest.com Books page.). Testing ('extreme testing') is a core aspect of
Extreme Programming. Programmers are expected to write unit and functional test
code first - before the application is developed. Test code is under source control
along with the rest of the code. Customers are expected to be an integral part of the
project team and to help develope scenarios for acceptance/black box testing.
Acceptance tests are preferably automated, and are modified and rerun for each of
the frequent development iterations. QA and test personnel are also required to be
an integral part of the project team. Detailed requirements documentation is not
used, and frequent re-scheduling, re-estimating, and re-prioritizing is expected. For
more info see the XP-related listings in the Softwareqatest.com 'Other Resources'
section.

What is 'Software Quality Assurance'?

Software QA involves the entire software development PROCESS - monitoring and
improving the process, making sure that any agreed-upon standards and
procedures are followed, and ensuring that problems are found and dealt with. It is
oriented to 'prevention'. (See the Bookstore section's 'Software QA' category for a list
of useful books on Software Quality Assurance.)

What is 'Software Testing'?

Testing involves operation of a system or application under controlled conditions
and evaluating the results (eg, 'if the user is in interface A of the application while
using hardware B, and does C, then D should happen'). The controlled conditions
should include both normal and abnormal conditions. Testing should intentionally
attempt to make things go wrong to determine if things happen when they
shouldn't or things don't happen when they should. It is oriented to 'detection'. (See
the Bookstore section's 'Software Testing' category for a list of useful books on
Software Testing.) 
• Organizations vary considerably in how they assign responsibility for QA and
testing. Sometimes they're the combined responsibility of one group or individual.
Also common are project teams that include a mix of testers and developers who
work closely together, with overall QA processes monitored by project managers. It
will depend on what best fits an organization's size and business structure.

What are some recent major computer system failures caused by software
bugs? 
• A major U.S. retailer was reportedly hit with a large government fine in October of
2003 due to web site errors that enabled customers to view one anothers' online
orders. 
• News stories in the fall of 2003 stated that a manufacturing company recalled all
their transportation products in order to fix a software problem causing instability
in certain circumstances. The company found and reported the bug itself and
initiated the recall procedure in which a software upgrade fixed the problems. 
• In August of 2003 a U.S. court ruled that a lawsuit against a large online
brokerage company could proceed; the lawsuit reportedly involved claims that the
company was not fixing system problems that sometimes resulted in failed stock
trades, based on the experiences of 4 plaintiffs during an 8-month period. A
previous lower court's ruling that "...six miscues out of more than 400 trades does
not indicate negligence." was invalidated. 
• In April of 2003 it was announced that the largest student loan company in the
U.S. made a software error in calculating the monthly payments on 800,000 loans.
Although borrowers were to be notified of an increase in their required payments,
the company will still reportedly lose $8 million in interest. The error was
uncovered when borrowers began reporting inconsistencies in their bills. 
• News reports in February of 2003 revealed that the U.S. Treasury Department
mailed 50,000 Social Security checks without any beneficiary names. A
spokesperson indicated that the missing names were due to an error in a software
change. Replacement checks were subsequently mailed out with the problem
corrected, and recipients were then able to cash their Social Security checks. 
• In March of 2002 it was reported that software bugs in Britain's national tax
system resulted in more than 100,000 erroneous tax overcharges. The problem was
partly attibuted to the difficulty of testing the integration of multiple systems. 
• A newspaper columnist reported in July 2001 that a serious flaw was found in off-
the-shelf software that had long been used in systems for tracking certain U.S.
nuclear materials. The same software had been recently donated to another country
to be used in tracking their own nuclear materials, and it was not until scientists in
that country discovered the problem, and shared the information, that U.S. officials
became aware of the problems. 
• According to newspaper stories in mid-2001, a major systems development
contractor was fired and sued over problems with a large retirement plan
management system. According to the reports, the client claimed that system
deliveries were late, the software had excessive defects, and it caused other systems
to crash. 
• In January of 2001 newspapers reported that a major European railroad was hit
by the aftereffects of the Y2K bug. The company found that many of their newer
trains would not run due to their inability to recognize the date '31/12/2000'; the
trains were started by altering the control system's date settings. 
• News reports in September of 2000 told of a software vendor settling a lawsuit
with a large mortgage lender; the vendor had reportedly delivered an online
mortgage processing system that did not meet specifications, was delivered late,
and didn't work. 
• In early 2000, major problems were reported with a new computer system in a
large suburban U.S. public school district with 100,000+ students; problems
included 10,000 erroneous report cards and students left stranded by failed class
registration systems; the district's CIO was fired. The school district decided to
reinstate it's original 25-year old system for at least a year until the bugs were
worked out of the new system by the software vendors. 
• In October of 1999 the $125 million NASA Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft was
believed to be lost in space due to a simple data conversion error. It was determined
that spacecraft software used certain data in English units that should have been
in metric units. Among other tasks, the orbiter was to serve as a communications
relay for the Mars Polar Lander mission, which failed for unknown reasons in
December 1999. Several investigating panels were convened to determine the
process failures that allowed the error to go undetected. 
• Bugs in software supporting a large commercial high-speed data network affected
70,000 business customers over a period of 8 days in August of 1999. Among those
affected was the electronic trading system of the largest U.S. futures exchange,
which was shut down for most of a week as a result of the outages. 
• In April of 1999 a software bug caused the failure of a $1.2 billion U.S. military
satellite launch, the costliest unmanned accident in the history of Cape Canaveral
launches. The failure was the latest in a string of launch failures, triggering a
complete military and industry review of U.S. space launch programs, including
software integration and testing processes. Congressional oversight hearings were
requested. 
• A small town in Illinois in the U.S. received an unusually large monthly electric
bill of $7 million in March of 1999. This was about 700 times larger than its normal
bill. It turned out to be due to bugs in new software that had been purchased by
the local power company to deal with Y2K software issues. 
• In early 1999 a major computer game company recalled all copies of a popular
new product due to software problems. The company made a public apology for
releasing a product before it was ready.

Why is it often hard for management to get serious about quality

assurance?
Solving problems is a high-visibility process; preventing problems is low-visibility.
This is illustrated by an old parable:
In ancient China there was a family of healers, one of whom was known throughout
the land and employed as a physician to a great lord. The physician was asked
which of his family was the most skillful healer. He replied,
"I tend to the sick and dying with drastic and dramatic treatments, and on occasion
someone is cured and my name gets out among the lords."
"My elder brother cures sickness when it just begins to take root, and his skills are
known among the local peasants and neighbors."
"My eldest brother is able to sense the spirit of sickness and eradicate it before it
takes form. His name is unknown outside our home."

Why does software have bugs?

• miscommunication or no communication - as to specifics of what an application
should or shouldn't do (the application's requirements). 
• software complexity - the complexity of current software applications can be
difficult to comprehend for anyone without experience in modern-day software
development. Windows-type interfaces, client-server and distributed applications,
data communications, enormous relational databases, and sheer size of
applications have all contributed to the exponential growth in software/system
complexity. And the use of object-oriented techniques can complicate instead of
simplify a project unless it is well-engineered. 
• programming errors - programmers, like anyone else, can make mistakes. 
• changing requirements (whether documented or undocumented) - the customer
may not understand the effects of changes, or may understand and request them
anyway - redesign, rescheduling of engineers, effects on other projects, work
already completed that may have to be redone or thrown out, hardware
requirements that may be affected, etc. If there are many minor changes or any
major changes, known and unknown dependencies among parts of the project are
likely to interact and cause problems, and the complexity of coordinating changes
may result in errors. Enthusiasm of engineering staff may be affected. In some fast-
changing business environments, continuously modified requirements may be a
fact of life. In this case, management must understand the resulting risks, and QA
and test engineers must adapt and plan for continuous extensive testing to keep
the inevitable bugs from running out of control - see 'What can be done if
requirements are changing continuously?' in Part 2 of the FAQ. 
• time pressures - scheduling of software projects is difficult at best, often requiring
a lot of guesswork. When deadlines loom and the crunch comes, mistakes will be
made. 
• egos - people prefer to say things like: 
'no problem' 
'piece of cake'
'I can whip that out in a few hours'
'it should be easy to update that old code'
instead of:
'that adds a lot of complexity and we could end up
making a lot of mistakes'
'we have no idea if we can do that; we'll wing it'
'I can't estimate how long it will take, until I
take a close look at it'
'we can't figure out what that old spaghetti code
did in the first place'

If there are too many unrealistic 'no problem's', the result is bugs.

• poorly documented code - it's tough to maintain and modify code that is badly
written or poorly documented; the result is bugs. In many organizations
management provides no incentive for programmers to document their code or
write clear, understandable, maintainable code. In fact, it's usually the opposite:
they get points mostly for quickly turning out code, and there's job security if
nobody else can understand it ('if it was hard to write, it should be hard to read'). 
• software development tools - visual tools, class libraries, compilers, scripting
tools, etc. often introduce their own bugs or are poorly documented, resulting in
added bugs.

How can new Software QA processes be introduced in an existing

organization? 
• A lot depends on the size of the organization and the risks involved. For large
organizations with high-risk (in terms of lives or property) projects, serious
management buy-in is required and a formalized QA process is necessary. 
• Where the risk is lower, management and organizational buy-in and QA
implementation may be a slower, step-at-a-time process. QA processes should be
balanced with productivity so as to keep bureaucracy from getting out of hand. 
• For small groups or projects, a more ad-hoc process may be appropriate,
depending on the type of customers and projects. A lot will depend on team leads or
managers, feedback to developers, and ensuring adequate communications among
customers, managers, developers, and testers. 
• The most value for effort will be in (a) requirements management processes, with a
goal of clear, complete, testable requirement specifications embodied in
requirements or design documentation and (b) design inspections and code
inspections.

What is verification? validation?

Verification typically involves reviews and meetings to evaluate documents, plans,
code, requirements, and specifications. This can be done with checklists, issues
lists, walkthroughs, and inspection meetings. Validation typically involves actual
testing and takes place after verifications are completed. The term 'IV & V' refers to
Independent Verification and Validation.

What is a 'walkthrough'?
A 'walkthrough' is an informal meeting for evaluation or informational purposes.
Little or no preparation is usually required.

What's an 'inspection'?
An inspection is more formalized than a 'walkthrough', typically with 3-8 people
including a moderator, reader, and a recorder to take notes. The subject of the
inspection is typically a document such as a requirements spec or a test plan, and
the purpose is to find problems and see what's missing, not to fix anything.
Attendees should prepare for this type of meeting by reading thru the document;
most problems will be found during this preparation. The result of the inspection
meeting should be a written report. Thorough preparation for inspections is
difficult, painstaking work, but is one of the most cost effective methods of ensuring
quality. Employees who are most skilled at inspections are like the 'eldest brother'
in the parable in 'Why is it often hard for management to get serious about quality
assurance?'. Their skill may have low visibility but they are extremely valuable to
any software development organization, since bug prevention is far more cost-
effective than bug detection.

