bookmark_borderMethods of ensuring software quality: Regression testing, Smoke testing, Jira, Testrail

Methods of ensuring software quality

Are you tired of software bugs causing endless delays and customer complaints? If so, you’re not alone. Ensuring software quality is essential for any company that wants to maintain a competitive edge in today’s market. In this article, we’ll explore the various methods of ensuring software quality and how you can implement them in your organization.

Software quality is a measure of how well a software product meets its requirements and expectations. A high-quality software product is reliable, efficient, secure, and easy to use. Achieving software quality requires a comprehensive approach that covers every aspect of the software development lifecycle.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Software Quality

Software quality is crucial for several reasons:

  • Customer Satisfaction: High-quality software leads to happy customers who are more likely to recommend your product to others.
  • Cost Reduction: Catching defects early in the development process reduces the cost of fixing them later on.
  • Competitive Advantage: High-quality software can give your company a competitive edge in a crowded market.
  • Legal Compliance: Software that fails to meet legal requirements can lead to costly fines and damage to your company’s reputation.

Methods of ensuring software quality

Let’s explore some testing techniques and tools used, to better understand the life cycle of testing software:

Smoke Testing, Regression Testing, Jira and TestRail

A common thing between smoke testing, regression testing, Jira, and TestRail is that all of these are used in the field of software testing to ensure the quality of the product.

Smoke testing and regression testing are two types of testing that focus on detecting errors and issues at different stages of the software development cycle.

Jira is a project management platform that enables the team to plan, track, and manage tasks related to software development.

TestRail is a test management tool that helps testing teams plan, organize, and report on the progress and results of software testing.

Smoke testing

What is a smoke test?

Have you ever heard the term “Smoke Test” and wondered what it meant? A smoke test is a type of software testing that checks if the basic functionalities of an application are working as expected, without delving into the details of the system’s components.

The Importance of Smoke Testing

Smoke testing is an essential part of the software development process as it ensures that the application is stable enough for further testing. Smoke tests are typically performed after each build or release, and they serve as a checkpoint to validate that the software is ready for more extensive testing.

Without smoke testing, defects can slip into the application, causing delays and increased costs in the development process. By running a smoke test, developers can quickly identify issues that could have a significant impact on the application’s stability, reliability, and performance. Therefore, it is crucial to include smoke testing in your testing strategy.

What Does a Smoke Test Cover?

Smoke testing is a high-level test that verifies if the core functionalities of the application are working correctly. It checks if the application can start and stop correctly if the critical features are available, and if there are any errors or crashes.

Smoke testing covers the basic functionalities of the application, such as:

  • User authentication and login
  • Navigation through the application
  • Data input and output
  • Basic search and filtering
  • Saving and retrieving data

These functionalities are the minimum requirements for a functioning application, and smoke testing ensures that they work as expected.

The Process of Smoke Testing

Smoke testing is a straightforward process that involves the following steps:

  1. Develop a smoke test suite that covers the essential functionalities of the application.
  2. Run the smoke test suite after each build or release.
  3. If the smoke test passes, proceed with further testing.
  4. If the smoke test fails, halt testing and identify the root cause of the issue.
  5. Fix the issue and re-run the smoke test.

The smoke test suite should be automated to save time and increase efficiency. Automated tests can be executed quickly and reliably, providing instant feedback on the application’s stability.

Advantages of Smoke Testing

Smoke testing has several advantages that make it an essential part of the testing process. Some of the benefits of smoke testing include:

  • Early detection of defects: Smoke testing detects defects early in the development process, making it easier and cheaper to fix them.
  • Reduced costs and time: Smoke testing saves time and reduces costs by catching defects early in the development process.
  • Increased efficiency: Automated smoke tests can be executed quickly and reliably, increasing testing efficiency and reducing the time required for testing.
  • Improved quality: Smoke testing improves the quality of the application by ensuring that the essential functionalities are working as expected.

Regression testing

What is a Regression Test?

Regression testing is the process of retesting a software system or application after a change has been made to ensure that the change has not introduced any unintended consequences or bugs. In other words, it is a way to confirm that the software still functions as intended after modifications have been made. Regression testing is essential for maintaining the quality and stability of a software system, as it ensures that changes do not have unintended consequences that could affect its overall performance.

Why is Regression Testing Important?

Regression testing is important because it helps ensure that changes made to a software system do not negatively impact its existing functionality. Without regression testing, changes made to a software system could introduce new bugs, or cause existing ones to resurface. This can lead to system crashes, user frustration, and a loss of credibility for the software vendor. Regression testing helps catch these issues before they can cause damage, ensuring that the software system remains stable and reliable.

Types of Regression Testing

There are several types of regression testing, and each one serves a specific purpose. Some of the most common types of regression testing are:

  1. Unit Regression Testing: This type of regression testing focuses on individual units of the software system and ensures that changes made to one unit do not affect other units.
  2. Partial Regression Testing: This type of regression testing only retests the parts of the software system that were affected by the change.
  3. Full Regression Testing: This type of regression testing involves testing the entire software system after a change has been made.
  4. Selective Regression Testing: This type of regression testing involves testing only the critical functionalities of the software system after a change has been made.
  5. Progressive Regression Testing: This type of regression testing is performed continuously throughout the development process to catch issues early on.

How Regression Testing Works

Regression testing works by comparing the current version of the software system to the previous version and identifying any differences between the two. The test cases that were previously passed are re-executed to ensure that they still pass, and any new or modified test cases are also executed to ensure that they pass as well. This helps ensure that the changes made to the software system have not introduced any new bugs or issues and that the existing functionalities are still intact.

Branch testing

Understanding Branch Testing

Branch testing is a software testing technique that involves testing individual branches of code in isolation. In simple terms, it involves testing each decision point or branch of code separately. It is a white-box testing technique that is used to test the logic of code. The purpose of branch testing is to identify defects in the code by testing each possible path that the code could take.

Importance of Branch Testing

Branch testing is a critical aspect of software development. It helps to ensure that the software is working correctly by testing all possible scenarios. This technique helps to identify defects that may not be apparent in other testing techniques. The importance of branch testing can be summarized as follows:

  • It helps to identify defects that may not be apparent in other testing techniques.
  • It ensures that all possible paths in the code have been tested.
  • It improves the overall quality of the software by identifying defects early in the development cycle.
  • It reduces the risk of defects going unnoticed and causing problems later on in the development cycle or after release.

How to Implement Branch Testing

Implementing branch testing involves the following steps:

Step 1: Identify the Decision Points in the Code

The first step in implementing branch testing is to identify the decision points in the code. Decision points are places in the code where the program can take different paths based on the input or conditions.

Step 2: Create Test Cases for Each Branch

The next step is to create test cases for each branch. Test cases should be designed to test each possible path that the code could take at the decision points.

Step 3: Execute the Test Cases

The next step is to execute the test cases. Each test case should be executed to ensure that the code is functioning correctly.

Step 4: Analyze the Results

The final step is to analyze the results. The results should be compared to the expected results to identify any defects in the code.

Benefits of Branch Testing

Branch testing has numerous benefits. Some of the benefits are:

  • It identifies defects that may not be apparent in other testing techniques.
  • It ensures that all possible paths in the code have been tested.
  • It improves the overall quality of the software by identifying defects early in the development cycle.
  • It reduces the risk of defects going unnoticed and causing problems later on in the development cycle or after release.
  • It saves time and money by identifying defects early in the development cycle.

Jira and TestRail

How to use Jira to write a bug

What is Jira?

Jira is a project management and issue-tracking tool developed by Atlassian. It is used by software development teams to plan, track, and release software. Jira has a wide range of features that make it a preferred choice for software development teams, including Agile project management, customizable workflows, and powerful reporting and analytics.

Writing a bug in Jira is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to write a bug in Jira:

Step 1: Create a New Issue

To write a bug in Jira, you need to create a new issue. An issue is a work item that needs to be tracked, managed, and resolved. To create a new issue, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to Jira and select the project you want to work on.
  2. Click on the “Create” button in the top right corner of the screen.
  3. Select “Bug” as the issue type.
  4. Fill in the necessary details, such as summary, description, priority, and assignee.
  5. Click on the “Create” button to create the issue.

Step 2: Provide a Detailed Description

A detailed description is essential when writing a bug in Jira. It helps the developer understand the issue and how to reproduce it. When writing a description, be as specific as possible. Include the following details:

  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • Expected behavior
  • Actual behavior
  • Environment details, such as operating system, browser, and device

Step 3: Add Attachments and Screenshots

Attachments and screenshots can provide additional information about the bug and make it easier to reproduce. To add attachments and screenshots, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the “More” button in the top right corner of the screen.
  2. Select “Attachments” or “Screenshots.”
  3. Upload the file or take a screenshot.
  4. Click on the “Add” button to add the file or screenshot to the issue.

Step 4: Set the Priority and Severity

Setting the priority and severity of the bug helps the developer understand the impact of the issue and prioritize it accordingly. When setting the priority and severity, consider the following:

  • Priority: The urgency of the issue, such as high, medium, or low.
  • Severity: The impact of the issue, such as critical, major, or minor.

Step 5: Assign the Issue

Assigning the issue to a developer or a team is essential for tracking and resolving the bug. To assign the issue, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the “Assignee” field and select the person or team responsible for resolving the issue.
  2. Click on the “Save” button to assign the issue.

