The demand for perfect software applications with exceptional user experience and functionality is rising every year. As apps with glitches get poor reviews and rejections., it becomes vital for each product released to meet the high-quality standards users expect. This is possible only through rigorous testing using the best automation software testing platforms.
Automated testing has overtaken manual testing techniques because of its disadvantages, like being time-consuming and prone to errors and offering only limited test coverage. This is validated by the facts presented by Mordor Intelligence, which states that the automated testing market is poised to touch 67.48 billion USD by 2029. Automation testing, preferably with scriptless software testing tools, is the new norm for most organizations.
However, all automation testing projects don’t deliver equal results. Many testers and developers are unable to get the desired outcomes as they perform automation testing haphazardly without a proper plan. If any software company aims to deliver top-notch software, they must bring a sense of order to their testing methods with a comprehensive software testing checklist. Let us first understand why a software testing checklist is important.
Here are the reasons:
Assists you in establishing whether your product is prepared for deployment.
Determines the areas to be reworked in case your software is not ready for release
Organizes your testing and defines the exact time required for testing.
It helps to check all the aspects of the system rigorously.
Assists in keeping the testing processes standardized.
Encourages effective communication among the team members since it leads to the development of standard procedures.
That is why a checklist is a must-have for you. Now, let’s find out what should be included in the software testing checklist to get the most out of testing.
Important Aspects To Be Incorporated in the Software Testing Checklist
Elevate your testing to the next level with the pointers and steps given below:
1. Determining test requirements
The first step is to define the significant characteristics of the software being tested after analyzing its requirements. You have to know what components and capabilities should be tested to guarantee the application’s proper functioning as planned. It is advisable to gather inputs from stakeholders and end-users as this will help in identifying the areas that require more testing.
2. Preparation of the testing environment
After that, you must establish the conditions that are as close to the actual operating conditions as possible. This will help in ensuring that the test results obtained are accurate. It will involve setting up the basic hardware, software, network and other required tools. Such an environment will minimize the chances of other unexpected factors that may influence the outcome of the project.
3. Creating a test plan
The test plan should contain the testing goals and strategies, the coverage and the resources that will be used, including the people and tools, and the timeline. The development of such a test plan will guarantee that every team member understands the responsibilities, roles, and expectations of the project. It will also assist in monitoring the status of the testing process.
4. Tests that should be included
All the testing types are distinct from each other and, when combined with other tests, give an overall view of the software. Ideally, your checklist should include functional testing, which includes:
Unit testing – It is a testing technique that aims at testing the smallest components of the software to ensure that they work as expected.
Interface testing – It verifies the compatibility of the various services or modules and pinpoints problems that may exist in the integration of units.
User acceptance testing – This entails getting the approval of the end-users by letting them use the application under real-life conditions.
It should also include non-functional tests, such as:
Performance testing: This test checks whether the application is capable of running as expected under the expected load.
Security testing: It verifies whether the software is protected from attacks from malicious users and finds out weaknesses and security risks.
Compatibility testing: This is done to ensure the software is compliant with certain standards, for instance, HIPAA, and is also compatible with other
5. Developing test cases
The next step is to develop a clear plan of what you are going to test and what you expect as the outcome of your testing process. It is important to ensure each test case focuses on testing a specific functionality or scenario. The test cases should state what the expected outcome of the test should be and should be consistent each time the test is run. They should mimic real-life situations that would make it possible for the software to perform well in real-life situations.
6. Executing the tests
The next is the execution phase, where you put all your plans into action. Do not forget that not all tests are significant. Therefore, you have to sort them according to the level of importance of the tasks. Repetitive and simple tests should be automated so that you can concentrate on other aspects of the tests. It is also important that the testing environment is stable to minimize the variability of results.
7. Managing test cases
It is important to classify the tests, monitor the executed ones, and indicate the outcomes and bugs or issues that you have identified with the help of efficient test management tools. Also, since the software is constantly being developed, there is a need to keep modifying the test cases so that they are still applicable to the latest version of the software and include the new features in the software.
8. Communicating the results
After you conduct the tests, you have to report the outcomes to your colleagues and other related parties. This is done by providing frequent updates during each of the testing phases to keep everyone informed on the testing activities and emergent problems. Daily, weekly, and monthly reports should be prepared that should contain the testing activities performed, the defects observed, the outcomes, the suggestions for future testing, and the recommendations.
9. Test closure
Once all the above steps are completed, you need to verify if all the test cases have been executed and the issues identified have been rectified or recorded for future resolution. The test process can be analyzed for gaps or issues, and the lessons learned can be documented.
Conclusion
Creating a detailed checklist for software testing is a structured and efficient approach to software testing that ensures the software you release is of superior quality and exceeds user expectations. Moreover, it will also reduce bottlenecks that are part of the testing process and speed up the testing time.
Ultimately, your systematic testing process will enable you to release high-quality software faster in the market, enhance your goodwill, and get a competitive edge in the market.