What kinds of testing should be considered?

• Black box testing - not based on any knowledge of internal design or code. Tests
are based on requirements and functionality. 
• White box testing - based on knowledge of the internal logic of an application's
code. Tests are based on coverage of code statements, branches, paths, conditions. 
• unit testing - the most 'micro' scale of testing; to test particular functions or code
modules. Typically done by the programmer and not by testers, as it requires
detailed knowledge of the internal program design and code. Not always easily done
unless the application has a well-designed architecture with tight code; may require
developing test driver modules or test harnesses. 
• incremental integration testing - continuous testing of an application as new
functionality is added; requires that various aspects of an application's
functionality be independent enough to work separately before all parts of the
program are completed, or that test drivers be developed as needed; done by
programmers or by testers. 
• integration testing - testing of combined parts of an application to determine if
they function together correctly. The 'parts' can be code modules, individual
applications, client and server applications on a network, etc. This type of testing is
especially relevant to client/server and distributed systems. 
• functional testing - black-box type testing geared to functional requirements of an
application; this type of testing should be done by testers. This doesn't mean that
the programmers shouldn't check that their code works before releasing it (which of
course applies to any stage of testing.) 
• system testing - black-box type testing that is based on overall requirements
specifications; covers all combined parts of a system. 
• end-to-end testing - similar to system testing; the 'macro' end of the test scale;
involves testing of a complete application environment in a situation that mimics
real-world use, such as interacting with a database, using network
communications, or interacting with other hardware, applications, or systems if
appropriate. 
• sanity testing or smoke testing - typically an initial testing effort to determine if a
new software version is performing well enough to accept it for a major testing
effort. For example, if the new software is crashing systems every 5 minutes,
bogging down systems to a crawl, or corrupting databases, the software may not be
in a 'sane' enough condition to warrant further testing in its current state. 
• regression testing - re-testing after fixes or modifications of the software or its
environment. It can be difficult to determine how much re-testing is needed,
especially near the end of the development cycle. Automated testing tools can be
especially useful for this type of testing. 
• acceptance testing - final testing based on specifications of the end-user or
customer, or based on use by end-users/customers over some limited period of
time. 
• load testing - testing an application under heavy loads, such as testing of a web
site under a range of loads to determine at what point the system's response time
degrades or fails. 
• stress testing - term often used interchangeably with 'load' and 'performance'
testing. Also used to describe such tests as system functional testing while under
unusually heavy loads, heavy repetition of certain actions or inputs, input of large
numerical values, large complex queries to a database system, etc. 
• performance testing - term often used interchangeably with 'stress' and 'load'
testing. Ideally 'performance' testing (and any other 'type' of testing) is defined in
requirements documentation or QA or Test Plans. 
• usability testing - testing for 'user-friendliness'. Clearly this is subjective, and will
depend on the targeted end-user or customer. User interviews, surveys, video
recording of user sessions, and other techniques can be used. Programmers and
testers are usually not appropriate as usability testers. 
• install/uninstall testing - testing of full, partial, or upgrade install/uninstall
processes. 
• recovery testing - testing how well a system recovers from crashes, hardware
failures, or other catastrophic problems. 
• security testing - testing how well the system protects against unauthorized
internal or external access, willful damage, etc; may require sophisticated testing
techniques. 
• compatability testing - testing how well software performs in a particular
hardware/software/operating system/network/etc. environment. 
• exploratory testing - often taken to mean a creative, informal software test that is
not based on formal test plans or test cases; testers may be learning the software as
they test it. 
• ad-hoc testing - similar to exploratory testing, but often taken to mean that the
testers have significant understanding of the software before testing it. 
• user acceptance testing - determining if software is satisfactory to an end-user or
customer. 
• comparison testing - comparing software weaknesses and strengths to competing
products. 
• alpha testing - testing of an application when development is nearing completion;
minor design changes may still be made as a result of such testing. Typically done
by end-users or others, not by programmers or testers. 
• beta testing - testing when development and testing are essentially completed and
final bugs and problems need to be found before final release. Typically done by
end-users or others, not by programmers or testers. 
• mutation testing - a method for determining if a set of test data or test cases is
useful, by deliberately introducing various code changes ('bugs') and retesting with
the original test data/cases to determine if the 'bugs' are detected. Proper
implementation requires large computational resources.

What are 5 common problems in the software development process? 

• poor requirements - if requirements are unclear, incomplete, too general, or not
testable, there will be problems. 
• unrealistic schedule - if too much work is crammed in too little time, problems are
inevitable. 
• inadequate testing - no one will know whether or not the program is any good
until the customer complains or systems crash. 
• featuritis - requests to pile on new features after development is underway;
extremely common. 
• miscommunication - if developers don't know what's needed or customer's have
erroneous expectations, problems are guaranteed.

What are 5 common solutions to software development problems? 

• solid requirements - clear, complete, detailed, cohesive, attainable, testable
requirements that are agreed to by all players. Use prototypes to help nail down
requirements. 
• realistic schedules - allow adequate time for planning, design, testing, bug fixing,
re-testing, changes, and documentation; personnel should be able to complete the
project without burning out. 
• adequate testing - start testing early on, re-test after fixes or changes, plan for
adequate time for testing and bug-fixing. 
• stick to initial requirements as much as possible - be prepared to defend against
changes and additions once development has begun, and be prepared to explain
consequences. If changes are necessary, they should be adequately reflected in
related schedule changes. If possible, use rapid prototyping during the design
phase so that customers can see what to expect. This will provide them a higher
comfort level with their requirements decisions and minimize changes later on. 
• communication - require walkthroughs and inspections when appropriate; make
extensive use of group communication tools - e-mail, groupware, networked bug-
tracking tools and change management tools, intranet capabilities, etc.; insure that
documentation is available and up-to-date - preferably electronic, not paper;
promote teamwork and cooperation; use protoypes early on so that customers'
expectations are clarified.

What is software 'quality'?

Quality software is reasonably bug-free, delivered on time and within budget, meets
requirements and/or expectations, and is maintainable. However, quality is
obviously a subjective term. It will depend on who the 'customer' is and their overall
influence in the scheme of things. A wide-angle view of the 'customers' of a software
development project might include end-users, customer acceptance testers,
customer contract officers, customer management, the development organization's
management/accountants/testers/salespeople, future software maintenance
engineers, stockholders, magazine columnists, etc. Each type of 'customer' will
have their own slant on 'quality' - the accounting department might define quality
in terms of profits while an end-user might define quality as user-friendly and bug-
free.

What is 'good code'?

'Good code' is code that works, is bug free, and is readable and maintainable. Some
organizations have coding 'standards' that all developers are supposed to adhere to,
but everyone has different ideas about what's best, or what is too many or too few
rules. There are also various theories and metrics, such as McCabe Complexity
metrics. It should be kept in mind that excessive use of standards and rules can
stifle productivity and creativity. 'Peer reviews', 'buddy checks' code analysis tools,
etc. can be used to check for problems and enforce standards. 

For C and C++ coding, here are some typical ideas to consider in setting
rules/standards; these may or may not apply to a particular situation: 
• minimize or eliminate use of global variables. 
• use descriptive function and method names - use both upper and lower case,
avoid abbreviations, use as many characters as necessary to be adequately
descriptive (use of more than 20 characters is not out of line); be consistent in
naming conventions. 
• use descriptive variable names - use both upper and lower case, avoid
abbreviations, use as many characters as necessary to be adequately descriptive
(use of more than 20 characters is not out of line); be consistent in naming
conventions. 
• function and method sizes should be minimized; less than 100 lines of code is
good, less than 50 lines is preferable. 
• function descriptions should be clearly spelled out in comments preceding a
function's code. 
• organize code for readability. 
• use whitespace generously - vertically and horizontally 
• each line of code should contain 70 characters max. 
• one code statement per line. 
• coding style should be consistent throught a program (eg, use of brackets,
indentations, naming conventions, etc.) 
• in adding comments, err on the side of too many rather than too few comments; a
common rule of thumb is that there should be at least as many lines of comments
(including header blocks) as lines of code. 
• no matter how small, an application should include documentaion of the overall
program function and flow (even a few paragraphs is better than nothing); or if
possible a separate flow chart and detailed program documentation. 
• make extensive use of error handling procedures and status and error logging. 
• for C++, to minimize complexity and increase maintainability, avoid too many
levels of inheritance in class heirarchies (relative to the size and complexity of the
application). Minimize use of multiple inheritance, and minimize use of operator
overloading (note that the Java programming language eliminates multiple
inheritance and operator overloading.) 
• for C++, keep class methods small, less than 50 lines of code per method is
preferable. 
• for C++, make liberal use of exception handlers

What is 'good design'? 

'Design' could refer to many things, but often refers to 'functional design' or
'internal design'. Good internal design is indicated by software code whose overall
structure is clear, understandable, easily modifiable, and maintainable; is robust
with sufficient error-handling and status logging capability; and works correctly
when implemented. Good functional design is indicated by an application whose
functionality can be traced back to customer and end-user requirements. (See
further discussion of functional and internal design in 'What's the big deal about
requirements?' in FAQ #2.) For programs that have a user interface, it's often a
good idea to assume that the end user will have little computer knowledge and may
not read a user manual or even the on-line help; some common rules-of-thumb
include: 
• the program should act in a way that least surprises the user 
• it should always be evident to the user what can be done next and how to exit 
• the program shouldn't let the users do something stupid without warning them.

What is SEI? CMM? ISO? IEEE? ANSI? Will it help? 

• SEI = 'Software Engineering Institute' at Carnegie-Mellon University; initiated by
the U.S. Defense Department to help improve software development processes. 
• CMM = 'Capability Maturity Model', developed by the SEI. It's a model of 5 levels
of organizational 'maturity' that determine effectiveness in delivering quality
software. It is geared to large organizations such as large U.S. Defense Department
contractors. However, many of the QA processes involved are appropriate to any
organization, and if reasonably applied can be helpful. Organizations can receive
CMM ratings by undergoing assessments by qualified auditors. 

Level 1 - characterized by chaos, periodic panics, and heroic efforts required by

individuals to successfully complete projects. Few if any processes in place;
successes may not be repeatable.

Level 2 - software project tracking, requirements management, realistic planning,

and configuration management processes are in place; successful practices can be
repeated.

Level 3 - standard software development and maintenance processes are integrated

throughout an organization; a Software Engineering Process Group is is in place to
oversee software processes, and training programs are used to ensure
understanding and compliance.

Level 4 - metrics are used to track productivity, processes, and products. Project
performance is predictable, and quality is consistently high.

Level 5 - the focus is on continouous process improvement. The impact of new

processes and technologies can be predicted and effectively implemented when
required.