Step 6: Track the Issue

Once the bug is reported, it needs to be tracked and managed until it is resolved. Jira provides several ways to track and manage issues, including:

  • Comments: Add comments to the issue to provide updates, ask questions, or provide additional information.
  • Workflows: Customize workflows to manage the lifecycle of the issue, from open to resolved.
  • Notifications: Set up notifications to receive updates on the issue, such as when it is assigned, updated, or resolved.

What is TestRail?

TestRail is a web-based tool that allows teams to create test cases, manage test runs, and track testing progress. It provides a centralized location for teams to store their test cases and results, making it easy to collaborate and share information across teams.

With TestRail, teams can:

  • Create test cases and organize them into suites and sections
  • Manage test runs and track testing progress
  • Collaborate with team members and share information
  • Generate detailed reports to analyze testing results

How Does TestRail Work?

TestRail is designed to be easy to use, even for teams that are new to test management tools. Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

  1. Create test cases: First, you’ll create your test cases. TestRail allows you to create test cases manually, or you can import them from Excel or CSV files.
  2. Organize test cases: Once you’ve created your test cases, you can organize them into suites and sections. This makes it easy to keep your test cases organized and easy to find.
  3. Create test runs: Once you have your test cases organized, you can create test runs. A test run is a collection of test cases that are executed together.
  4. Execute test cases: As you execute your test cases, you can log the results in TestRail. You can also add comments, attachments, and other information to help track issues and collaborate with team members.
  5. Analyze results: Once you’ve completed your testing, you can generate detailed reports to analyze your results. These reports can help you identify trends, track progress, and identify areas for improvement.

What Are the Benefits of Using TestRail?

There are many benefits to using TestRail, including:

  1. Improved collaboration: TestRail provides a centralized location for teams to store their test cases and results, making it easy to collaborate and share information.
  2. Streamlined testing processes: TestRail helps teams streamline their testing processes by providing a structured framework for creating, organizing, and executing test cases.
  3. Improved testing accuracy: TestRail helps teams improve their testing accuracy by providing detailed reports and analytics that can help identify areas for improvement.
  4. Reduced testing time: By streamlining testing processes and improving testing accuracy, TestRail can help reduce testing time and speed up software releases.

Why is it Important to Test on Multiple Devices?

Developers, designers, and testers need to consider the importance of testing on multiple devices to ensure their applications work correctly on every device. The testing process is vital to ensure that the applications function as expected, and the end-users have a seamless experience.

The Significance of Testing on Multiple Devices

The use of different devices is growing every day, and so is the need for testing applications across them. Here are some reasons why it is important to test on multiple devices:

Ensures Compatibility

One of the significant benefits of testing on multiple devices is to ensure compatibility. By testing across various devices, you can identify compatibility issues early in the development process. This means that you can avoid issues that may occur when the application is released, resulting in a better user experience.

Identifies UI and UX Issues

Testing on multiple devices allows you to identify UI and UX issues, ensuring that the design and user interface are consistent and user-friendly across all devices. By doing so, you can eliminate inconsistencies and ensure that your users get a consistent experience, no matter what device they are using.

Reduces the Risk of Bugs

Testing on multiple devices reduces the risk of bugs. It allows you to catch errors early in the development process, which can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. By identifying and fixing bugs early on, you can avoid costly rework and ensure that your application is ready to go to market on time.

Enhances Performance

By testing on multiple devices, you can optimize your application’s performance, ensuring that it runs smoothly on all devices. It allows you to identify performance issues early in the development process, which can significantly enhance your application’s performance.

Increases User Satisfaction

Testing on multiple devices helps increase user satisfaction by ensuring that your application works correctly on all devices. When users have a seamless experience, they are more likely to use your application again and recommend it to others.

Why is it Important to Test on Multiple Devices?

Testing on multiple devices is essential for a variety of reasons. It ensures compatibility, identifies UI and UX issues, reduces the risk of bugs, enhances performance, and increases user satisfaction. But why is it so crucial? Let’s explore.

Diverse Devices

There are many different devices in the market, ranging from smartphones and tablets to laptops and desktop computers. Each device has its specifications, screen sizes, resolutions, and software versions. Testing on a single device is not enough to ensure that your application works seamlessly across all devices. By testing on multiple devices, you can ensure that your application works correctly across all platforms, devices, and screen sizes.

Different Operating Systems

Different devices have different operating systems, and each operating system has its quirks and peculiarities. Testing on multiple devices ensures that your application works correctly across all operating systems. By doing so, you can avoid compatibility issues and provide your users with a seamless experience, no matter what device they are using.

User Expectations

Users expect applications to work seamlessly on all devices. They want to be able to use your application on their smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer without any issues. By testing on multiple devices, you can ensure that your application meets the expectations of your users and provide them with a seamless experience.

Market Competition

The market is highly competitive, and there are many applications available for users to choose from. If your application does not work correctly on a particular device, users may switch to another application that does. Testing on multiple devices ensures that your application works correctly on all devices, giving you a competitive edge in the market.

For a better understanding you can watch this video too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5qK4SjC4N8

bookmark_borderUsability testing

Usability testing

Usability testing is the process of assessing a product using real users. Usually, participants will attempt to execute standard activities during a test while observers watch, listens, and take notes.

This study aims to evaluate the product’s usability, gather qualitative and quantitative information, and assess participant satisfaction.

What’s UX usability testing?

UX (user experience) is fundamental to a product’s success, therefore it’s critical to put the user at the forefront of all design and development decisions from the start. A product must fulfill end-user needs in a way that is intuitive, simple, and elegant. Just meeting those goals is not enough. Every product must provide an outstanding user experience.

A vital part of good user experience design is usability testing. It enables you to test hypotheses, support research, and prevent unpleasant shocks or disappointments during late development or go-to-market. The only way to ensure that a product will deliver what customers are ready to pay for is through usability testing.

What are the 3 types of usability testing?

Moderated testing: In this type of user testing, a moderator who is knowledgeable about facilitation, quality assurance, and the product itself guides testers through test cases. In addition to collecting end-user input, the moderator will also compile comments and observations. Moderated testing can be done in person or remotely.

Usability Labs: Usability labs are planned events when end-user testers are hired and pre-defined testing is carried out on certain functions. Using qualitative and quantitative techniques, end-user preferences and behavioral information are acquired throughout these testing sessions. Usability labs need more preparation, but the results are more thorough and comprehensive.

Guerilla Testing: This kind of testing involves approaching potential end users and asking them to participate in a brief (10–15 minute) sessions that are focused on certain test cases or objectives. Testing costs are often low since guerilla testing may be as informal as approaching people in a coffee shop. The breadth, extent, and focus of the input, nevertheless, might vary.

What types of usability testing are there?

The primary usability testing techniques are briefly described in the section below:

Hallway Testing

This type of testing implies the use of random people to test the website instead of using experts who have experience and training in website testing.

Remote Usability Testing

You can test a website’s usability testing using users from different nations and time zones. Occasionally, you can use video conferencing for remote testing, while other times, the user and the evaluator work independently.

Expert Review

A professional in the area is consulted to assess the website’s usability. When evaluating a site, the expert may be brought to a testing facility or the testing may be done remotely with automated findings for review.

Paper Prototype Testing

Simply said, this usability testing technique entails producing rough, even hand-sketched, interface designs that you can use as prototypes or models for a design.

Questionnaires and Interviews

Interviews allow the observer to pose direct questions to the participants because they are one-on-one encounters. Similarly, using questionnaires, the observers can pose questions.

Do-it-Yourself Walkthrough

In this method, the observer creates plausible scenarios to simulate a usability test, as the name suggests. Then, just like a user, they proceed through the process themselves.

Controlled Experiments

A strategy that resembles scientific research and usually entails a side-by-side evaluation of two items and meticulous statistical balance in a lab.

Automated Usability Evaluation

To automate online usability testing, you can create numerous research papers and prototypes, all with varying degrees of success.

What isn’t usability testing?

The techniques listed below are not categorized as usability testing:

  • A/B testing: In contrast to usability testing, which looks at user behavior, A/B testing involves comparing various iterations of a website to see which performs best.
  • Acceptance testing: Acceptance testing is a technical test for quality assurance, not an assessment of how user-friendly and effective the product is.
  • Focus groups: When doing a focus group researchers assemble a small group of people to talk about a certain subject.
  • Surveys: Surveys are a tool for measuring user experience and can be employed in conjunction with usability testing to get user feedback.
  • Heatmaps: Heatmaps are a wonderful way to watch and objectively measure behavior on your website, but since they report on user behaviors on average, they aren’t exactly usability testing.

Examples of Usability testing

Here you can find some real-world examples of usability testing:

Movista

Movista is a workforce management program used by manufacturers and retailers’ suppliers. A smartphone app, aids users in planning and carrying out duties both in-store and out in the field.

Feature

Movista is poised to introduce new messaging, chad, and announcements offerings as a part of a broader redesign of its entire platform. This will improve communication between those working in-store and those out in the field.

Usability testing strategy:

Due to the late stage of the development of Movista’s new communications function, they tested a high-fidelity prototype.

