Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

&
Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing
Empowering the global
community.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Testing Process

Context Dependent : Testing varies based on context but follows common activities.

Test Activities : These activities form a structured test process.

Tailored Approach : The test process can be customized based on specific factors.

Test Planning: Decides which activities to include, how to implement them, and their timing.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Test Activities
Test Planning
• Define test objectives.
• Select approach based on objectives and context constraints.

Test Monitoring and Control

• Monitoring : Check all test activities and compare progress against the plan.
• Control : Take actions to meet testing objectives.

Test Analysis
• Analyze Test Basis to identify testable features.
• Define and prioritize Test Conditions and related risks.
• Evaluate test basis and test objects for defects and testability.
• Supported by test techniques.
• Answers "What to test?" with measurable coverage criteria.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Test Activities
Test Implementation
• Create or acquire testware (e.g., test data).
• Organize test cases into Test Procedures and Test Suites.
• Create manual and automated test scripts.
• Prioritize and schedule test procedures.
• Build and verify the test environment.
Test Execution
• Run tests according to the test execution schedule.
• Execute tests manually or automatically.
• Forms: continuous testing, pair testing sessions.
• Compare actual results with expected results.
• Log test results and analyze anomalies.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Test Activities
Test Completion
• Occurs at project milestones (e.g., release, end of iteration).
• Identify and archive useful testware.
• Shut down the test environment.
• Analyze test activities for lessons learned.
• Create and communicate a test completion report

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Test Activities

Aspect Description
Focuses on defining objectives and selecting approaches within
Test Planning
constraints.
Ensures ongoing progress checks and corrective actions to align with the
Test Monitoring and Control
plan and objectives.
Identifies what to test by analyzing the Test Basis, defining test conditions,
Test Analysis and assessing risks. It uses techniques to support this analysis and
answers "what to test?"
Elaborates on how to test by developing test conditions into test cases,
Test Design
defining requirements, and using techniques. It answers "how to test?"

Prepares necessary testware, organizes test cases, creates scripts, and

Test Implementation
sets up the test environment for execution.

Executes the tests according to the schedule, logs results, compares them
Test Execution
with expected outcomes, and analyzes anomalies.

Wraps up activities, archives useful testware, analyzes lessons learned,

Test Completion
and creates a completion report for stakeholders.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Test Process in Context

Integration with Development: Testing is part of the overall development process.

Stakeholder Funding: Testing aims to fulfill stakeholders' business needs.

Contextual Factors :

Stakeholders: Needs, expectations, cooperation.

Team Members: Skills, experience, availability.

Business Domain: Criticality, risks, market needs, regulations.

Technical Factors: Software type, architecture, technology.

Project Constraints: Scope, time, budget, resources.

Organizational Factors: Structure, policies, practices.

Software Development Lifecycle: Practices, methods.

Tools: Availability, usability, compliance.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Test Process in Context

Impact on Testing :
• Test strategy
• Test techniques used
• Degree of test automation
• Level of coverage
• Detail of documentation
• Reporting

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Testware
Testware refers to all the work products produced during the testing process, including documentation, tools, and data necessary for test
execution.

Importance:
• Ensures quality and consistency across testing activities.
• Facilitates communication and coordination among testing and development teams.

Configuration Management:
• Maintains the consistency and integrity of testware.
• Allows for effective tracking and management of changes.

Types Of Testware
Test Planning Work Products:
• Test plan , Test schedule , Risk register ,Entry and exit criteria
Test Monitoring and Control Work Products:
Test progress reports , Control directives documentation , Risk information.

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Testware
Test Analysis Work Products:
Prioritized test conditions (e.g., acceptance criteria) , Defect reports for the test basis.
Test Design Work Products:
Prioritized test cases , Test charters , Coverage items , Test data and environment requirements
Test Implementation Work Products:
Test procedures , Automated test scripts , Test suites , Test data , Test execution schedule , Test environment elements (e.g., stubs,
drivers, simulators, service virtualizations)
Test Execution Work Products:
Test logs , Defect reports
Test Completion Work Products:
Test completion report , Improvement action items , Documented lessons learned , Change requests (e.g., product backlog items)

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Roles in Testing

Two Principal Roles:

• Test Management Role
• Testing Role
Test Management Role:
• Overall responsibility for test process, team, and leadership.
• Focuses on:
• Test planning
• Test monitoring and control
• Test completion
• Varies by context (e.g., Agile teams may handle some tasks).

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 Test Activities, Testware and Test Roles

Roles in Testing
Testing Role:
• Overall responsibility for the technical aspect of testing.
• Focuses on:
• Test analysis
• Test design
• Test implementation
• Test execution
Role Flexibility:
• Roles can be performed by different individuals (team leader, test manager, development manager).
• One person can take on both roles simultaneously.

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 Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing

Good Practices in Testing

•Testing Knowledge:
•Increase testing effectiveness with techniques.

•Attention to Detail:
•Be thorough, careful, curious, and methodical to identify difficult defects.

•Communication Skills:
•Good communication, active listening, and teamwork for stakeholder interaction.

•Analytical and Critical Thinking:

•Enhance testing effectiveness through problem-solving and creativity.

•Technical Knowledge:
•Increase efficiency using appropriate test tools.

•Domain Knowledge:
•Understand user needs for testing and management roles.

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 Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing

Good Practices in Testing

•Communication:
•Testers often deliver critical feedback.
•Effective communication minimizes negative perceptions.
•Avoid confirmation bias to accept new information.

•Perception Management:
•Testing can be seen as destructive.
•Emphasize testing’s role in project success and product quality.

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 Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing

Whole Team Approach

Team Collaboration:
• Testers must effectively work in a team context and contribute positively to team goals.
Role Flexibility:
• Any team member with the necessary skills can perform tasks.
• Everyone is responsible for maintaining quality standards.
Shared Workspace:
• Team members share the same workspace, either physical or virtual.
• Co-location facilitates better communication and interaction.
Benefits of Whole Team Approach:
• Improved Team Dynamics: Enhances communication and collaboration within the team.
• Synergy: Leverages diverse skill sets for the project's benefit.
Tester Collaboration:
• Testers work closely with business representatives to create suitable acceptance tests.
• Collaborate with developers to define test strategies and automation approaches.
• Transfer testing knowledge to other team members and influence product development..

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 Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing

Independence Of Testing

•Importance of Independence:
Independence makes testers more effective at finding defects due to differences in cognitive biases between testers and authors.

•Levels of Independence:
•No Independence: Testing by the product author.
•Some Independence: Testing by the author’s peers from the same team.
•High Independence: Testing by testers outside the author's team but within the organization.
•Very High Independence: Testing by testers outside the organization.

•Best Practices:
Use multiple levels of independence:
•Developers perform component and integration testing.
•Test teams conduct system and integration testing.
•Business representatives carry out acceptance testing.

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 Essential Skills and Good Practices in Testing

Independence Of Testing

•Benefits of Independent Testing:

•Recognize different kinds of failures and defects due to diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
•Verify, challenge, or disprove assumptions made during specification and implementation.

•Drawbacks of Independence:
•Potential isolation from the development team, leading to communication problems.
•Developers may lose a sense of responsibility for quality.
•Independent testers might be viewed as bottlenecks or blamed for delays.

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Thanks for your attention!
Empowering the global
community.

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