Perspective on CMM ratings: During 1997-2001, 1018 organizations were assessed.

Of those, 27% were rated at Level 1, 39% at 2, 23% at 3, 6% at 4, and 5% at 5. (For
ratings during the period 1992-96, 62% were at Level 1, 23% at 2, 13% at 3, 2% at
4, and 
0.4% at 5.) The median size of organizations was 100 software
engineering/maintenance personnel; 32% of organizations were U.S. federal
contractors or agencies. For those rated at 
Level 1, the most problematical key process area was in Software Quality
Assurance.

• ISO = 'International Organisation for Standardization' - The ISO 9001:2000

standard (which replaces the previous standard of 1994) concerns quality systems
that are assessed by outside auditors, and it applies to many kinds of production
and manufacturing organizations, not just software. It covers documentation,
design, development, production, testing, installation, servicing, and other
processes. The full set of standards consists of: (a)Q9001-2000 - Quality
Management Systems: Requirements; (b)Q9000-2000 - Quality Management
Systems: Fundamentals and Vocabulary; (c)Q9004-2000 - Quality Management
Systems: Guidelines for Performance Improvements. To be ISO 9001 certified, a
third-party auditor assesses an organization, and certification is typically good for
about 3 years, after which a complete reassessment is required. Note that ISO
certification does not necessarily indicate quality products - it indicates only that
documented processes are followed. Also see http://www.iso.ch/ for the latest
information. In the U.S. the standards can be purchased via the ASQ web site at
http://e-standards.asq.org/ 

• IEEE = 'Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' - among other things,

creates standards such as 'IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation'
(IEEE/ANSI Standard 829), 'IEEE Standard of Software Unit Testing (IEEE/ANSI
Standard 1008), 'IEEE Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans' (IEEE/ANSI
Standard 730), and others. 

• ANSI = 'American National Standards Institute', the primary industrial standards

body in the U.S.; publishes some software-related standards in conjunction with
the IEEE and ASQ (American Society for Quality). 

• Other software development process assessment methods besides CMM and ISO
9000 include SPICE, Trillium, TickIT. and Bootstrap.

What is the 'software life cycle'?

The life cycle begins when an application is first conceived and ends when it is no
longer in use. It includes aspects such as initial concept, requirements analysis,
functional design, internal design, documentation planning, test planning, coding,
document preparation, integration, testing, maintenance, updates, retesting,
phase-out, and other aspects.

Will automated testing tools make testing easier? 

• Possibly. For small projects, the time needed to learn and implement them may
not be worth it. For larger projects, or on-going long-term projects they can be
valuable. 
• A common type of automated tool is the 'record/playback' type. For example, a
tester could click through all combinations of menu choices, dialog box choices,
buttons, etc. in an application GUI and have them 'recorded' and the results logged
by a tool. The 'recording' is typically in the form of text based on a scripting
language that is interpretable by the testing tool. If new buttons are added, or some
underlying code in the application is changed, etc. the application might then be
retested by just 'playing back' the 'recorded' actions, and comparing the logging
results to check effects of the changes. The problem with such tools is that if there
are continual changes to the system being tested, the 'recordings' may have to be
changed so much that it becomes very time-consuming to continuously update the
scripts. Additionally, interpretation and analysis of results (screens, data, logs, etc.)
can be a difficult task. Note that there are record/playback tools for text-based
interfaces also, and for all types of platforms. 
• Other automated tools can include: 
code analyzers - monitor code complexity, adherence to standards, etc. 
coverage analyzers - these tools check which parts of the code have been exercised
by a test, and may be oriented to code statement coverage, condition coverage, path
coverage, etc. 
memory analyzers - such as bounds-checkers and leak detectors.
load/performance test tools - for testing client/server and web applications under
various load 
levels.
web test tools - to check that links are valid, HTML code usage is correct, client-
side and server-side programs work, a web site's interactions are secure. 

other tools - for test case management, documentation management, bug reporting,
and configuration management.

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answers-2/
What makes a good test engineer?
A good test engineer has a ‘test to break’ attitude, an ability to take the point of view of the
customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are useful
in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers, and an ability to communicate with
both technical (developers) and non-technical (customers, management) people is useful.
Previous software development experience can be helpful as it provides a deeper
understanding of the software development process, gives the tester an appreciation for the
developers’ point of view, and reduce the learning curve in automated test tool programming.
Judgment skills are needed to assess high-risk areas of an application on which to focus
testing efforts when time is limited.

What makes a good Software QA engineer? 

The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they must be
able to understand the entire software development process and how it can fit into the
business approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to
understand various sides of issues are important. In organizations in the early stages of
implementing QA processes, patience and diplomacy are especially needed. An ability to find
problems as well as to see ‘what’s missing’ is important for inspections and reviews.
 

What makes a good QA or Test manager?

A good QA, test, or QA/Test(combined) manager should:
• be familiar with the software development process
• be able to maintain enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere, despite
• what is a somewhat ‘negative’ process (e.g., looking for or preventing problems)
• be able to promote teamwork to increase productivity
• be able to promote cooperation between software, test, and QA engineers
• have the diplomatic skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes
• have the ability to withstand pressures and say ‘no’ to other managers when quality is
insufficient or QA processes are not being adhered to
• have people judgement skills for hiring and keeping skilled personnel
• be able to communicate with technical and non-technical people, engineers, managers, and
customers.
• be able to run meetings and keep them focused
 

What’s the role of documentation in QA? 

Critical. (Note that documentation can be electronic, not necessarily paper.) QA practices
should be documented such that they are repeatable. Specifications, designs, business rules,
inspection reports, configurations, code changes, test plans, test cases, bug reports, user
manuals, etc. should all be documented. There should ideally be a system for easily finding
and obtaining documents and determining what documentation will have a particular piece of
information. Change management for documentation should be used if possible.
 

What’s the big deal about ‘requirements’?

 

One of the most reliable methods of insuring problems, or failure, in a complex software
project is to have poorly documented requirements specifications. Requirements are the
details describing an application’s externally-perceived functionality and properties.
Requirements should be clear, complete, reasonably detailed, cohesive, attainable, and
testable. A non-testable requirement would be, for example, ‘user-friendly’ (too subjective). A
testable requirement would be something like ‘the user must enter their previously-assigned
password to access the application’. Determining and organizing requirements details in a
useful and efficient way can be a difficult effort; different methods are available depending on
the particular project. Many books are available that describe various approaches to this task.
(See the Bookstore section’s ‘Software Requirements Engineering’ category for books on
Software Requirements.)
Care should be taken to involve ALL of a project’s significant ‘customers’ in the requirements
process. ‘Customers’ could be in-house personnel or out, and could include end-users,
customer acceptance testers, customer contract officers, customer management, future
software maintenance engineers, salespeople, etc. Anyone who could later derail the project if
their expectations aren’t met should be included if possible.
Organizations vary considerably in their handling of requirements specifications. Ideally, the
requirements are spelled out in a document with statements such as ‘The product shall…..’.
‘Design’ specifications should not be confused with ‘requirements’; design specifications should
be traceable back to the requirements.
In some organizations requirements may end up in high level project plans, functional
specification documents, in design documents, or in other documents at various levels of
detail. No matter what they are called, some type of documentation with detailed
requirements will be needed by testers in order to properly plan and execute tests. Without
such documentation, there will be no clear-cut way to determine if a software application is
performing correctly.
‘Agile’ methods such as XP use methods requiring close interaction and cooperation between
programmers and customers/end-users to iteratively develop requirements. The programmer
uses ‘Test first’ development to first create automated unit testing code, which essentially
embodies the requirements.
 

What steps are needed to develop and run software tests?

The following are some of the steps to consider:
• Obtain requirements, functional design, and internal design specifications and other
necessary documents
• Obtain budget and schedule requirements
• Determine project-related personnel and their responsibilities, reporting requirements,
required standards and processes (such as release processes, change processes, etc.)
• Identify application’s higher-risk aspects, set priorities, and determine scope and limitations
of tests
• Determine test approaches and methods – unit, integration, functional, system, load,
usability tests, etc.
• Determine test environment requirements (hardware, software, communications, etc.)
• Determine testware requirements (record/playback tools, coverage analyzers, test tracking,
problem/bug tracking, etc.)
• Determine test input data requirements
• Identify tasks, those responsible for tasks, and labor requirements
• Set schedule estimates, timelines, milestones
• Determine input equivalence classes, boundary value analyses, error classes
• Prepare test plan document and have needed reviews/approvals
• Write test cases
• Have needed reviews/inspections/approvals of test cases
• Prepare test environment and testware, obtain needed user manuals/reference
documents/configuration guides/installation guides, set up test tracking processes, set up
logging and archiving processes, set up or obtain test input data
• Obtain and install software releases
• Perform tests
• Evaluate and report results
• Track problems/bugs and fixes
• Retest as needed
• Maintain and update test plans, test cases, test environment, and testware through life cycle
 

What’s a ‘test plan’?

A software project test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope, approach, and
focus of a software testing effort. The process of preparing a test plan is a useful way to think
through the efforts needed to validate the acceptability of a software product. The completed
document will help people outside the test group understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of product
validation. It should be thorough enough to be useful but not so thorough that no one outside
the test group will read it. The following are some of the items that might be included in a test
plan, depending on the particular project:
• Title
• Identification of software including version/release numbers
• Revision history of document including authors, dates, approvals
• Table of Contents
• Purpose of document, intended audience
• Objective of testing effort
• Software product overview
• Relevant related document list, such as requirements, design documents, other test plans,
etc.
• Relevant standards or legal requirements
• Traceability requirements
• Relevant naming conventions and identifier conventions
• Overall software project organization and personnel/contact-info/responsibilties
• Test organization and personnel/contact-info/responsibilities
• Assumptions and dependencies
• Project risk analysis
• Testing priorities and focus
• Scope and limitations of testing
• Test outline – a decomposition of the test approach by test type, feature, functionality,
process, system, module, etc. as applicable
• Outline of data input equivalence classes, boundary value analysis, error classes
• Test environment – hardware, operating systems, other required software, data
configurations, interfaces to other systems
• Test environment validity analysis – differences between the test and production systems
and their impact on test validity.
• Test environment setup and configuration issues
• Software migration processes
• Software CM processes
• Test data setup requirements
• Database setup requirements
• Outline of system-logging/error-logging/other capabilities, and tools such as screen capture
software, that will be used to help describe and report bugs
• Discussion of any specialized software or hardware tools that will be used by testers to help
track the cause or source of bugs
• Test automation – justification and overview
• Test tools to be used, including versions, patches, etc.
• Test script/test code maintenance processes and version control
• Problem tracking and resolution – tools and processes
• Project test metrics to be used
• Reporting requirements and testing deliverables
• Software entrance and exit criteria
• Initial sanity testing period and criteria
• Test suspension and restart criteria
• Personnel allocation
• Personnel pre-training needs
• Test site/location
• Outside test organizations to be utilized and their purpose, responsibilties, deliverables,
contact persons, and coordination issues
• Relevant proprietary, classified, security, and licensing issues.
• Open issues
• Appendix – glossary, acronyms, etc.
 