They conducted these tests to address any remaining usability problems, which can be more difficult to spot during the process.

They aimed to obtain more statistically significant findings to confirm their designs before launch by conducting the test on a larger sample size. The fundamental structure of the usability test involved giving participants a fairly precise task to complete before asking them an open-ended question about their experience.

The group would rank people’s comments and then consider alternative options if there was a steady demand for them.

They ultimately decided to move the stage of picking a recipient to far earlier in the process based on the insights they gained from the final findings and feedback.

McDonald’s

One of the biggest fast-food restaurant businesses in the world, McDonald’s serves an astounding 62 million people per day. McDonald’s, however, was slow to adopt the mobile revolution as its app for smartphones just debuted in August 2015.

In light of the opposition, McDonald’s needed to catch up. They chose to work with UK-based SimpleUsability before releasing their app in the UK to find any usability issues. Twenty usability tests were to be conducted as part of the test strategy, with task scenarios that spanned the whole customer experience from beginning to end. 225 end-user interviews were included in the test strategy.

Several usability problems were found during the investigation, including:

  • Poor call-to-action button display and functionality
  • Issues with communication between restaurants and the mobile apps
  • The overall user experience was hampered by the absence of order personalization and favoriting

SoundCloud

With more than 175 million unique monthly listeners, SoundCloud is the top music and audio distribution network in the world. To continuously test the usability of the SoundCloud mobile app, SoundCloud recruited test IO, a usability testing company with offices in Berlin.

SoundCloud’s strict development schedule necessitated the necessity for ongoing human user testing to guarantee that all new upgrades function properly on all devices and OS versions.

The main goals of SoundCloud’s ongoing usability tests were to:

  • Offer mobile app users a user-friendly listening experience
  • Find and fix software bugs before the general release
  • Streamline the process of creating a mobile application

They found over 150 usability flaws, including 11 critical ones, in the initial usability assessments. Internal bug testing probably wouldn’t have uncovered these problems. This is because they used users from a variety of devices and locales to test the software.

A testing scale this vast would have been exceedingly costly and challenging to accomplish without remote usability testing.

Halo: Combat Evolved

The first video game in the wildly popular Halo franchise was “Halo: Combat Evolved.” Within ten years of its release, Microsoft was able to sell more than 46 million copies of the Halo video games worldwide, contributing to video game and hardware revenues of more than $5 billion.

The Halo team assembled a group of console gamers to test the prototype of their game to see if they enjoyed playing it. And if they weren’t having fun, they were interested in finding out why not.

They placed the test participants in a sizable outdoor environment for the usability sessions, where opponents were waiting for them on the other side of the open area.

What the designers of the game expected:

They expected that when players sprinted closer to the adversaries, major combat rife with excitement and action would ensue.

What happened:

The test subjects would maintain the greatest possible distance from the adversaries and fire from a distance across the outdoor area rather than placing themselves at risk by moving closer. Although it was a secure and successful technique, the players found it to be quite dull and uninteresting.

The solution:

To warn players when they were too far from adversaries, the aiming indication in the center of the screen changed in size and color.

Website usability testing?

Website usability testing is the process of assessing your website’s functioning and design by watching visitors’ actions and behavior while they carry out particular tasks.

What methods of usability testing are there?

Moderated + in-person usability testing

The most control is provided in-person, moderated tests. They require a lot of resources, but they are great for gathering comprehensive data.

  • Lab usability testing: This kind of usability testing is conducted inside a lab that has been specially designed for it. While a skilled moderator watches and observes, test participants work on computers or mobile devices to accomplish tasks.
  • Guerilla testing: In this type of testing, people are randomly selected from a public area. They are requested to do a brief usability test in return for a gift card or another kind of reward.

Moderated + remote

You need a skilled moderator to conduct moderated and remote usability tests, using a computer or phone.

  • Phone interviews: In a phone usability test, the user’s online activity is remotely recorded while the moderator gives participants spoken instructions on how to accomplish tasks on their computers and gather information.
  • Card sorting: It involves writing topics on digital note cards and letting people organize and categorize the cards. They discuss their reasoning in a debriefing session led by the moderator after sorting the cards.

Unmoderated + remote

These passive testing methods, which mainly rely on computer programs, shed light on how people interact with a website in its “natural habitat”.

  • Session recording: This type of usability testing is using software to capture behaviors like mouse clicks, movement, and scrolling from actual (but anonymous) users.
  • Online testing tools and platforms: Numerous online testing tools enable you to observe user activity on your website from a distance. Some of those platforms let you pay participants to take quick tests, while others keep an eye on the actions of actual users as they navigate your website.

Unmoderated + in-person

You can administer unmoderated in-person tests in a controlled physical environment without a test administrator.

  • Observation: Researchers can observe participants’ facial expressions and body language during observational testing without the moderator’s involvement.
  • Eye-tracking: Using a specialized pupil-tracking gadget attached to a computer, researchers track and analyze users’ eye movements during eye-tracking testing. The computer can produce heatmaps or movement pathways diagrams by examining where users focus their attention when asked to perform a task.

Why Usability testing should be a priority

The danger of creating the incorrect product is decreased by conducting usability testing properly, when necessary, with the appropriate group of individuals, saving time, money, and other valuable resources. In other terms, if done early on, when the product is still in the paper prototyping stage, it identifies issues when they are simple and inexpensive to resolve. Additionally, when carried out on a mature product, it aids in understanding user success rates and the time required to perform tasks.

10 benefits of usability testing

Your close familiarity with your website or app may make it difficult for you to spot some usability difficulties that unbiased users from the outside may notice—helping you identify problems that you might have otherwise overlooked.

Using usability testing can help you to:

  1. Validate your prototype
  2. Make sure your product lives up to expectations.
  3. Determine the problems with complex flows
  4. Additional numerical data points
  5. Detect small mistakes
  6. Develop compassion
  7. Get buy-in for change
  8. Improve the user experience
  9. Saving money
  10. Save time and resources

Usability testing for Mobile?

Mobile app usability testing involves evaluating a mobile app’s usability on actual users. It demonstrates how simple the mobile application is to use and explains how it can better assist a brand’s main marketing goals.

Usability testing for Desktop?

You can do desktop application usability testing to uncover faults and defects in software and identify areas that you need to strengthen.

What are some Usability Testing interview questions?

There are basic questions that can be useful in every testing scenario, even though each case necessitates a new collection of usability test questions.

The following are three major categories of user testing inquiries:

  • Screening questions: a set of inquiries designed to assess a test taker’s qualifications.
  • In-test questions: a sequence of inquiries focused on your test objective. There are both general and particular inquiries regarding your product in the in-test questions.
  • Post-test questions: a series of inquiries you make after the meeting. These could involve elaborating queries.

How to do Usability testing?

A researcher (referred to as a “facilitator” or “moderator”) encourages a participant to complete tasks during a usability-testing session, typically utilizing one or more particular user interfaces. The researcher monitors the participant’s behavior and hears feedback as they complete each task.

How is usability testing performed?

Here are five steps on how you can perform usability testing

  1. Make task analyses and metrics decisions

You must first determine your metrics. Usability testing can reveal a wide range of problems, but if it isn’t targeted to identify particular metrics, it won’t be a good use of your time or money.

  1. Choose the ideal test type

Usability testing comes in a variety of shapes and levels of effort and expense. The measurements and activities you developed in the first phase will determine the type of test that works best for your website.

  1. Locate Reliable Participants

A UserTesting poll found that 41% of businesses hire between six and ten users, while 33% hire five or fewer.

  1. Decide When, Where, and Who

The decisions you have to take from here are:

  • Remote or in person
  • Moderated or unmoderated
  1. Repeat

Even though there is some debate regarding its contribution to innovation, iterative testing is the secret to great usability. What does iteration in the context of design mean? It implies that your work is never over; after developing a website, you continue to

How do you prepare for usability testing?

Recruiting people, assigning team roles and tasks, preparing or utilizing other forms, producing questionnaires, using standard post-test questionnaires, designing or using qualitative feedback methods, and testing the test are some of the actions involved in preparation for usability testing.

What are some business benefits of usability testing?

You can develop your product to provide an ideal user experience the more knowledge you have about how your users interact with it.

The following are some of the main benefits of usability testing in the creation of apps:

  • Save a ton of time and money: You may check that your app works properly and that its primary features are clear to use by conducting user testing. As a result, you may quickly find and fix problems with the user journeys early in the initial design rather than investing in a final project that doesn’t work out.
  • Find excellent opportunities: More than ever, they want convenience. If the possibility exists, users who wish to acquire a specific product through their app but are unable to do so because the ordering process is flawed or complicated would undoubtedly order it from a rival. You can find user annoyances through user testing that otherwise would go unnoticed.
  • Assure ease of use: Even though participants have no trouble using the application, a usability test can show how long it took them to figure it out if they ran into any problems, and how many steps they had to take to complete a particular task.
  • Obtain a significant competitive advantage: With so many applications available, you will need to go above and beyond to give your consumers an app they will select over another. The development of a product that goes above performance and gives a much-improved user experience is aided by usability testing.

How to conduct usability testing?

With the aid of this strategy, you can comprehend how simple it is for a user to utilize the application, how adaptable it is with controls, and how capable it is of achieving its goals.

