This article briefs you the different phases of QA testing and provides helpful tips for organizing effective development processes. The static testing phase involves reviewing requirements specifications, design documents and other documents related to the software product. The dynamic testing phase involves executing tests on the featured product itself followed by four main steps including planning, execution, evaluation and closure. Following are the different phases-
The Design Phase
The QA testing process should begin with designing a plan of testing activities that follows your QA testing methodology. This could include employing agile methodologies to help cooperation between development teams, and an experienced QA provider to produce a quality app. During this step, they will be able to identify potential issues and improve the overall quality of your project’s software. Efficiency is important too; therefore, you may wish to consider automating some of your processes where possible.
Test Cases
QA testing requires software testing to ensure that any software created is of high quality. The testing team must plan the process of testing the software, and this includes deciding which tests need to be completed and finding the right tools for these tests by writing the test cases without requirements. The QA team will then need senior testers to conduct the tests, as well as the testers’ manager who can coordinate and manage their efforts. When your project needs a QA team, you will also have to find users who can test the software as well.
Planning & Prioritizing
Once the design phase is done and the necessary test cases have been designed then the planning and prioritising phase is executed. The software testing life cycle is the main tool used by the testing team members to evaluate project performance. It involves a series of steps from analysing requirements, developing tests, executing tests, and preparing a test closure report keeping priority order in mind. They should also communicate with the client to gain a detailed understanding of their requirements.
Smoke Testing
It simply comes from the famous phrase, “when there’s smoke, there’s fire.” When the QA cannot perform in depth testing then the testers use basic tests of major features. Smoke testing is usually done before the product release or immediately after it. It’s an important step once the new variant is ready for testing. It helps locate the bugs in the most obvious paths.
Testing
The Test Execution Phase is the second step in the QA testing process. It involves setting up a test environment, creating test plans, and performing tests. This phase begins after the software build has been released to the testers. The Test Team must configure the hardware, software, and network settings according to the test plans. The cross browser testing is also performed as it is imperative that the end product should work perfectly on any device or platform.
Writing Bug Reports
Software testing involves testers logging bugs into a designated bug-tracking system. QA can notify a bug from the moment testers get access to a build and until the launch. A “bug” can be of any sort like a minor difference in text color (in-comparison to the final design) to a massive crash. The bug reports need to be detailed and in-depth, so that it can be prioritized by the product managers and developers can easily understand exactly how to fix them.
Testing Bug Fixes
The reported bugs need to be rectified as per priority. Once bugs are fixed then the developers can create an update version and mention it in the project tracking tool such as Jira. It’s advisable that the issues must be re tested as the responses are different on cross devices and browsers that should be fixed by the tester.
Regression Testing
Once all the reported bugs are fixed thereafter a developer creates a new version generally known as a “release candidate.” Regression testing is executed when the QA doesn’t find any new errors or bugs in it. It’s important to conduct as when the developers make changes in the code in order to fix the bugs then there’s a probability that the other parts functionality gets affected and it might stop working hence regression testing is performed to ensure the uninterrupted working of the app website or software..
Post-Launch Testing
After the regression testing the QA team carries out the test right after the launch once it’s live. It ensures that all the required alterations are working in the production environment. And if there are any bugs then QA can address them right away, so the changes can be reversed before they hit too many real users.
Rinse and Repeat
The Development Phase typically follows this where further case development takes place if needed and then it moves on Test Execution.
Quality Assurance testing is a key part of the development process and involves planning necessary tests, studying requirements, designing requirements, outlining test plans, and testing. Each individual tester gets a test team and understands the types of tests that need to be carried out. Tools are also used to track bugs and defects during this process.
It is an integral part of the software development life cycle (STLC). The goal of QA testing is to identify any requirement gaps and ensure they are corrected prior to release.
To recapitulate the entire article, the developers and QAs work together to make sure that the software produces expected outputs and improves overall quality with the help of varied testing phases.
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Written by Infiwave Solutions