What’s a ‘test case’?

 
• A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and an expected
response, to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A test case should
contain particulars such as test case identifier, test case name, objective, test
conditions/setup, input data requirements, steps, and expected results.
• Note that the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the requirements or
design of an application, since it requires completely thinking through the operation of the
application. For this reason, it’s useful to prepare test cases early in the development cycle if
possible.
 

What should be done after a bug is found? 

The bug needs to be communicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After the
problem is resolved, fixes should be re-tested, and determinations made regarding
requirements for regression testing to check that fixes didn’t create problems elsewhere. If a
problem-tracking system is in place, it should encapsulate these processes. A variety of
commercial problem-tracking/management software tools are available (see the ‘Tools’ section
for web resources with listings of such tools). The following are items to consider in the
tracking process:
• Complete information such that developers can understand the bug, get an idea of it’s
severity, and reproduce it if necessary.
• Bug identifier (number, ID, etc.)
• Current bug status (e.g., ‘Released for Retest’, ‘New’, etc.)
• The application name or identifier and version
• The function, module, feature, object, screen, etc. where the bug occurred
• Environment specifics, system, platform, relevant hardware specifics
• Test case name/number/identifier
• One-line bug description
• Full bug description
• Description of steps needed to reproduce the bug if not covered by a test case or if the
developer doesn’t have easy access to the test case/test script/test tool
• Names and/or descriptions of file/data/messages/etc. used in test
• File excerpts/error messages/log file excerpts/screen shots/test tool logs that would be
helpful in finding the cause of the problem
• Severity estimate (a 5-level range such as 1-5 or ‘critical’-to-’low’ is common)
• Was the bug reproducible?
• Tester name
• Test date
• Bug reporting date
• Name of developer/group/organization the problem is assigned to
• Description of problem cause
• Description of fix
• Code section/file/module/class/method that was fixed
• Date of fix
• Application version that contains the fix
• Tester responsible for retest
• Retest date
• Retest results
• Regression testing requirements
• Tester responsible for regression tests
• Regression testing results
A reporting or tracking process should enable notification of appropriate personnel at various
stages. For instance, testers need to know when retesting is needed, developers need to know
when bugs are found and how to get the needed information, and reporting/summary
capabilities are needed for managers.
 

What is ‘configuration management’?

Configuration management covers the processes used to control, coordinate, and track: code,
requirements, documentation, problems, change requests, designs,
tools/compilers/libraries/patches, changes made to them, and who makes the changes. (See
the ‘Tools’ section for web resources with listings of configuration management tools. Also see
the Bookstore section’s ‘Configuration Management’ category for useful books with more
information.)
 

What if the software is so buggy it can’t really be tested at all? 

The best bet in this situation is for the testers to go through the process of reporting whatever
bugs or blocking-type problems initially show up, with the focus being on critical bugs. Since
this type of problem can severely affect schedules, and indicates deeper problems in the
software development process (such as insufficient unit testing or insufficient integration
testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, etc.) managers should be notified,
and provided with some documentation as evidence of the problem.
 

How can it be known when to stop testing? 

This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so complex, and run
in such an interdependent environment, that complete testing can never be done. Common
factors in deciding when to stop are:
• Deadlines (release deadlines, testing deadlines, etc.)
• Test cases completed with certain percentage passed
• Test budget depleted
• Coverage of code/functionality/requirements reaches a specified point
• Bug rate falls below a certain level
• Beta or alpha testing period ends
 

What if there isn’t enough time for thorough testing?

Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused.
Since it’s rarely possible to test every possible aspect of an application, every possible
combination of events, every dependency, or everything that could go wrong, risk analysis is
appropriate to most software development projects. This requires judgement skills, common
sense, and experience. (If warranted, formal methods are also available.) Considerations can
include:
• Which functionality is most important to the project’s intended purpose?
• Which functionality is most visible to the user?
• Which functionality has the largest safety impact?
• Which functionality has the largest financial impact on users?
• Which aspects of the application are most important to the customer?
• Which aspects of the application can be tested early in the development cycle?
• Which parts of the code are most complex, and thus most subject to errors?
• Which parts of the application were developed in rush or panic mode?
• Which aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems?
• Which aspects of similar/related previous projects had large maintenance expenses?
• Which parts of the requirements and design are unclear or poorly thought out?
• What do the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application?
• What kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity?
• What kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints?
• What kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities?
• Which tests will have the best high-risk-coverage to time-required ratio?
 

What if the project isn’t big enough to justify extensive testing? 

Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if extensive testing
is still not justified, risk analysis is again needed and the same considerations as described
previously in ‘What if there isn’t enough time for thorough testing?’ apply. The tester might
then do ad hoc testing, or write up a limited test plan based on the risk analysis.
 

What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?

A common problem and a major headache.
• Work with the project’s stakeholders early on to understand how requirements might change
so that alternate test plans and strategies can be worked out in advance, if possible.
• It’s helpful if the application’s initial design allows for some adaptability so that later changes
do not require redoing the application from scratch.
• If the code is well-commented and well-documented this makes changes easier for the
developers.
• Use rapid prototyping whenever possible to help customers feel sure of their requirements
and minimize changes.
• The project’s initial schedule should allow for some extra time commensurate with the
possibility of changes.
• Try to move new requirements to a ‘Phase 2′ version of an application, while using the
original requirements for the ‘Phase 1′ version.
• Negotiate to allow only easily-implemented new requirements into the project, while moving
more difficult new requirements into future versions of the application.
• Be sure that customers and management understand the scheduling impacts, inherent risks,
and costs of significant requirements changes. Then let management or the customers (not
the developers or testers) decide if the changes are warranted – after all, that’s their job.
• Balance the effort put into setting up automated testing with the expected effort required to
re-do them to deal with changes.
• Try to design some flexibility into automated test scripts.
• Focus initial automated testing on application aspects that are most likely to remain
unchanged.
• Devote appropriate effort to risk analysis of changes to minimize regression testing needs.
• Design some flexibility into test cases (this is not easily done; the best bet might be to
minimize the detail in the test cases, or set up only higher-level generic-type test plans)
• Focus less on detailed test plans and test cases and more on ad hoc testing (with an
understanding of the added risk that this entails).

http://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/some-interesting-software-testing-interview-
questions/
1. In an application currently in production, one module of code is being
modified. Is it necessary to re-test the whole application or is it enough to
just test functionality associated with that module?
Vijay: Well, the answer is both. You will have to test the functionality of that module
as well as the other modules. But you can differentiate on the stress to be given on
the module to be tested.
I think this scenario will explain the answer to your question well.

If Module A is modified, Module B is depending on module A, and Module C is a

general module independent of module A.
So in this case you will test the module A in depth to all test cases. Then your next
stress will be on module B. Wait now what about module C? You will have to test this
module as well but may be with less stress because module C is not depend on
module A but may be depend on module B.
Again if you are a white box tester you probably know which modules will get
affected and which modules should be tested. But as a black box tester you will need
to do regression testing as well.

2. What is the most challenging situation you had during testing?

Vijay: A good question! When I switched my job some years back I was being asked
the same question.
Well a good answer to this question is depends on each ones experience. If you
came across any such a situation and found any interesting Bug that was difficult to
find out or analyzed any project risk accurately before occurring then this could be
the answer to this question.
Keep in mind that when answering such a question, be realistic and don’t overstress
the situation.

3. What are you going to do if there is no Functional Spec or any documents

related to the system and developer who wrote the code does not work in
the company anymore, but you have system and need to test?
Vijay: A typical situation in Indian companies! Right? Due to high attrition rate   
In this case fist you will need to do the exploratory testing of the product. In this
testing you will come to know the system and its basic workflow. In exploratory
testing you can also find some ‘blocker’ bugs that cause system to be crash.
If you are a white box tester then next step you can do is to see the different module
code. By this you will know the test cases for different modules and relation of
modules.

If you have any question please comment it below.

http://qapool.com/faq.asp
What is Business Requirement Document (BRD)?   What information a tester need to provide
while generating Test Cases?   What is System Requirement Document?   What is Test Plan?
A document describing the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing
activities. It identifies test items, the features to be tested, the testing tasks, who will do each task,
and any risks requiring contingency planning.   What is Blackbox Testing?   What is Functioal
Requirement Document?   What is software development life cycle?   What is the difference
between bug, defect and error?   What is CMM?   What is the difference between QA and QC?  
What is the difference between version and build?   What is test procedure?   What is Retesting &
Regression Testing?   Difference between Test Case & Use Case?   Describe the difference
between Validation and Verification?   What is Test Metrics?   What is traceably Matrix?   What
is the difference between test script and test cases?   When should testing start in a project?  
What is the difference between Build & Release?   What is the difference between test plan and
test strategy?   What is the difference between Standalone, Client/Server and Web based
applications?   What is VSS?   What is Smoke Testing?   What is Functional Testing?
  What is Regression Testing?   What is Integration Testing?   What is System Testing?   What is
AUT?   What is Ad hoc testing?   When do you decide, you have tested enough?   What is Buid
verification test?   What is broken link testing?   What Is SDLC? Explain briefly about all stages:  
What are positive and negative testing scenarios? Give an example?   Why test plan is a controlled
document?   What is MR?   What is test matrix?   What is the use of preparing a traceability
matrix ?   What is the difference between alpha testing and beta testing?   What is test strategy?  
What is the difference between Static and Dynamic Testing?   what is the difference between test
scenario and test case?   What is master test plan?   What is SOA?   What are the basic
requirements to write a test case?   What is the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and
testing?   What is the difference between Build and Release?   What is am advantage of black box
testing over white box testing?   In your opinion, at what stage of the life cycle does testing begin?
what is white box testing   Why do we conduct Manual testing instead of writing Automates
scripts   Explain boundary level testing?   what is defect leakage?   What is server side testing?  
What is use case? Explain in detail   What is the difference between use case and test case?  
Define Grey box tsting   What is V-Model Development Method and your opinion with this
model?   What Build Verification Test? Explain in Detail   What is the purpose of creating test
plan in your project?   Explain in detail about boundary Value testing   What can you do if the
requirements are changing continuously?   What are the client side scripting languages and server
side scripting languages?   What is difference between master test plan and test plan?

http://www.stestuff.com/manual-testing-interview-questions-and-answers/

What is verification?

A) Verification ensures the Product is designed to deliver all functionality to the customer; it typically
involves reviews and meetings to evaluate documents, plans, code, requirements and specifications; this
can be done with checklists, issues lists, walkthroughs and inspection meetings.