Here are some steps on how to conduct usability testing:

Create the objective and purpose

Ask yourself what the test’s purpose is before you begin the actual testing. Is it the gathering of user data or the verification of user behavior when using the interface? The testing format will be determined by the purpose.

Select the test method

Select the testing technique that best fits your product taking into account the budget, people resources, and stage of product development.

Create the test strategy

Establish the testing process’s objective to keep the goals succinct.

List the queries and assignments

After the strategy has been decided, it is time to get ready for the test itself. Give the users a list of the responsibilities and inquiries that will help them get there.

Select a location and space

Consider the ensuing organizational issues:

“Where will the testing take place?”

“Will the testing be held online or onsite?”

Select the moderator

Select a person who interacts with the user and controls the entire testing procedure, leading the user every step of the way.

Determine the collaborators, helpers, and observers

Engage assistants, observers, and collaborators who can help you conduct the test in an objective and transparent manner for full efficiency.

Locate and select the participants

Decide who your target market is, then choose groups of users to test the product with. Ensure that you hire individuals who are not involved in product development. You’ll require 5-7 users.

Assemble the test materials

To perform the test, assemble the testing prototypes.

Hold a short warmup

By enquiring about their expectations for the project, you can try to break the ice.

Give users an assignment and a goal

While you shouldn’t try to sway the user’s opinion of the product, you should make sure they are fully informed of the objectives and tasks they must accomplish.

Keep an eye on how the consumer uses the app

Testing serves a purpose that goes beyond merely achieving objectives. Another important factor is how the user navigates the app flow.

Summarize the user’s experience

Gather the testing data so that you can further evaluate it with product managers and designers.

Analyze data and observations

Be prepared for unforeseen test findings. Analyze the data, and prepare to make significant adjustments to the current products.

How to do usability testing for a web application?

If your main method of doing business is online, your website is your online real estate. However, the likelihood of a bad user experience increases if the website doesn’t follow contemporary web design principles. The usability and intuitiveness of your website should be excellent regardless of how or why users go there.

QAs put a website through several user scenarios that are likely to be encountered when using it as part of online usability testing or web usability testing. It entails carrying out several user behaviors that new website visitors typically take.

Another QA observes user actions as they are being carried out to assess how usable the site is. Feedback is given right away since any problems that arise throughout the testing process can be seen and noted by the observer right away.

How to do usability testing for a mobile application?

Usability, according to research, is crucial to the success of mobile apps. In reality, a recurring theme across popular mobile phone applications is that users tend to think of them as simple to use, user-friendly, and quicker to complete tasks.

Mobile application usability testing can be done using one of two main approaches. Each has advantages and cons of its own, as is obvious. Which are:

  1. Laboratory-based usability testing
  2. Remote usability testing

The “Components” of a usability test conducted in a lab

In lab-based usability assessment, test subjects are observed as they complete prescribed tasks on a mobile device.

The Test Method

The testing process can be divided into the following six steps:

  1. Welcome and sign the permission form
  2. Preliminary interview
  3. Completing the test requirements
  4. A post-test survey
  5. Interview after test
  6. Debriefing

It’s critical to remember that usability testing is more than just a task to cross off the project schedule. The team should have a purpose for testing, and then put the findings into practice.

bookmark_borderWhy QA is important – Guide for Quality Assurance

Why QA is important

This article explores the reasons why QA is important and outlines some of the key factors that make QA essential to every software project.

The victory of software development depends on quality assurance, known as QA. It checks the finished product for compatibility, functionality, and usability to make sure it lives up to expectations.

Some of the essential points of the importance of QA are:

  • Quality assurance is essential to ensure software products meet the user’s needs and expectations;
  • QA testing can detect errors on, saving time and money in the developing process;
  • A strong QA process can improve customer experience and loyalty by providing a quality product that meets their needs.

What is Quality Assurance?

To identify and correct faults in software systems, you can use quality assurance. Verifying that the software system complies with the customers’ specifications is the aim of quality assurance.

The reliability and maintainability of the software system are also ensured with the aid of software quality assurance.

When quality assurance is a first priority, everyone in a company is focusing on producing outputs that are free of errors. Software testing services entail the implementation of efficient processes that anticipate potential issues and eliminate the need for workarounds.

Companies that value quality assurance urge staff to see every stage of the software development process as a “product” with a “customer” in mind. Consequently, a business analyst gives project managers, designers, and developers information.

A designer builds a product that developers may use to translate wireframes and images into functional code, and so forth.

What does Quality Assurance Mean for Software Testing?

Quality assurance is an important part of software testing. It is a process of ensuring that the software meets the requirements of the customer and is free from any defects. It includes activities such as setting up test plans, developing test cases, executing tests, logging defects and tracking their resolution.

QA involves analyzing the results of the tests and ensuring that the software meets the required standards. It is essential for ensuring that the software is reliable, efficient, and secure.

Quality assurance helps to ensure that the software is working as intended and that you can identify any issues before you release the software.

The Benefits of Quality Assurance

There are many benefits of quality assurance for software testing. It helps to ensure that the software meets the required quality standards and it helps to identify and fix errors that could lead to software failures.

Is a critical part of the software development process and it helps to ensure that the software is fit for purpose and is fit to use.

Quality assurance also helps to improve the existing quality of a product while also helping to minimize customer risks. By identifying and fixing defects in software early on, QA minimizes the risks of those defects being exposed to customers.

Why QA is important?

Quality assurance may assist in locating any possible issues with the product. It can identify a manufacturing process component that can be rapidly rectified. As it draws attention to expensive or inefficient operations, it may also be quite helpful in keeping expenses under control.

Because consumers have favorable experiences with a product, effective QA practices may also improve a brand’s reputation. Supervisors can prioritize resolving production difficulties as soon as possible and making sure no new problems arise.

Time is saved with quality assurance

While developing error-catching systems takes time at the beginning of the process, fixing problems that are permitted to occur or spiral out of control takes even longer. An excellent example is the creation of software.

An investigation revealed that correcting a mistake later, in the requirements design stage, might take up to 150 times longer.

  • Quality assurance testing helps identify errors in the software development process before it goes live, which can help save time and resources in the event of a major issue;
  • Time is also saved as an organization does not have to deal with customers complaints and support requests that would have arisen from a faulty launch;
  • Automated testing tools such as unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end are essential for catching errors quickly and efficiently, helping to ensure the timely of high products and services.

Quality assurance reduces costs

Some businesses might be reluctant to engage in quality assurance due to the cost, yet doing so really saves money in the long run. It is less expensive to invest in issue prevention than in problem repair.

Since you will waste nothing, quality assurance methods help reduce material costs. For instance, if a company produces a product without having quality assurance procedures in place, that product won’t sell as well or customers may complain about it. The company must then spend more money on producing additional products to replace the inferior ones.

Quality Assurance Helps You Stay Ahead Of Competitors

If you are looking to stay ahead of competitors, you need to ensure that your products meet the highest standards possible. This means that you should perform thorough testing and analysis to ensure that your products are as good as they can be.

You can meet consumer expectations

Customers have high expectations, and negative product experiences might leave an adverse memory. If a customer is unhappy, they may select a different vendor or opt not to make another transaction.

Effective quality assurance systems prevent the social media sharing of defective or subpar products, which may be detrimental to enterprises. If a customer is not pleased with a purchase they could spread the word, which would harm the company’s reputation.

How QA Helps Improve Productivity

Quality assurance helps reduce errors and maximize efficiency by catching mistakes before they reach the customer. This ensures that you deliver the product or service of the highest quality, with all processes and procedures adhering to the established standards.

Quality assurance teams review every step of the production process to identify any potential issues or discrepancies that may arise. They then take the necessary steps to address and resolve the issues to ensure that the product or service meets all the established requirements.

QA is an important tool for any organization, helping to protect its reputation and maintain customer trust.

Quality assurance includes a range of activities such as testing, inspecting, and auditing, which help to identify and resolve any issues that may arise. It helps to ensure that you deliver the product to the customer as expected and is fit for purpose.

Identifying Quality Problems Through QA

Quality assurance processes help to identify problems with a product before you release it. Ensuring the quality of the product is of utmost importance to business, which is why it is so critical for any product life cycle.

It is important to find and fix defects and ensure the product meets all the requirements of the customer.

QA teams should use both manual and automated tests to thoroughly evaluate a product for potential issues.

Manual testing is essential for exploring the usability of a product. You can use automated tests to quickly and accurately assess the system’s performance, stability and security.

Working together, the manual and automated tests can provide valuable insights into the quality of the product and can help identify any problems that you need to address.

Conclusion

Overall, the importance of QA cannot be underestimated. It ensures that products are developed and delivered with consistency, quality, and reliability. Poor QA leads to unreliable products that fail to meet customer expectations.

A good QA strategy can help reduce costs as well as enhance customer satisfaction. Therefore, businesses need to adopt a comprehensive approach to testing, involving both manual and automated testing tools for better results.

If you thought this article was helpful, you can read more here about “QA testing definition.”

bookmark_borderHow do KPIs work in QA – Use KPIs to improve your QA process

How do KPIs work in QA

Quality assurance (QA) is a process or set of processes that help ensure that the products meet customer expectations and requirements. QA is typically associated with software testing but can be applied to any product. In this article, we will discuss how do KPIs work in QA and how to use them to improve your QA process.