What is validation?

A) Validation ensures that functionality, as defined in requirements, is the intended behavior of the product;
validation typically involves actual testing and takes place after verifications are completed

What is a Test plan?
A)A software project test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope, approach and focus of a
software testing effort. The process of preparing a test plan is a useful way to think through the efforts
needed to validate the acceptability of a software product. The completed document will help people outside
the test group understand the why and how of product validation. It should be thorough enough to be
useful, but not so thorough that none outside the test group will be able to read it.

What is a test case?

A) A test case is a document that describes an input, Action, or event and its expected result, in order to
determine if a feature of an Application is working correctly. A test case should contain particulars such as
a…

·     Test case identifier;

·     Test case name;

·     Objective;

·     Test conditions/setup;

·     Input data requirements/steps, and

·     Expected Results.

Please note, the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the requirements or design of an
application, since it requires you to completely think through the operation of the application. For this
reason, it is useful to prepare test cases early in the development cycle, if possible.

What is usability testing?

A)Usability testing is testing for ‘user-friendliness’. Clearly this is subjective and depends on the targeted
end-user or customer. User Interviews, surveys, videoRecording of user sessions and other techniques can
be used. Programmers and developers are usually not appropriate as usability testers.

What is Incremental Integration testing?

A)Incremental integration testing is continuous testing of an application as new functionality is

recommended. This may require that various aspects of an application’s functionality are independent
enough to work separately, before all parts of the program are completed, or that test drivers are developed
as needed. This type of testing may be performed by programmers, software engineers, or test engineers .

What is end-to-end testing?

A)Similar to system testing, the *macro* end of the test scale is testing a complete application in a situation
that mimics real world use, such as interacting with a database, using network communication, or
interacting with other hardware, application, or system.  What is Regression testing?

A)The objective of regression testing is to ensure the software remains intact. A baseline set of data and
scripts is maintained and executed to verify changes introduced during the release have not “undone” any
previous code. Expected results from the baseline are compared to results of the software under test. All
discrepancies are highlighted and accounted for, before testing proceeds to the next level.

What is sanity testing?

A) Sanity testing is performed whenever cursory testing is sufficient to prove the application is functioning
according to specifications. This level of testing is a subset of regression testing. It normally includes a set
of core tests of basic GUI functionality to demonstrate connectivity to the database, application servers,
printers, etc.

What is performance testing? 

A)Although performance testing is described as a part of system testing, it can be regarded as a distinct
level of testing. Performance testing verifies loads, volumes and response times, as defined by
requirements.

What is Load testing?

A) Load testing is testing an application under heavy loads, such as the testing of aWeb site under a range
of loads to determine at what point the system response time will degrade or fail.

What is Installation testing?

A) Installation testing is testing full, partial, upgrade, or install/uninstall processes. The installation test for a
release is conducted with the objective of demonstrating production readiness. This test includes the
inventory of configuration items, performed by the application’s System Administration, the evaluation of
data readiness, and dynamic tests focused on basic system functionality. When necessary, a sanity test is
performed, following installation testing.

What is security/penetration testing?

A)Security/penetration testing is testing how well the system is protected against unauthorized internal or
external access, or willful damage. This type of testing usually requires sophisticated testing techniques.

What is recovery/error testing?

A) Recovery/error testing is testing how well a system recovers from crashes, hardware failures, or other
catastrophic problems.

What is compatibility testing?

A)Compatibility testing is testing how well software performs in a particular hardware, software, operating
system, or network environment.

What is comparison testing?

A)Comparison testing is testing that compares software weaknesses and strengths to those of competitors’
products.
What is acceptance testing?

A) Acceptance testing is black box testing that gives the client/customer/project manager the opportunity to
verify the system functionality and usability prior to the system being released to production. The
acceptance test is the responsibility of the client/customer or project manager, however, it is conducted
with the full support of the project team. The test team also works with the client/customer/project
manager to develop the acceptance criteria.

What is alpha testing?

A) Alpha testing is testing of an application when development is nearing completion. Minor design changes
can still be made as a result of alpha testing. Alpha testing is typically performed by a group that is
independent of the design team, but still within the company, e.g. in-house software test engineers, or
software QAengineers.

What is beta testing?

A)Beta testing is testing an application when development and testing are essentially completed and final
bugs and problems need to be found before the final release. Beta testing is typically performed by end-
users or others, not programmers, software engineers, or test engineers.

What testing approaches can you tell me about?

A)Each of the followings represents a different testing approach:

·     Black box testing

·     white box testing

·     unit testing

·     Incremental testing

·     Integration testing

·     Functional testing

·     System testing

·     End-to-end testing

·     Sanity testing

·     Regression testing

·     Acceptance testing

·     Load testing

·     Performance testing

·     Usability testing

·     Install/uninstall testing

·     Recovery testing

·     Security testing

·     Compatibility testing

·     Exploratory testing

·     ad-hoc testing

·     User acceptance testing

·     Comparison testing

·     Alpha testing

·     Beta testing and

·     Mutation testing.

What is Stress testing?

A) Stress testing is testing that investigates the behavior of software (and hardware) under extraordinary
operating conditions. For example, when a web server is stress tested, testing aims to find out how many
users can be on-line, at the same time, without crashing the server. Stress testing tests the stability of a
given system or entity. It tests something beyond its normal operational capacity, in order to observe any
negative results. For example, a web server is stress tested, using scripts, bots, and various denial of service
tools.

What is load testing?

A) Load testing simulates the expected usage of a software program, by simulating multiple users that
access the program’s services concurrently. Load testing is most useful and most relevant for multi-user
systems, client/server models, including web servers. For example, the load placed on the system is
increased above normal usage patterns, in order to test the system’s response at peak loads. You CAN learn
load testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information.

What is the difference between performance testing and load testing?

A)Load testing is a blanket term that is used in many different ways across the professional software testing
community. The term, load testing, is often used synonymously with stress testing, performance testing,
reliability testing, and volume testing. Load testing generally stops short of stress testing. During stress
testing, the load is so great that errors are the expected results, though there is gray area in between stress
testing and load testing. You CAN learn testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information.

What is clear box testing?

A)Clear box testing is the same as white box testing. It is a testing approach that examines the application’s
program Structure, and derives test cases from the application’s program logic. You CAN learn clear box
testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information.

What is boundary value analysis?

A)Boundary value analysis is a technique for test data selection. A test engineer chooses values that lie
along data extremes. Boundary values include maximum, minimum, just inside boundaries, just outside
boundaries, typical values, and error values. The expectation is that, if a systems works correctly for these
extreme or special values, then it will work correctly for all values in between. An effective way to test code,
is to exercise it at its natural boundaries.

What is ad hoc testing?

A)Ad hoc testing is a testing approach; it is the least formal testing approach.

What is gamma testing?

A) Gamma testing is testing of software that has all the required features, but it did not go through all the
in-house quality checks. Cynics tend to refer to software releases as “gamma testing”.

What is glass box testing?

A)Glass box testing is the same as white box testing. It is a testing approach that examines the application’s
program structure, and derives test cases from the application’s program logic.

What is open box testing?

A) Open box testing is same as white box testing. It is a testing approach that examines the application’s
program structure, and derives test cases from the application’s program logic.

What is black box testing?

A) Black box testing a type of testing that considers only externally visible behavior. Black box testing
considers neither the code itself, nor the “inner workings” of the software. You CAN learn to do black box
testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!

What is functional testing?

A) Functional testing is same as black box testing. Black box testing a type of testing that considers only
externally visible behavior. Black box testing considers neither the code itself, nor the “inner workings” of
the software.

What is closed box testing?

A) Closed box testing is same as black box testing. Black box testing a type of testing that considers only
externally visible behavior. Black box testing considers neither the code itself, nor the “inner workings” of
the software.

What is bottom-up testing?

A) Bottom-up testing is a technique for integration testing. A test engineer creates and uses test drivers for
components that have not yet been developed, because, with bottom-up testing, low-level components are
tested first. The objective of bottom-up testing is to call low-level components first, for testing purposes.

What is software quality?

A) The quality of the software does vary widely from system to system. Some common quality attributes are
stability, usability, reliability, portability, and maintainability. See quality standard ISO 9126 for more
information on this subject.

What’s the difference between priority and severity?

A)”Priority” is associated with scheduling, and “severity” is associated with standards. “Piority” means
something is afforded or deserves prior attention; a precedence established by order of importance (or
urgency). “Severity” is the state or quality of being severe; severe implies adherence to rigorous standards
or high principles and often suggests harshness; severe is marked by or requires strict adherence to
rigorous standards or high principles, e.g. a severe code of behavior. The words priority and severity do
come up in bug tracking. A variety of commercial, problem-tracking/management software tools are
available. These tools, with the detailed input of software test engineers, give the team complete
information so developers can understand the bug, get an idea of its ‘severity’, reproduce it and fix it. The
fixes are based on project ‘priorities’ and ‘severity’ of bugs. The ‘severity’ of a problem is defined in
accordance to the customer’s risk assessment and recorded in their selected tracking tool. A buggy software
can ‘severely’ affect schedules, which, in turn can lead to a reassessment and renegotiation of ‘priorities’.

What’s the difference between efficient and effective?

A) “Efficient” means having a high ratio of output to input; working or producing with a minimum of waste.
For example, “An efficient engine saves gas”. “Effective”, on the other hand, means producing, or capable
of producing, an intended result, or having a striking effect. For example, “For rapid long-distance
transportation, the jet engine is more effective than a witch’s broomstick”

What is the difference between verification and validation?

A)Verification takes place before validation, and not vice versa. Verification evaluates documents, plans,
code, requirements, and specifications. Validation, on the other hand, evaluates the product itself. The
inputs of verification are checklists, issues lists, walkthroughs and inspection meetings, reviews and
meetings. The input of validation, on the other hand, is the actual testing of an actual product. The output
of verification is a nearly perfect set of documents, plans, specifications, and requirements document. The
output of validation, on the other hand, is a nearly perfect, actual product.

What is the difference between system testing and integration testing?

A) System testing is high level testing, and integration testing is a lower level testing. Integration testing is
completed first, not the system testing. In other words, upon completion of integration testing, system
testing is started, and not vice versa. For integration testing, test cases are developed with the express
purpose of exercising the interfaces between the components. For system testing, on the other hand, the
complete system is configured in a controlled environment, and test cases are developed to simulate real
life scenarios that occur in a simulated real life test environment. The purpose of integration testing is to
ensure distinct components of the application still work in accordance to customer requirements. The
purpose of system testing, on the other hand, is to validate an application’s accuracy and completeness in
performing the functions as designed, and to test all functions of the system that are required in real life

How do you test the password field?

A) To test the password field, we do boundary value testing.

When testing the password field, what is your focus?