Key performance indicators (KIPs) are metrics that are used to track progress and success. In QA, KPIs are used to track the performance of the QA team and the quality of the products they produce.

There are many different KPI s that can be used in QA, but some of the most common include defect density, cycle time, and customer satisfaction.

What is KPI?

KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a metric used to evaluate the performance of a process or team. In quality assurance, KPIs can be used to track progress and identify areas for improvement. By setting and tracking KPIs, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your QA process.

There is no hard and fast standard for measuring all of these KPIs, and you can also create KPIs that are not on the list. The following are the most commonly measured KPIs in the software testing industry:

Automated Tests

This KPI compares the percentage of automated test cases to the overall number of test cases. A greater percentage usually indicates a better chance of getting any breaks throughout automation runs.

The percentage of automation threshold should be determined based on the kind of product and the price of automation.

Authored Tests

This KPI can be used to track the number of tests created in a given period. This also aids in comparing test cases to necessities, and the constructed test cases can be analyzed for integration in the regression testing process or ad hoc test suite.

Covered Requirements

This KPI is used to assess the alignment of test cases and demands. A test manager is responsible for ensuring that all requirements have appropriate test cases and for taking action on any requirements that could not be plotted to any test case and vice versa.

The goal is to maintain a 100% mapping of requirements to test cases.

Active Defects

Active Defects are all defects that have not yet been ended. It may contain new, unresolved or untested defects. The testing manager must decide on a threshold value above which instant action should be taken to reduce the number of active defects.

The general rule is that the fewer active defects there are, the higher the quality of the product then.

Defects Fixed Per Day

This is employed to evaluate the efficiency of the development. It is open to interpretation because some bugs may be more difficult to fix than others. This could be used to forecast how much work the testing team will have to do.

Rejected Defects

This KPI compares the percentage of rejected defects to the overall number of defects identified. If the percentage exceeds the threshold value, the underlying problem must be identified and addressed. This could imply more software tester training or improved requirement documentation.

Defects Closure Rate

This KPI is used to assess tester performance in terms of confirming and closing fixed defects. It also aids in better estimating the release cycle.

Reviewed Requirements

This KPI ensures that any criterion that the testing and development team is operating on has been examined and approved by the subject matter expert. Unreviewed requirements may result in inefficient development and testing, which will be expensive in the long run.

Passed Requirements

This KPI is useful when determining the release of a product; if any requirements have not passed testing, the release should just be postponed.

Passed Tests

The number of flaws reported via designed test cases is evaluated to determine the efficiency of the test case design methodology.

Tests Executed

This KPI tracks the complete number of test cases done on a build, both manual and automated, at any particular time.

Test Instances Executed

This KPI is used to determine the velocity of test execution at any given time to ensure that the testing cycle is on the path to the release.

Time schedule and constraint

This KPI is employed to calculate the average amount of time required to run a test. This is useful when offering testing timelines during release planning.

How to use KPIs to improve your QA process

There are a few key ways to use to your advantage:

  1. Set specific, measurable goals for your KPIs: Without specific goals, it will be difficult to gauge whether or not your KPIs are improving your process.
  2. Use data to drive your KPIs: This means constantly collecting data on your process and using it to inform your decisions on which KPIs to focus on.
  3. Be sure to track both qualitative and quantitative data: While numbers are important, they don’t tell the whole story. Be sure to also collect data on things like customer satisfaction, error rates, and repeat incidents.
  4. Monitor your KPIs constantly: Set goals for each cycle or iteration of your product and constantly monitor your KPIs. If you don’t hit your goal, then your need to figure out why and make adjustments.
  5. Be cautious when selecting KPIs to measure quality assurance: Some of them can encourage bad behavior, like measuring the number of defects removed. Instead, focus on indicators that measure the quality assurance process itself, like cycle time or defect density.

Identifying what to measure

There are a few things to consider when trying to improve your QA process with KPIs.

First, you need to identify which aspects of your process need improvement. Once you know what needs to be improved, you can select KPIs that will help you measure progress in those areas.

For example, if you want to improve the speed of your QA process, you could track the time it takes to complete each stage of testing, If you want to improve the accuracy of your QA process, you could track the number of errors that are found during testing.

By tracking those KPIs, you can see how your QA process is improving over time and make adjustments as necessary to continue improving your process.

When are KPIs particularly useful?

  • You have a large testing staff

Having a large testing team also implies that testing tasks will be distributed widely. Monitoring some testing KPIs will be advantageous in ensuring that tasks are dispersed effectively and efficiently.

  • You’ve been working on the same testing procedure for quite some time.

When you have properly implemented a test plan and have executed it several times, it is time to measure the KPIs to determine which areas of your testing process require improvement.

  • You are considering implementing new testing procedures.

If you are considering retooling your testing process, having some KPIs compared to the original procedure will be beneficial. It will assist you in determining what objectives to pursue with the new testing methods.

Creating a process for measuring

Creating a process for measuring KPIs can help improve your QA process in several ways,

First, it can help identify areas of improvement within the process. Second, it can help track progress and identify trends over time. Third, it can help benchmark your process against others.

Finally, it can help ensure that quality standards are being met. By taking the time to measure KPIs, you can improve your QA process and ensure that products are of the highest quality.


In conclusion, KPIs are an important tool for measuring progress and determining whether or not a QA team is meeting its goals. However, it’s important to remember that KPIs should e used as a guide, not as a strict metric. The team should always be striving to improve, regardless of the numbers.

Read about “QA manager responsibilities in software testing” too

bookmark_borderManual testing advantages and disadvantages

Manual testing advantages and disadvantages

Manual testing has been around for a long time and is still widely used in software development. In this post, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of manual testing. This will help you decide if it’s the right approach for your project.

Table of Contents

Why is Manual Testing necessary?

Increasing numbers of software professionals favor automated testing as a result of shifting market trends, but manual testing is still necessary for a variety of reasons.

People’s Perspective

Only humans can view and assess the application’s fundamental usability and look and feel. Since the program was created only for humans, only they can validate it more effectively from the viewpoint of the user experience.

A broader viewpoint and different System workflows

A larger view of the entire application is always provided by manual verification. Since the human mind will never be a coding system that repeats the same steps repeatedly, it will always be exploring. As a result, it will offer wider coverage for system validation.

The price of automation

We usually favor rapid manual validation over automated testing because there are situations when prolonged efforts for automation are not acceptable given the dates or scope of the project.

What are the main benefits of manual testing?

In a few sentences, we can say that dedicated manual testers have a better understanding of how a software product feels to its users. This is because they have spent many hours using the product. This ability gives them an advantage when it comes to performing tests on the usability of a software application.

This proposition is correct, or at the very least true. Especially for the traditional automated testing frameworks that are used by many developers and quality assurance professionals. Some modern test automation tools are focusing more and more on a user’s behavior and journey. Especially for the traditional automated testing frameworks that are used by many developers and quality assurance professionals. Some modern test automation tools are focusing more and more on a user’s behavior and journey.

Also, manual testers can detect coding issues that might be missed by an automated test. Over time, defects have become increasingly complex, requiring human intervention to detect and resolve them.

Manual Testing Steps

  • Examine the manuals and documentation for the software project;
  • Study the Application Under Test (AUT)
  • Create test cases that address all the specifications specified in the documentation.
  • Together with the client and team leader, evaluate and establish the test cases.
  • Apply the test cases to the application that is being tested.
  • Report the discovered bugs
  • Run the failed test cases once more once issues have been addressed to ensure they pass.

Manual Testing Types

Manual testing can be carried out in a variety of ways, but it can be broadly divided into three types:

Black Box Testing

By manually giving the various test cases, the test examines the functionality of the specific module, specific method, orthodox, or occasionally the entire program.

Here, the tester will provide the application’s input and manually test it.

If it produces the desired outcome, the tester will move on to another set of inputs and inform the team of all the findings. The user will notify the development team of the problem if the manually entered data is unsuccessful during testing.

White Box Testing

This method involves the system’s internal workings of the system, such as design and coding.

Here, the development team will go through every line of code to make sure it is written correctly.

He or she will correct or fix any faults in the coding or designs if they are discovered to be inconsistent or in error.

Gray Box Testing

This method combines both black-box testing and white-box testing.

In this case, the tester has a partial understanding of the internal organization of the application.

The tester will manually examine the application’s core architecture and functionality. He or she will manually examine the provide many test cases while also revising the coding and testing the application.

The tester will alter the coding portion if the input fails at some point.

What exactly is automated testing, and what are its advantages?

The procedure of using a computer program to automatically test the functions and features of a piece of software to discover errors is known as automated testing.

The main advantage of automation is that it will allow your team to save time. By doing so, they can focus on more strategic and creative tasks.

Another advantage is that automated tests enable regression testing after modifications to a software’s code have been formed. This is saving time and money as the product progresses through its stages of development.

How can you combine manual and automated testing?

Automated tests are great at helping ensure the functional performance and capability of an app. Still, there are certain aspects of the software that can only be accurately captured via manual testing.

Most of the test automation is still limited by the code. It means that, if a system failure occurred in a server of an application, the code-based automated test suite would miss it.