A)When testing the password field, one needs to verify that passwords are encrypted.

What is the objective of regression testing?

A)The objective of regression testing is to test that the fixes have not created any other problems
elsewhere. In other words, the objective is to ensure the software has remained intact. A baseline set of
data and scripts are maintained and executed, to verify that changes introduced during the release have not
“undone” any previous code. Expected results from the baseline are compared to results of the software
under test. All discrepancies are highlighted and accounted for, before testing proceeds to the next level.

What types of white box testing can you tell me about?

A) White box testing is a testing approach that examines the application’s program structure, and derives
test cases from the application’s program logic. Clear box testing is a white box type of testing. Glass box
testing is also a white box type of testing. Open box testing is also a white box type of testing.

What types of black box testing can you tell me about?

A) Black box testing is functional testing, not based on any knowledge of internal software design or code.
Black box testing is based on requirements and functionality. Functional testing is also a black-box type of
testing geared to functional requirements of an application. System testing is also a black box type of
testing. Acceptance testing is also a black box type of testing. Functional testing is also a black box type of
testing. Closed box testing is also a black box type of testing. Integration testing is also a black box type of
testing.

What is the objective of regression testing?

A)The objective of regression testing is to test that the fixes have not created any other problems
elsewhere. In other words, the objective is to ensure the software has remained intact. A baseline set of
data and scripts are maintained and executed, to verify that changes introduced during the release have not
“undone” any previous code. Expected results from the baseline are compared to results of the software
under test. All discrepancies are highlighted and accounted for, before testing proceeds to the next level.
What types of white box testing can you tell me about?

A) White box testing is a testing approach that examines the application’s program structure, and derives
test cases from the application’s program logic. Clear box testing is a white box type of testing. Glass box
testing is also a white box type of testing. Open box testing is also a white box type of testing.

What types of black box testing can you tell me about?

A)Black box testing is functional testing, not based on any knowledge of internal software design or code.
Black box testing is based on requirements and functionality. Functional testing is also a black-box type of
testing geared to functional requirements of an application. System testing is also a black box type of
testing. Acceptance testing is also a black box type of testing. Functional testing is also a black box type of
testing. Closed box testing is also a black box type of testing. Integration testing is also a black box type of
testing.

What is the objective of regression testing?

A)The objective of regression testing is to test that the fixes have not created any other problems
elsewhere. In other words, the objective is to ensure the software has remained intact. A baseline set of
data and scripts are maintained and executed, to verify that changes introduced during the release have not
“undone” any previous code. Expected results from the baseline are compared to results of the software
under test. All discrepancies are highlighted and accounted for, before testing proceeds to the next level.

What types of white box testing can you tell me about?

A)White box testing is a testing approach that examines the application’s program structure, and derives
test cases from the application’s program logic. Clear box testing is a white box type of testing. Glass box
testing is also a white box type of testing. Open box testing is also a white box type of testing.

What types of black box testing can you tell me about?

A)Black box testing is functional testing, not based on any knowledge of internal software design or code.
Black box testing is based on requirements and functionality. Functional testing is also a black-box type of
testing geared to functional requirements of an application. System testing is also a black box type of
testing. Acceptance testing is also a black box type of testing. Functional testing is also a black box type of
testing. Closed box testing is also a black box type of testing. Integration testing is also a black box type of
testing.

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There are many testing types used in different situations by Test engineers.

1. black box testing – Internal system design is not considered in this type of testing. Tests are
based on requirements and functionality.
2.
3. white box testing – This testing is based on knowledge of the internal logic of an Application’s
code. Also known as Glass box Testing. Internal software and code working should be known for
this type of testing. Tests are based on coverage of code statements, branches, paths, conditions.
4. unit testing – Testing of individual software components or modules. Typically done by the
programmer and not by testers, as it requires detailed knowledge of the internal program design
and code. may require developing test Driver modules or test harnesses.
5. Incremental Integration testing – Bottom up approach for testing i.e continuous testing of an
application as new functionality is added; Application functionality and modules should be
independent enough to test separately. done by programmers or by testers.
6. Integration testing – Testing of integrated modules to verify combined functionality after
integration. Modules are typically code modules, individual applications, client and server
applications on a network, etc. This type of testing is especially relevant to client/server and
distributed systems.
7. Functional testing – This type of testing ignores the internal parts and focus on the output is as
per requirement or not. Black-box type testing geared to functional requirements of an application.
8. System testing - Entire system is tested as per the requirements. Black-box type testing that is
based on overall requirements specifications, covers all combined parts of a system.
9. End-to-end testing – Similar to system testing, involves testing of a complete application
environment in a situation that mimics real-world use, such as interacting with a database, using
network communications, or interacting with other hardware, applications, or systems if
appropriate.
10. Sanity testing – Testing to determine if a new software version is performing well enough to
accept it for a major testing effort. If application is crashing for initial use then system is not stable
enough for further testing and build or application is assigned to fix.
11. Regression testing – Testing the application as a whole for the modification in any module or
functionality. Difficult to cover all the system in regression testing so typically automation tools are
used for these testing types.
12. Acceptance testing -Normally this type of testing is done to verify if system meets the customer
specified requirements. User or customer do this testing to determine whether to accept
application.
13. Load testing - Its a performance testing to check system behavior under load. Testing an
application under heavy loads, such as testing of a Web site under a range of loads to determine at
what point the system’s response time degrades or fails.
14. Stress testing - System is stressed beyond its specifications to check how and when it fails.
Performed under heavy load like putting large number beyond storage capacity, complex database
queries, continuous input to system or database load.
15. Performance testing – Term often used interchangeably with ’stress’ and ‘load’ testing. To check
whether system meets performance requirements. Used different performance and load tools to do
this.
16. Usability testing - User-friendliness check. Application flow is tested, Can new user understand
the application easily, Proper help documented whenever user stuck at any point. Basically
system navigation is checked in this testing.
17. Install/uninstall testing – Tested for full, partial, or upgrade install/uninstall processes on
different operating systems under different hardware, software environment.
18. Recovery testing - Testing how well a system recovers from crashes, hardware failures, or other
catastrophic problems.
19. Security testing – Can system be penetrated by any hacking way. Testing how well the system
protects against unauthorized internal or external access. Checked if system, database is safe from
external attacks.
20. Compatibility testing – Testing how well software performs in a particular
hardware/software/operating system/network environment and different combination s of above.
21. Comparison testing – Comparison of Product strengths and weaknesses with previous versions
or other similar products.
 22. Alpha testing – In house virtual user environment can be created for this type of testing. Testing
is done at the end of development. Still minor design changes may be made as a result of such
testing.
23. Beta testing – Testing typically done by end-users or others. Final testing before releasing
application for commercial purpose.
24. Agile testing-Agile testing is a software testing practice that follows the statutes of the agile
manifesto, treating software development as the customer of testing.
Agile testing involves testing from the customer perspective as early as possible, testing early and
often as code becomes available and stable enough from module/unit level testing.
Since working increments of the software is released very often in agile software development
there is also a need to test often. This is often done by using automated acceptance testing to
minimize the amount of Manuallabor. Doing only manual testing in agile development would likely
result in either buggy software or slipping schedules because it would most often not be possible to
test the whole software manually before every release.
25. GUI software testing-In computer science, GUI software testing is the process of testing a
product that uses a graphical user interface, to ensure it meets its written specifications. This is
normally done through the use of a variety of test cases.
26. Volume testing-Volume Testing belongs to the group of non-functional tests, which are often
misunderstood and/or used interchangeably. Volume testing refers to testing a software application
for a certain data volume. This volume can in generic terms be the database size or it could also be
the size of an interface file that is the subject of volume testing. For example, if you want to
volume test your application with a specific database size, you will explode your database to that
size and then test the application’s performance on it. Another example could be when there is a
requirement for your application to interact with an interface file (could be any file such
as .dat, .xml); this interaction could be reading and/or writing on to/from the file. You will create a
sample file of the size you want and then test the application’s functionality with that file test the
performance.
27. Sanity testing-it is a very brief run-through of the functionality of a program, system, calculation,
or other analysis, to assure that the system or methodology works as expected, often prior to a
more exhaustive round of testing.
28. Smoke testing -Smoke testing is done by developers before the build is released or by testers
before accepting a build for further testing.
29. Ad hoc testing-Ad hoc testing is a commonly used term for software testing performed without
planning and documentation.
30. The tests are intended to be run only once, unless a defect is discovered. Ad hoc testing is a part
of exploratory testing, being the least formal of test methods.
31. Maintenance testing-Maintenance testing is that testing which is performed to either identify
equipment problems, diagnose equipment problems or to confirm that repair measures have been
effective. It can be performed at either the system level , the equipment level or the component
level .

System testing

After completion of software Integration and integration testing, the development team is releasing a

software build to Test engineer team.

The testing team is conducting system testing on that software in two sub levels such as

1. Functional Testing
2. Non-Functional Testing
Functional testing is concentrating on customer requirements and the Non-Functional testing is
concentrating on customer expectations.

Functional Testing: It’s a mandatory testing level, during this test the testing team is validating a
software build functionality in terms of below factors with respect to customer requirements.

1. Behavioral / GUI: The changes in properties of Objects OR controls in a software is called

behavioral or GUI.
2. Input Domain: Whether the objects are taking correct type and size of inputs or not?
3. Error Handling: Whether our software is preventing wrong operations or not?
4. Manipulations: Whether our software is generating correct output or not?
5. Database Validity: Whether our software front end screens operations are correctly impacting on
database of the software or not?
6. Sanitation: Finding extra operations in a software with respect to customer requirements.

The above factors checking on a software is called as functional testing. During this checking the testers are
using black box testing techniques or closed box testing techniques.

Non-Functional Testing: After completion of functional testing successfully, the testing team is

concentrating on non-functional testing. During non-functional testing, the testing team is concentrating on
customer expectations or software characteristics.

This non-functional testing is classified into below sub testing topics.

1. Usability Testing (UI Check)

2. Manual Check (Help documents testing)
3. Compatibility Testing OR Portability Testing
4. Configuration Testing
5. Inter system Testing
6. Multi languity Testing
7. Data volume Testing
8. Installation Testing
9. Performance Testing
10. Load testing
11. Stress testing
12. Endurance Testing
13. Security Testing
14. Parallel Testing
15. User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
16. Software Release and Release Testing

http://www.tipsoninterview.in/manual-testing-interview-questions.
1 What makes a good Software QA engineer?
Ans: The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they
must be able to understand the entire software development process and how it can fit into
the business approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to
understand various sides of issues are important. In organizations in the early stages of
implementing QA processes, patience and diplomacy are especially needed. An ability to find
problems as well as to see ‘what’s missing’ is important for inspections and reviews.

2 What is ‘Software Testing’?

Ans: Testing involves operation of a system or application under controlled conditions and
evaluating the results (eg, ‘if the user is in interface A of the application while using hardware
B, and does C, then D should happen’). The controlled conditions should include both normal
and abnormal conditions. Testing should intentionally attempt to make things go wrong to
determine if things happen when they shouldn’t or things don’t happen when they should. It is
oriented to ‘detection’. (See the Bookstore section’s ‘Software Testing’ category for a list of
useful books on Software Testing.)

• Organizations vary considerably in how they assign responsibility for QA and testing.
Sometimes they’re the combined responsibility of one group or individual. Also common are
project teams that include a mix of testers and developers who work closely together, with
overall QA processes monitored by project managers. It will depend on what best fits an
organization’s size and business structure.

3 What is ‘Software Quality Assurance’?

Ans: Software QA involves the entire software development PROCESS – monitoring and
improving the process, making sure that any agreed-upon standards and procedures are
followed, and ensuring that problems are found and dealt with. It is oriented to ‘prevention’.
(See the Bookstore section’s ‘Software QA’ category for a list of useful books on Software
Quality Assurance.)

4 Can you explain me what makes a good test engineer?

Ans: A good test engineer has a ‘test to break’ attitude, an ability to take the point of view of
the customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are
useful in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers, and an ability to
communicate with both technical (developers) and non-technical (customers, management)
people is useful. Previous software development experience can be helpful as it provides a
deeper understanding of the software development process, gives the tester an appreciation
for the developers’ point of view, and reduce the learning curve in automated test tool
programming. Judgment skills are needed to assess high-risk areas of an application on which
to focus testing efforts when time is limited.

5 What is the role of documentation in QA?

Ans: Critical. (Note that documentation can be electronic, not necessarily paper.)QA practices
should be documented such that they are repeatable. Specifications,designs, business rules,
inspection reports, configurations, code changes, test plans,test cases, bug reports, user
manuals, etc. should all be documented. There should ideally be a system for easily finding
and obtaining documents and determining what documentation will have a particular piece of
information. Change management for documentation should be used if possible.

6 What is a test case?

Ans: • A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and an expected
response, to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A test case should
contain particulars such as test case identifier, test case name, objective, test
conditions/setup, input data requirements, steps, and expected results.

• Note that the process of developing test cases can help find problems in there quirements or
design of an application, since it requires completely thinking through the operation of the
application. For this reason, it’s useful to prepare test cases earlyin the development cycle if
possible.

7 What makes a good Test manager or QA?

Ans: A good QA, test, or QA/Test (combined) manager should have following qualities

• Try to get familiar with the software development process

• be able to maintain enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere,despite
•What is a some what ‘negative’ process (e.g., looking for or preventing problems?)
• be able to promote teamwork to increase productivity
• be able to promote cooperation between software, test, and QA engineers
• have the diplomatic skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes
• have the ability to withstand pressures and say ‘no’ to other managers when quality’s
insufficient or QA processes are not being adhered to
•  have people judgment skills for hiring and keeping skilled personnel
• be able to communicate with technical and non-technical people, engineers,managers, and
customers.
• be able to run meetings and keep them focused
8 What is configuration management?
Ans: Configuration management covers the processes used to control, coordinate,and track:
code, requirements, documentation, problems, change requests,
designs,tools/compilers/libraries/patches, changes made to them, and who makes the
changes.(See the ‘Tools’ section for web resources with listings of configuration management
tools. Also see the Bookstore section’s ‘Configuration Management’ category for useful books
with more information.)

9 What if the software is so buggy it can’t really be tested at all?

Ans: The best bet in this situation is for the testers to go through the process of reporting
whatever bugs or blocking-type problems initially show up, with the focus being on critical
bugs. Since this type of problem can severely affect schedules, and indicates deeper problems
in the software development process (such as insufficient unit testing or insufficient
integration testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, etc.) managers should
be notified, and provided with some documentation as evidence of the problem.

10  What should be done after a bug is found?

Ans: The bug needs to be communicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After the
problem is resolved, fixes should be re-tested, and determinations made regarding
requirements for regression testing to check that fixes didn’t create problems elsewhere. If a
problem-tracking system is in place, it should encapsulate these processes. A variety of
commercial problem-tracking/management software tools are available (see the ‘Tools’ section
for web resources with listings of such tools). The following are items to consider in the
tracking process:
• Complete information such that developers can understand the bug, get an idea of it’s
severity, and reproduce it if necessary.
• Bug identifier (number, ID, etc.)
• Current bug status (e.g., ‘Released for Retest’, ‘New’, etc.)
• The application name or identifier and version
• The function, module, feature, object, screen, etc. where the bug occurred
• Environment specifics, system, platform, relevant hardware specifics
• Test case name/number/identifier
• One-line bug description
• Full bug description
• Description of steps needed to reproduce the bug if not covered by a test case or if the
developer doesn’t have easy access to the test case/test script/test tool
• Names and/or descriptions of file/data/messages/etc. used in test
• File excerpts/error messages/log file excerpts/screen shots/test tool logs that would be
helpful in finding the cause of the problem
• Severity estimate (a 5-level range such as 1-5 or ‘critical’-to-’low’ is common)
• Was the bug reproducible?
• Tester name
• Test date
• Bug reporting date
• Name of developer/group/organization the problem is assigned to
• Description of problem cause
• Description of fix
• Code section/file/module/class/method that was fixed
• Date of fix
• Application version that contains the fix
• Tester responsible for retest
• Retest date
• Retest results
• Regression testing requirements
• Tester responsible for regression tests
• Regression testing results
A reporting or tracking process should enable notification of appropriate personnel at various
stages. For instance, testers need to know when retesting is needed, developers need to know
when bugs are found and how to get the needed information, and reporting/summary
capabilities are needed for managers.
11 What if the project isn’t big enough to justify extensive testing?
Ans: Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if extensive
testing is still not justified, risk analysis is again needed and the same considerations as
described previously in ‘What if there isn’t enough time for thorough testing?’ apply. The
tester might then do ad hoc testing, or write up a limited test plan based on the risk analysis.

12 How can it be known when to stop testing?

Ans: This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so complex,
and run in such an interdependent environment, that complete testing can never be done.
Common factors in deciding when to stop are:
• Deadlines (release deadlines, testing deadlines, etc.)
• Test cases completed with certain percentage passed
• Test budget depleted
• Coverage of code/functionality/requirements reaches a specified point
• Bug rate falls below a certain level
• Beta or alpha testing period ends
13 What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?
Ans: It is a common problem and a major headache.

• Work with the project’s stakeholders early on to understand how requirements might change
so that alternate test plans and strategies can be worked out in advance, if possible.
• It’s helpful if the application’s initial design allows for some adaptability so that later changes
do not require redoing the application from scratch.
• If the code is well-commented and well-documented this makes changes easier for the
developers.
• Use rapid prototyping whenever possible to help customers feel sure of their requirements
and minimize changes.
• The project’s initial schedule should allow for some extra time commensurate with the
possibility of changes.
• Try to move new requirements to a ‘Phase 2′ version of an application, while using the
original requirements for the ‘Phase 1′ version.
• Negotiate to allow only easily-implemented new requirements into the project, while moving
more difficult new requirements into future versions of the application.
• Be sure that customers and management understand the scheduling impacts, inherent risks,
and costs of significant requirements changes. Then let management or the customers (not
the developers or testers) decide if the changes are warranted – after all, that’s their job.
• Balance the effort put into setting up automated testing with the expected effort required to
re-do them to deal with changes.
• Try to design some flexibility into automated test scripts.
• Focus initial automated testing on application aspects that are most likely to remain
unchanged.
• Devote appropriate effort to risk analysis of changes to minimize regression testing needs.
• Design some flexibility into test cases (this is not easily done; the best bet might be to
minimize the detail in the test cases, or set up only higher-level generic-type test plans)
• Focus less on detailed test plans and test cases and more on ad hoc testing (with an
understanding of the added risk that this entails).
14 What if the application has functionality that wasn’t in the requirements?
Ans: It may take serious effort to determine if an application has significant unexpected or
hidden functionality, and it would indicate deeper problems in the software development
process. If the functionality isn’t necessary to the purpose of the application, it should be
removed, as it may have unknown impacts or dependencies that were not taken into account
by the designer or the customer. If not removed, design information will be needed to
determine added testing needs or regression testing needs. Management should be made
aware of any significant added risks as a result of the unexpected functionality. If the
functionality only effects areas such as minor improvements in the user interface, for example,
it may not be a significant risk.

15 How does a client/server environment affect testing?

Ans: Client/server applications can be quite complex due to the multiple dependencies among
clients, data communications, hardware, and servers. Thus testing requirements can be
extensive. When time is limited (as it usually is) the focus should be on integration and
system testing. Additionally, load/stress/performance testing may be useful in determining
client/server application limitations and capabilities. There are commercial tools to assist with
such testing. (See the ‘Tools’ section for web resources with listings that include these kinds of
test tools.)
http://forums.sureshkumar.net/testing-tools-qa/67573-manual-testing-interview-
questions-answers.html

Q - What are test case formats widely use in web based testing? 
A - Web based applications deal with live web portals. Hence the test cases can be broadly
classified as - front end , back end, security testing cases, navigation based, field validations,
database related cases. The test cases are written based on the functional specifications and
wire-frames.

Q - How to prepare test case and test description for job application? 
A - Actually the question seems to be vague,... see naukri is one of biggest job site globally and it
has is own complex functionality normally a Test case is derived from a SRS (or) FRS basically
and test description is always derived from a Test case. Test description is nothing but the steps
which has to be followed for the TC what u wrote. And the TC is nothing which compares the
expectation and the actual(outcome)result.

Q - What is the difference between Functional and Technical bugs? Give an example for
each.? 
Functional Bugs : Bugs found when Testing the Functionality of the AUT.
Technical bugs: Related to Communication which AUT makes.Like H/W,DB ! where these could
not be connected properly.

Q - Give proper Seq. to following testing Types Regression, Retesting, Funtional, Sanity
and Performance Testing.? 
A - The proper sequence in which these types of testing are performed is - Sanity, Functional,
Regression, Retesting, Performance.

Q - How u test MS- Vista without any requirement Doc.? 

Know what change is being made from the older verison of Windows to the newer version with
the help of User Release notes thats released with Windows Vista. Based on that, formulate the
test cases and execute the same.

Q - What is verification? validation? 

Verification typically involves reviews and meetings to evaluate documents, plans, code,
requirements, and specifications. This can be done with checklists, issues lists, walkthroughs,
and inspection meetings. Validation typically involves actual testing and takes place after
verifications are completed. The term 'IV & V' refers to Independent Verification and Validation.

Q - How can new Software QA processes be introduced in an existing organization? 