A manual tester, however, can easily detect such errors y manually testing server response time.

A tool like UIlicious – which focuses on the user journey rather than the product’s code – could be described as a middle ground. Perhaps, especially if your primary focus is to facilitate your QA team on cases related to user behavior.

When should manual or automated testing be used?

Automated and manual testing should be used at different times.

Automated testing is ideal for detecting specification-based issues, which makes it the perfect tool for regression testing. Automate your regression tests to run regularly. Preferably after each new release or during integration time to catch any issues early on.

Most automated test frameworks can help you check the basic features of an application and its functions,

UIlicious is an exceptional tool that will let you conduct automated tests of your web so that they focus on how the app works from the user’s perspective.

The benefits of manual testing over automated testing

Works based on human intelligence

Manual testing allows testers to use their brains instead of relying on particular tools or scripts. This lets them use their innate higher cognitive abilities to write better test cases,

When it comes to finding more bugs, you can be sure that they can detect more issues with human perception than automated systems.

This is also the reason you will always require a human to evaluate the tests generated by automated testing tools.

Let the testers focus on complicated functions and features

It can be time-consuming to use automated tests to simulate every single scenario associated with a feature. Manual testing allows testers to focus less on emulating every different type of user path and concentrate more on thinking about special cases for complicated features and functions.

However, you can use datasets to reuse the same automated test scripts without needing to re-write every single line of code.

Identify the tester’s understanding of the product

By investing more time in familiarizing themselves with a product’s characteristics and functions, manual testing enables testers to observe its quality during its development cycle.

This allows them to keep information about the project, which will be beneficial if problems occur after modifications to the code have been produced.

This is one of the purposes we always advise manually testing a scenario before considering automating it.

Identifying errors in other areas of the software

Manual testing entails looking for bugs that do not affect the code, such as server response time. Most classic automated test tools, on the other hand, are restricted to what they can find inside the product’s code.

Providing accurate and objective emulation of user experience

Manual testing allows testers to utilize their knowledge and experience to mimic the user experience. On the other hand, automated tests risk failing to simulate various kinds of user perceptions due to numerous factors in real-world scenarios.

It contributes to the maintenance of a testable system.

Because automated tests cannot test the system in which they are embedded, manual testing can assist testers in identifying bugs that could render an application untestable.

The drawbacks of using manual testing

It takes longer than automated testing

Manual testing necessitates additional hours spent manually testing each feature and function of the application. This takes longer than running automated tests, which take only a fraction of the time. Automated tests can also run without guidance overnight.

It is susceptible to human mistakes.

Automated tests are significantly less likely to make mistakes than manual ones because their creators no longer need to focus on the tedious task of finding and fixing each bug.

Maintaining test cases it takes time

It ta more time to document all manual defects found in an application, which makes it more difficult to maintain track of modifications made later. This can be accomplished more efficiently by sustaining automated tests, which only need to be updated when new features or functions are incorporated.

In addition, testers have to know about product details

Before they can use the product effectively, manual testers must have a deep understanding of it. This assists them in identifying any mistakes that automated tests may overlook if their knowledge is incomplete. Testers are not required to be accustomed to all of the features and functions of automated tests.

It is costly to continue hiring manual testers

Because automated tests only have to be written once and run many times per day, they are a less expensive option than manual testing.

Overview of manual testing’s advantages and disadvantages

Automation is most appropriate for functions and features that necessitate the same input every time. On the other hand, manual testing is well adapted to discovering bugs caused by a variety of inputs, such as user experience.

Manual testing is the best ideal for projects with steady, consistent code, whereas automated testing is best suitable for tasks with fast-changing code.

Manual testing is best suited for situations where no turnaround time is required. Automated tests, on the other hand, are designed for faster response. This is why they are required in the majority of today’s software development life cycle,

There are both advantages and disadvantages to manual testing. The main advantage is that it is a very thorough way to test software since every possible input and output can be tested. The main disadvantage is that it is very time-consuming and expensive, especially if the software is large and complex. In the end, it is up to the software development team to decide which method of testing is best for their needs.

Read about “Manual QA tester certifications – 6 QA tester certifications” too

bookmark_borderQA apps for managing

There are many QA apps for managing available that can help with managing a software development project. These apps can help with things like tracking bugs, managing feature requests and organizing your project’s roadmap.

Having a good QA app can help make your project run more smoothly and help you avoid potential pitfalls.

Some of the best quality assurance apps include TestRail, Zephyr, and Xray. These apps can help you manage your testing process from start to finish, and provide you with all the tools you need to ensure quality.

The Benefits of Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a process that helps to ensure that products and services meet the highest possible standards. There are many benefits to implementing quality assurance, including improved product quality, increased customer satisfaction, and reduced costs.

Quality assurance tools and techniques

There are several different QA tools and techniques that can be used to support the quality assurance process. Some of the best quality assurance apps include Jira, TestRail, and Zephyr. These tools can help you manage your quality assurance process and ensure that your products and services meet the highest possible standards.

1. Jira

Jira is a popular quality assurance tool that can help you manage your QA process effectively. It offers a wide range of features and integrations that can make your life easier, and it has strong community backing that can offer support and advice when needed.

2. TestRail

TestRail is a quality assurance tool that helps you manage your QA process. It provides a centralized repository for test cases, a flexible workflow for managing testing, and comprehensive reporting tools. It makes it easy to track and manage your QA process, and provides the data you need to make informed decisions about your product quality.

3. TestLodge

TestLodge is one of the best QA apps to help you manage your quality assurance process. It allows you to create and manage your test cases, track your testing progress, and collaborate with your team. It also has a great reporting feature that allows you to see your testing at a glance.

4. Test Collab

With Test Collab, you can manage your test cases, requirements, and bugs all in one place. You can also track your testing progress and generate reports to share with your team. Test Collab is a great tool for any team looking to improve its quality assurance process.

5. Xray

The Xray QA app is a powerful quality assurance tool that helps businesses to improve their products and services. It also provides a range of features that allow businesses to track and monitor their quality assurance process.

The app also includes a range of reports and tools that businesses can use to improve their QA process.

6. qTest

qTetst is a quality assurance app that helps developers and testers identify and track defects in their software. The app provides a central repository for all your testing assets, including cases, requirements, and test results. It also includes powerful tools for collaboration, reporting, and defect management.

7. Zephyr

Zephyr QA is a quality assurance app that helps businesses improve their products and services. It does this by providing users with a platform to track quality assurance issues, as well as tools to help resolve them.

By using Zephyr QA, businesses can ensure that their products and services meet the highest standards of quality. Additionally, the app can help businesses save time and money by identifying and resolving quality assurance before they become problems.


QA apps can be extremely helpful in managing a business. They can help to streamline processes, improve communication, and track progress. However, it is important to choose the right app for your needs.

There are a variety of QA apps on the market, so be sure to do your research before making a purchase. With the right app, you can take your business to the next level.

Check out our article “QA test case management tools” too

bookmark_borderQA and testing difference

QA and testing are two important aspects of software development. Both ensure that the software meets the required quality levels. However, there are some key differences between QA and testing.

It focuses on the process of developing and maintaining software, while testing focuses on assessing the quality of the software.

Testing is typically done by executing the software against a set of test cases, while QA includes activities like requirements analysis, design, coding, and configuration management.

Let’s take a closer look at both of them:

Quality Assurance (QA): What it is

Quality Assurance is a process or set of procedures intended to ensure that a product or service meets certain quality standards. It is often associated with manufacturing but can be applied to any type of business or service.

QA is important because it helps to ensure that the products and services meet the needs of customers or clients. It can also help to improve the overall efficiency of a business or organization.

QA testing definition

The benefits of QA

Quality assurance can be particularly beneficial to a business in the following situations:

  • Before launching a new product or service

This can help to prevent the introduction of products or services that will cause the company to lose money or gain negative customer feedback.

  • When there is a need to reduce costs

Quality assurance can identify and eliminate waste and unnecessary costs.

  • When there is a need to improve or expand services

A quality assurance program can help a company to explore new opportunities and reach new markets.

  • To guard against product or service defects

QA programs can prevent problems before they arise and mitigate the effects of any issues that occur.

  • To guard against safety or health issues

It can identify and address any issues that could harm customers or employees.

  • To increase the marketability of a business or organization’s products or services

Quality assurance can help to enhance the reputation of a business with customers, potential investors, and other organizations.

  • To attract and retain employees

A well-run quality assurance program can help keep talented workers happy and encourage them to stay with the organization.

  • To meet regulatory or legal requirements

Quality assurance programs can help to ensure that the organization meets the requirements of such regulations as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

What are the methods of quality assurance?

There are many methods of quality assurance, but the most important thing is to make sure that the products and services meet customer expectations.

Quality assurance can be done through various means, such as inspections, testing, and audits. By ensuring that products and services are of the highest quality, businesses can maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Testing: What it is

When it comes to software development, testing is an essential process that helps to ensure the quality of the end product. Testing can be done at various stages of the development process, and it generally involves running the software through a series of tests to check for bugs or other errors.

While it can be time-consuming it’s important to do it thoroughly to avoid releasing a buggy or unstable product. This is why many developers use automated testing tools to help streamline the process.

What is a test?