A lot depends on the size of the organization and the risks involved. For large organizations with
high-risk (in terms of lives or property) projects, serious management buy-in is required and a
formalized QA process is necessary. 

Where the risk is lower, management and organizational buy-in and QA implementation may be a
slower, step-at-a-time process. QA processes should be balanced with productivity so as to keep
bureaucracy from getting out of hand. 

For small groups or projects, a more ad-hoc process may be appropriate, depending on the type
of customers and projects. A lot will depend on team leads or managers, feedback to developers,
and ensuring adequate communications among customers, managers, developers, and testers. 

The most value for effort will often be in (a) requirements management processes, with a goal of
clear, complete, testable requirement specifications embodied in requirements or design
documentation, or in 'agile'-type environments extensive continuous coordination with end-users,
(b) design inspections and code inspections, and (c) post-mortems/retrospectives.

Q - Why is it often hard for management to get serious about quality assurance? 

Solving problems is a high-visibility process; preventing problems is low-visibility. This is

illustrated by an old parable: In ancient China there was a family of healers, one of whom was
known throughout the land and employed as a physician to a great lord. 

Q - What's an 'inspection'? 

An inspection is more formalized than a 'walkthrough', typically with 3-8 people including a
moderator, reader, and a recorder to take notes. The subject of the inspection is typically a
document such as a requirements spec or a test plan, and the purpose is to find problems and
see what's missing, not to fix anything. Attendees should prepare for this type of meeting by
reading thru the document; most problems will be found during this preparation. The result of the
inspection meeting should be a written report.

Q - What is a 'walkthrough'? 
A 'walkthrough' is an informal meeting for evaluation or informational purposes. Little or no
preparation is usually required.

Q - What makes a good test engineer?

A good test engineer has a 'test to break' attitude, an ability to take the point of view of the
customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are useful in
maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers, and an ability to communicate with both
technical (developers) and non-technical (customers, management) people is useful. Previous
software development experience can be helpful as it provides a deeper understanding of the
software development process, gives the tester an appreciation for the developers' point of view,
and reduce the learning curve in automated test tool programming. Judgment skills are needed to
assess high-risk areas of an application on which to focus testing efforts when time is limited. 

Q - What makes a good Software QA engineer? 

The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they must be
able to understand the entire software development process and how it can fit into the business
approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to understand
various sides of issues are important. In organizations in the early stages of implementing QA
processes, patience and diplomacy are especially needed. An ability to find problems as well as
to see 'what's missing' is important for inspections and reviews. 
Q - What is agile testing? 
Agile testing is used whenever customer requirements are changing dynamically
If we have no SRS, BRS but we have test cases does you execute the test cases blindly or do
you follow any other process.
Test case would have detail steps of what the application is supposed to do. 
1) Functionality of application. 
2) In addition you can refer to Backend, is mean look into the Database. To gain more knowledge
of the application. 

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Describe your QA experience (emphasis on Telecom)

Only QA can Prevent the software from Defects and moniter whether the software
meet the requirement and by Testing only we can find defect in the software. so if u
have QA experience u can tell that.

What testing tools have you used? How long?

If u r using any tool u can tell that.. other wise tell no.. in manual testing we wont
use any tools. except test directors. u can tell about test director (or QC).

What is white box, black box?

White Box:- White box testing is based on knowledge of the internal logic of an
application's code. Tests are based on coverage of code statements, branches, paths
and conditions.
Black Box:- Black box testing is functional testing, not based on any knowledge of
internal software design or code. Black box testing are based on requirements and
functionality. 

What testing phases have you participated in?

Functional Testing, Regression Testing. or u can say System Testing. System

Integration Testing.

What’s the difference between functional testing, system test, and UAT?

Functional Testing:- testing that ignores the internal mechanism of a system or

component and focuses solely on the outputs generated in response to selected
inputs and execution conditions. this is a black box testing.
System Testing:- System testing is black box testing, performed by the Test Team,
and at the start of the system testing the complete system is configured in a
controlled environment. The purpose of system testing is to validate an application's
accuracy and completeness in performing the functions as designed. System testing
simulates real life scenarios that occur in a "simulated real life" test environment and
test all functions of the system that are required in real life. System testing is
deemed complete when actual results and expected results are either in line or
differences are explainable or acceptable, based on client input. 
UAT:- Acceptance testing is black box testing that gives the client/ customer/ project
manager the opportunity to verify the system functionality and usability prior to the
system being released to production. The acceptance test is the responsibility of the
client/customer or project manager, however, it is conducted with the full support of
the project team. The test team also works with the client/customer/project manager
to develop the acceptance criteria. 

When would you perform regression testing?

Regression testing is verifing that previously passed tests are still OK after any
change to the software or the environment, usually to verify that a change in one
area doesn't affect other or unrelated areas.
What would you base your test cases on?

A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and its expected
result, in order to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A test
case should contain particulars such as a... 
· Test case identifier; 
· Test case name; 
· Objective; 
· Test conditions/setup; 
· Input data requirements/steps, and 
· Expected results. 
Test cases will be prepared by the tester based on BRD & FS.

How do you make sure the results are as expected?

In Functional or System testing we will test with real time data. and realtime
scenarious with client approved test cases, so that we will know what is correct
result.

What’s more important: Positive or Negative testing?

Both are important, but most of the test cases will be returned for Positive, for some
applications Negetive cases also important.

Have you used SQL? For what purposes?

the answer is up to u.

What is your knowledge/experience with Unix?

Have you used Unix shell scripts?
Have you written WinRunner scripts?
Have you written LoadRunner scripts?

What tools did you use to log defects?

u can say Test Director or Quality Centeror excel sheet.

What other groups did you interact with (developers, users, analysts) 
Who would you rather work with?

Analysts

When you realize the load you have cannot be done in the time given, how would
you handle?

Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused.based on some

consideration we can come up with task of completing complete testing.some are 
Which functionality is most important to the project's intended purpose? 
Which functionality is most visible to the user? 
Which functionality has the largest safety impact? 
Which functionality has the largest financial impact on users? 
Which aspects of the application are most important to the customer? 
Which aspects of the application can be tested early in the development cycle? 
Which parts of the code are most complex, and thus most subject to errors? 
Which parts of the application were developed in rush or panic mode? 
Which aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems? 
Which aspects of similar/related previous projects had large maintenance expenses? 
Which parts of the requirements and design are unclear or poorly thought out? 
What do the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application? 
What kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity? 
What kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints? 
What kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities? 
Which tests will have the best high-risk-coverage to time-required ratio? 
http://www.onesmartclick.com/interviews/software-testing-interview-questions-and-
answers.html
1. Can u explain the structure of bug life cycle?
2. Can you explain V model in manual testing?
3. Can you explain me the levels in V model manual?
4. Can you explain water fall model in manual testing?
5. Difference between bug,error,and defect?
6. Explain about MicroSoft Six Rules Standardfor User Interface testing?
7. Explain about use case document ?
8. Explain me the phases of STLC and explain each one briefly?
9. Give exact and appropriate definition of testing.
10. How many modes of recording are there ?
11. How to add objects to the Object Rpository?
12. How to arrive Testcase? and how to write Testcase in Email id? when we go for
winrunner and why we go for
13. How to carry out manual testing for a background process which does't have any user
interface ?
14. How to do regression testing, and can give one or two exampleson that in the same
application?
15. How to test the Microsoft Word 2003. What all the major areas to be tested, please
explain.
16. How to write a testcase and bugreport?plz expln with an example.
17. How will you review the test case and how many types are there ?
18. Share a particular project where you have been able to learn enough skills to help with
testing? (more for the
19. The role of both QA & QC?
20. What are GET TO , SETTO,and GET RO properties in QTP.
21. What are the difference between per text mode and shared mode in qtp ?
22. What are the objectives of Lowlevel recording? What is Elapsed Time? When we use
Update mode? Is Quick Test
23. What are the objectives of Utility objects?
24. What are the objectives of debugging?
25. What are the processes followed in your company for automation?
26. What do you mean by Pilot Testing?
27. What is AUT?
28. What is BUG Life cycle?
29. What is Black Box Testing?
30. What is FSO can you explain?
31. What is Review?
32. What is SRS and BRS document?Can you explain them briefly.
33. What is SRS and BRS in manual testing.
34. What is STLC how many phases are there can you explain them .
35. What is Sanity Test,Adhoc Testing & Smoke Testing? When will use the Above Tests?
36. What is V model can u explain ?
37. What is V model in manual testing ?
38. What is a frame work at what situations we will use?
39. What is a test plan who will prepare that one?
40. What is alpha tesging and beta testing ?
41. What is application entry and exit criteria?
42. What is compatibility testing?
43. What is debugging?
44. What is determination?
45. What is exact difference between Debugging & Testing?
46. What is fish model can you explain?
47. What is frame work in qtp.
48. What is functional testing,system testing,datadriven testing?
49. What is integration testing?
50. What is mean by gui testing ? What is mean by client/Server? What is meat by web
based application ?
51. What is objective of actions in qtp ?
52. What is performance testing?
53. What is port testing?
54. What is prototype model in manual testing?
55. What is regualr expression and when we will use regularexpression in qtp?
56. What is reusable action in qtp?
57. What is stand alone mode running in load runner?
58. What is stress testing?
59. What is stub and driver in manual testing?
60. What is system testing?
61. What is test bed?
62. What is test development?
63. What is test metrics ?
64. What is test strategy who will prepare that one. And what will be there in test strategy.
65. What is the Testcase Life Cycle.
66. What is the definition for test life cycle?
67. What is the difference between constant and parameter in qtp?
68. What is the difference between properties and methods in qtp?
69. What is the difference between smoke testing and sanitary testing ?
70. What is the difference between test scenarios and test strategy?
71. What is the difference between usability testing and GUI?
72. What is the model of spiral binding in manual testing? Can you explain spiral binding?
73. What is unit testing in manual?
74. What is unit testing?
75. What is virtual memory?
76. What is virtual object and at what we will use virtual object in qtp?
77. What is virtual object and when will we use?
78. What is visual source safe?
79. What part of the testing phase is the most important part for testing in the cycle?
80. What type of testing questions will be asked for 2+ yrs exp people in interview?
81. When we do update mode in qtp?
82. Where do check points store in qtp ?
83. Who are prepared use case?
84. Why do need synchronization in qtp?
85. Why do u use object spy in qtp?
86. can u explain spiral binding model in manual testing developers looking to do= testing)
87. how i can do gui testing,what is its important contant,plz tell me all property of Gui testing
88. how to wrtie test case with a minimum of 13 columns.......
89. supports Java Script? What is extention for test script in Quick Test?
90. what is the Testcase Life Cycle ?
91. what is the differene between scenario and testcase ?
92. whta is open beta testing? ans it done at which end? what is the difference b/w open beta
testing and beta testing?
93. why do u save .vbs in library files in qtp winrunner