A test is an assessment of something, typically carried out to determine its suitability, quality, or performance. Testing is an important part of the development process for any product, as it can help to identify any issues or potential problems that need to be addressed.

Many different types of tests can be carried out, depending on the purpose of the testing. For example, a functional test may be carried out to ensure that a product works as intended, while a usability test may be carried out to assess how easy it is to use.

The benefits of testing

There are many benefits to getting your software testing. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that it can help identify bugs and other issues that need to be fixed.

This can save you a lot of time and money in the long run, as you can avoid release delays and expensive post-release fixes.

Another benefit of testing is that it can help ensure the quality of your software. This is especially important if you are releasing a new product or feature, as you want to make sure it meets your users’ expectations.

Testing can also help improve the usability of your software, as tests can provide valuable feedback on how to make it more user-friendly.

Furthermore, testing can help to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations. And last but not least, properly conducted testing can improve the overall user experience of your software, which can lead to positive customer experiences and better brand visibility.


In conclusion, QA and testing are both important processes in software development. However, they are two distinct disciplines that require different skill sets.

Quality assurance is more concerned with the overall process of development and ensuring that the best practices are followed.

Testing is more focused on verifying that the software meets the requirements. Both play an important role in ensuring that software is of high quality.

bookmark_borderQA tester tasks – 8 essential tasks for every QA tester

A QA tester is responsible for quality assurance within a company. In this article we will discus some of the QA tester tasks.

Generally QA testers test products and software to ensure that they meet the required standards. QA testers may also be responsible for creating and maintaining test plans, as well as writing and executing test cases. To be successful in this role, one must have strong attention to detail and be able to work well under pressure.

QA tester tasks

1. Test design

Test design involves planning how you are going to test a product. Depending on the product or software, this can range from very quick and simple to extremely complex.

For example, if you were testing a video game, you would first need to figure out what functions the game has, how the player interacts with it, and what the expected outcomes are. This would be the function of the game. You would then need to figure out how to simulate player inputs and outputs, thus allowing you to determine whether the game is functioning properly about the expected outcomes.

This, however, is only a fraction of the complexity involved in test design. Depending on the industry you work in and the level of quality expected, your test design may range from simple test cases for a web app to complex proof-of-concept designs for medical devices.

2. Requirements gathering

Before you can begin creating and executing test cases, you will need to gather requirements. Those may come from various sources, including:

  • The customer or client
  • The developer or programming team QA, if there is already a version of the product available

3. Test planning

Once you have all the requirements, you will need to plan how you are going to test the product. This will include defining the goals of the testing, as well as the features or functions you plan on testing.

4. Test case development

Once you have planned the testing, you will need to develop the test cases. A test case will be a set of instructions or procedures for how to exercise a feature or functionality of the product to verify if it’s working as expected.

5. Test execution

For each test case you’ve developed, you will need to execute it. This is where the tester will find out if the product is behaving as expected. Depending on the product and your role, you may need to either fix or report any bugs or issues you encounter.

6. Defect management

Once you’ve found bugs or issues in the product, you’ll need to track and manage them. This includes assigning bugs to developers, as well as updating them as they go through various states, such as verification, confirmation, and closure.

7. Reporting

In addition to the above, you will also need to report your findings and results to the customer, developer, or team responsible for the product you’re testing.

8. Process improvements

Even after you’ve finished testing one project, your testing skills and abilities can continue to improve if you find ways to improve the testing process itself. This can include things like introducing automation or changing the way you work as a team.

Overall, QA tester tasks are an important role in the software development process. QA testers are responsible for ensuring that the software meets all the requirements and works as expected. They also play a vital role in identifying and reporting any bugs or issues. QA testers need to have strong attention to detail and be able to work methodically. If you think you have what it takes to be a QA tester, don’t hesitate to apply for the role.

bookmark_borderQA testing definition

There are many people there who want a clear QA testing definition. If there is a distinction to be made between QA and testing. In this article, we will talk about QA testing definition and for a better understanding of the subject.

What is Quality Assurance?

Quality Assurance, or QA for short, is the process of ensuring that products meet certain standards of quality. QA testing is a key part of this process and involves putting products through a series of tests to check for things like functionality, durability, and usability.

QA teams work to identify and fix any issues that might arise during testing, to ensure that products meet the required standards before they reach consumers.

Quality assurance is an important part of the manufacturing process, as it helps to ensure that products meet the necessary standards of quality. QA testing is a vital process and helps to identify any potential issues with products before they reach consumers.

By working to fix these issues, QA teams truly render a service to consumers by ensuring that the product that reaches them is in the highest possible way.

What is Quality Assurance Testing?

You can use quality assurance testing as a process to ensure that a product or service meets the specified quality standards. An independent third party or an organization that is responsible for developing the product or service can perform quality assurance.

It is typically performed throughout the development process, and it may include various types of testing, such as functional testing, performance testing, and security testing.

What are the benefits of QA Testing?

There are many benefits of quality assurance testing, but the three most important benefits are:

  1. Improve the quality of your product

It assists you in detecting defects early and preventing them before you release a product or service.  This helps to improve the overall quality of your product and can save you money in the long run.

  1. It can help you find and fix defects before your customers do

Finding and fixing defects before your customers do will help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as reduce customer support costs.

  1. It will improve customer satisfaction

By providing a more reliable and high-quality product you can improve customer satisfaction. This can lead to a more improved brand.

What are the key components of QA testing?

There are four key components of quality assurance testing:

Planning is the process of identifying the goals and objectives of the testing process.

Control is the process of ensuring that the testing process is carried out according to the plan.

Implementation is the actual execution testing process.

Monitoring is the process of tracking the progress of the testing process and ensuring that it is on track.

What are the types of QA testing?

There are many different types of quality assurance testing, each with its specific purpose.

Some of the most common types of QA testing include:

  • Functional Testing

Assesses the basic functionality of the software to ensure that it is working as expected.

  • Performance Testing

Measures the speed and responsiveness of the software under various conditions.

  • Load Testing

Assesses how well the software can handle high volumes of traffic and data.

  • Regression Testing

Is performed after changes have been made to the software to ensure that no new bugs have been introduced.

  • Compatibility Testing

Assesses how well the software works with different operating systems, browsers, and devices.

So, in summary, QA testing is an important process that helps ensure the quality of a product or service. It can be conducted by an external company or by an internal team, and it should be based on a clear set of specifications. The aim of QA testing is to find and report defects so that they can be fixed before the product or service is released to the public.

bookmark_borderFeedback for QA testers

Feedback for QA testers

It is critical to provide feedback for QA testers during the process of software development. You can assist make sure that the software meets your requirements and is of high quality by giving feedback. When providing feedback to QA, keep the following points in mind:

  • Be sure to provide concise and clear feedback.
  • Give specific examples of what you liked and disliked.
  • Attempt to provide productive feedback that will assist the software improvement.
  • Be open to receiving feedback from QA.

What You Should Know About QA Feedback

To enhance the utilization of your QA solution, you must be aware of the types of feedback it provides. There are two types of feedback in a typical feedback system: question-based feedback and action-based feedback.

Question-based feedback refers to responses given by a company to particular questions. You could provide feedback on the questions raised during your evaluation of a test plan.

The feedback that refers to an agent’s actions to their actions is known as actions-based feedback.

It is important to identify who or what you are giving feedback to when giving feedback. As a consequence, you’ll have less time to process the feedback.

It is also critical to provide feedback compassionately and productively. It is preferable to provide constructive criticism to receive feedback that will be beneficial in the future.

How To Show Your Appreciation with Feedback for QA Testers?

There are several ways to express gratitude to a QA tester. One example of them would be quality guardians. Your software product would most likely be riddled with errors if they failed to pay attention to detail and dedicate themselves to bug tracking.

Another way to respect QA testers is to consider them your supporters. They are the ones who are constantly battling to improve your software and assist you in avoiding release tragedies.

Quality assurance staff are expected to be proud of their work. All work, no matter how minor, should be completed to the highest standard possible. To become a good leader, you must merge your skills with your motivation to know and give something that you are proud of.

The Significance of a Good Quality Assurance Team

QA teams are driven by a sense of accomplishment in their job and are expected to adhere to high-quality standards. They should be doing everything possible to make sure that every piece of work, regardless of size, is completed to a high standard.

Weekly or monthly meetings are great for keeping track of accomplishments and team improvement, as well as recognizing top performers and allocating projects or tasks premised on skills and/or interests.

How to Provide Feedback to a Quality Assurance Engineer

It can be difficult to provide feedback to a QA Engineer. On the one hand, you would like to be clear and specific so they can know your feedback and apply it to their task. However, you should not be too critical or negative, as this may dissuade them from striving to improve.

It is essential to share feedback, both positively and negatively, periodically to be constant. If you only receive the feedback in a team setting, you could perhaps request additional feedback.

Quality assurance is an excellent method for assessing how well a customer service department manages and controls an issue and offers service overall.

Avoid using text-based communication methods

Even though they may seem to be a much easier way to provide feedback, using text-based communication methods, can be deceptive. The employee may misinterpret your message, giving rise to more problems than fixes.

As a result, avoid using deceptive communication methods when providing feedback to your engineers. One-on-one communication is the wiser choice. If you have a remote team, you can encounter one-on-one using a videoconferencing tool like Google Hangouts, Zoom, or any favored software.

Why is it a better choice to use video communication than text-based communication?

  • It prevents miscommunication
  • When you encounter the employee face to face, you can construct a personal connection
  • You can identify how your message is being accepted by picking up on verbal and nonverbal cues such as body language.

Is essential to carefully plan your feedback

All fruitful pursuits are built on meticulous planning. You are doing planning if it is about starting a business, organizing a trip, or maybe throwing a surprise party

The same is true when providing feedback to your QA engineer. Admittedly, the employee will assume you to be prepared for the one-on-one meeting.

Here are a few preparations suggestions:

  • If you don’t have one-on-one meetings regularly, ask the engineer if there is any free time for a conversation. This will let the individual know that feedback is on its way. You are also giving the employee the option to accept or decline your invitation to speak.
  • Schedule a meeting.
  • Ascertain that you are in a quiet room or a location that allows you to have a concentrated conversation.
  • Make a list of what you want to say if you think it will help you.
  • Communicate with the engineer in a considerate, reasonable, and understanding manner. Strive to reach a common understanding and perspective on the issue, and communicate possible solutions.
  • Consider the engineer’s view of the situation. Perhaps you will discover a broken process. This will assist you in resolving the issue and, as a result, enhance the overall efficiency of your team.

Be precise, not vague

A more effective way to give effective feedback is to transform hazy sentences into more precise ones. Giving QA Engineers detailed feedback will assist them in determining which characteristics are suitable or inappropriate for good achievement.

When you provide detailed feedback, you are informing your employee what they are doing well and where they need to improve. In the long term, this can result in improved performance, as opposed to less detailed guidance that simply informs employees of their quality level.

Finish with a question

Plan to end your feedback with a question that invites conversation. This is when the most important part of the debate starts.

The discussion is no longer a monologue from this point forward, but rather a change for you and the QA Engineer to provide potential solutions to the issues.

How to describe a QA Engineer?

A QA Engineer’s mission is to identify and fix bugs in a good or service or program before it can be released, and he or she works with developers to make the necessary changes.

QA engineers usually enjoy the chance to learn more about a product’s features and technologies to boost its quality. Some people believe that quality assurance (QA) work is more varied and interesting than developer work. The majority of the time, the job is repetitive, particularly at the beginning.

Build Trust with Constructive Feedback for QA Testers

Constructive feedback promotes trust between groups or individuals by providing honest and precise feedback to assist the other person or party in improving. This feedback can be hard to give at times, but keep in mind that the aim is to assist the other person or group, not to harm them.

Feedback is among the most basic ways we can take and give constructive feedback. Asking for feedback from your staff and coworkers can assist you in establishing trust with them. You can recognize blind spots and areas that need improvement after obtaining thoughtful, honest feedback. You would almost definitely be needed to mention faults or deficiencies when providing feedback. It is critical to allow enough time to prepare to create helpful and compelling content.

Conclusion

Quality assurance testing is vital for the success of any software development project. QA testers play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of the software and their feedback is essential for the development team to improve the software. The tips in this article will help you to provide useful and constructive feedback to the QA testers team so that they can continue to improve the quality of the software.

Read about “Ask for feedback as a QA engineer” too

bookmark_borderManual QA tester certifications – 6 QA tester certifications

Many different types of manual QA tester certifications are available, but not all are created equal. Some certifications are specific to a certain software or testing method, while others are more general.

It’s important to choose the right certification for your needs to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your education.

Why get a manual QA tester certification?

There are many reasons to get a certification in manual quality assurance (QA). Certification can help improve your resume and make you more attractive to potential employers.

It can also help you keep up with the latest trends and best practices in the field.

In addition, certification can give you a leg up in the job market and help you earn more money. According to the 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report, certified professionals earn an average of 10% more than non-certified workers.

6 Manual QA Tester Certifications

There are a variety of QA certifications available, but here are six that can help your career:

ISTQB

The ISTQB is a well-recognized organization that offers several different manual QA certifications. These include the Certified Tester Foundation Level, Advanced Level, and Expert Level certifications.

Each of these levels has different requirements, but they all focus on helping improve their skills and knowledge.

Certified Tester Foundation Lever (CTFL)

The ISTQB® Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) certification involves providing testing information that can be utilized in practice, as well as explaining the terminology and notions utilized globally in the testing field.

CTFL applies to a wide range of software delivery methods and practices, such as Waterfall, Agile, DevOps, and Continuous Delivery.

CTFL certification is accepted as a prerequisite for all other ISTQB® certifications that necessitate Foundation Level.

Certified Tester Advanced Level (CTAL)

The ISTQB® Advanced Level Test Analyst (CTAL-TA) certification teaches you how to conduct organized and comprehensive software testing throughout the software development life cycle.

It describes the responsibilities and duties of the test analyst at each stage of a basic testing procedure and broadens essential testing methods.

ASTQB Certified Tester

This certification is designed for software testers who want to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. The certification is offered by American Testing Qualifications Board.

Certified Professional Selenium Tester (CPST)

This certification is offered by the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) and is internationally recognized.

The CPST certification covers all aspects of software testing and is a great way to show employers that you are knowledgeable and capable in this field.

CLTD

The CLTD certification is one of the most respected and well-known. The CLTD certification is an internationally recognized certification that demonstrates a high level of proficiency in Manual QA.

This certification will help your career in many ways, including:

  • Showing that you have the skills and knowledge required to be a successful Manual QA engineer.
  • Demonstrating your commitment to your career and continuous learning
  • Helping you to stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs

Conclusion

To get certified as a manual QA tester, one must first know what the certification process entails and what is required of them.

Secondly, they must be able to pass the certification exam, and thirdly, they should e familiar with the different tools that are available to help them in their testing process.

bookmark_borderQA testing blogs – 14 best QA testing blogs

QA testing blogs are a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments in the world of quality assurance. By subscribing to a QA blog, you can ensure that you’re always at the forefront of the latest testing techniques and tools.

 

QA Testing Blogs

Here is a list of the 14 best QA testing blogs:

1. QA-House

A blog dedicated to anything that can be tested. This blog is an excellent resource for learning about QA and testing. It has a lot of articles about testing, tool reviews, and other topics.

2. Test Blog

The Test Blog is a monthly digest of testing news, articles, and events. The testing blog also features a variety of tutorials on tools such as JMeter, Robotium, and others.

3. Testing Lifestyle

Testing Lifestyle is a quality assurance testing blog that focuses on introducing testers to new tools and technologies. The testing blog also features tutorials on automation tools such as Selenium, JMeter, SoapUI, and others.

4. Testing Geek

The Testing Geek features tutorial videos on automation tools such as Robotium, Selenium, JMeter, SoapUI, and others. The testing blog also features monthly updates on software and tool releases.

5. The Testing Board

The Testing Board is a community-driven testing blog featuring a variety of posts from beginner to advanced, including interview questions, event announcements, and job listings.

6. QASymphony Blog

QASymphony’s blog features the QA Digest, a monthly update featuring the latest testing news, interviews with industry leaders, and upcoming events. The testing blog also features automation tool tutorials for Selenium, Appium, UFT, and others.

7. Qosfy Blog

Qosfy’s blog is a monthly update highlighting the newest tools and technologies, calendar events, life stories from QA engineers, and more, which are featured on Qosfy’s blog. The testing blog also features tutorials on automation tools such as Selenium, Appium, UFT, Robotium, and SoapUI.

8. QSR Consulting Blog

The QSR Consulting blog features posts on quality assurance testing topics such as automation, mentoring, and tool reviews. The testing blog also features a “QSR Digest” monthly update featuring the latest in testing news, events, and releases.

9. Wipi Blog

Wipi’s testing blog features automation tools tutorials for Selenium, Appium, Robotium, SoapUI, and UFT. The blog also features interviews with QA engineers and QA leaders from various industries.

10. Sticky Minds

The Sticky Minds community’s official blog features posts written by industry professionals on topics ranging from agile testing to cloud computing to everything in between.

They also have a Q&A category where readers can get answers to their questions from other members of the community and professional testers.

11. ReQtest

The famous automated testing software, ReQtest, has a blog that is updated every week. It includes a wide variety of topics, from beta testing to the value of QA analysts. The ReQtest team writes each post, which is brief, simple to understand, and instructive.

12. Testing Curve

Joep Schuurkes began this blog to record his educational experiences in software testing. With over 10 years of expertise in the field, Schuurkes’s blog is regularly updated with articles about regression testing, CI/CD pipelines, and the fundamentals of writing code as a tester.

13. Thinking Tester

A blog devoted to discovering how to think like a tester. Updated several times per week with brief, interesting articles on topics such as why you must stop writing so many UI tests and the greatest upload testing tools.

14. Software Testing Help

This blog which is constantly updated and always beneficial has grown at a rapid pace. More than a thousand QA experts consult it every day for recommendations and tutorials.

Conclusion

As a tester, it is your job to find the bugs before the users do. But sometimes, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Testing every possible combination of inputs and outputs is impossible, so testers have to be creative to find the most bugs in the shortest amount of time.

One way to be more creative in your testing is to read QA testing blogs. These blogs are written by experienced testers and contain a wealth of information on how to approach testing from a variety of different angles.