Software Testing Life Cycle: Interview Questions and Answers

What is a Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?

STLC is a software testing process where software is divided into phases for testing.Or this can be restated as  it is life cycle of Software for testing.

For example in layman language.  A butterfly life cycle start from 

Egg-->Caterpillar: The Feeding Stage-->Pupa: The Transition Stage-->Adult: The Reproductive Stage.

Now to be an Adult Butterfly has to go under specific phases, similarly to produce a high quality software ,it has to go under specific phases. This is life cycle of Software.

What are the phases of STLC?

The phases can differ slightly, depending on the software development model used, system architecture and the nature of the project. Most commonly, the following phases of STLC are the most commonly recognized:

  • Requirements Analysis
  • Test Planning
  • Test Design
  • Test Environment Setup
  • Test Execution
  • Test Closure

  • What is the difference between SDLC and STLC?

    Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process of developing a  software by dividing it into different phases.

    • Planning
    • Analysis and Design
    • Implementation (Coding)
    • Testing
    • Deployment and Maintenance 

    So it can be said that the Software Testing Life Cycle is a part of the Software Development Life Cycle, and represents testing activities held within it. A rule of thumb is to have a testing activity for every development activity, and to start it as early as possible. For instance, test design for each test level should start in parallel with the corresponding development activity.

  • What activities are performed in each phase of STLC?

    Requirements Analysis – The requirements are gathered, examined and tested. Issues in Software Requirements Specifications (SRS) are detected. Automation feasibility is evaluated.

    Test Planning – In this phase, the test objectives are defined, test strategy and test plan created and test effort estimated. Tools and resources are then determined.

    Test Design – This phase implies the designing of test cases, creation of automation test scripts and preparation of test data.

    Test Environment Setup – During this phase, the environment and test data are setup and a smoke test is usually run to confirm that the environment is ready. This phase is sometimes excluded from STLC, being performed separately but in some cases, it is not distinguished as a separate phase and is considered part of Test Design.

    Test Implementation – This is when the actual testing takes place. Functional and non-functional types of testing are executed, test cases and test scripts are run, bugs logged and test results reported. Regression testing, bugs verification and closure also belong to this phase.

    Test Closure – During this phase, we prepare test summary report and gather test metrics and report them to stakeholders. We also archive the project documents and hold Lessons Learned sessions to improve efficiency of future projects.

  • What types of SRS (Software Requirement Specifications) issues can be detected during the review of requirements?

    Anything that doesn’t conform to the criteria of good requirements, such as the following:

    • Testable (verifiable)
    • Clear and concise
    • Complete
    • Feasible
    • Independent
    • Atomic
    • Consistent
    • Traceable
    • Implementation-free.

    • What is the purpose of the test closure phase?

      Test closure activities have several goals, such as to:

      • Ensure the completion of testing
      • Gather and handover test artifacts
      • Hold retrospective meetings and come up with Lessons Learned.

      • How would you define that testing is sufficient and it’s time to enter the Test Closure phase?/How to be sure  now testing needs to be stopped?

      • The exit criteria is defined at the test planning stage and can include the following items which can signify the end of testing activities:

        • Sufficient coverage of requirements by test cases is achieved
        • All test cases planned for the phase have been executed
        • All critical and high priority bugs are fixed and verified
        • High risk areas are addressed and properly tested
        • Acceptance testing is passed.

        • At which phase is the test environment prepared?

          If it is to be focused on separately, this phase is usually prepared during Test Environment Setup. If not, this activity usually falls into the Test Design phase.

          Which phase of STLC includes bugs closure activities?

          The Test Execution phase is where the actual testing activities are performed.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE MODELS (SDLC MODEL)

Image
A software life cycle model is a descriptive representation of the software development cycle. SDLC models might have a different approach but the basic phases and activity remain the same for all the models. 1) Waterfall Model 2) V-Shaped Model 3) Prototype Model 4) Spiral Model 5) Iterative Incremental Model  6) Big Bang Model 7) Agile Model Waterfall Model The  Waterfall Model  was the first Process Model to be introduced. It is very simple to understand and use it. In a  Waterfall  model, each phase must be completed before the next phase can begin and there is no overlapping in the phases.  The waterfall  model is the earliest  SDLC   approach that was used for software development. n “ The Waterfall ” approach, the whole process of  software development  is divided into separate phases. The outcome of one phase acts as the input for the next phase sequentially. This means that any phase in the development process begins only if the previous phase is complete. The waterfall model
Read more

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEFECT , BUG, ERROR AND FAILURE

Image
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEFECT , BUG, ERROR AND FAILURE  DEFECT: If  difference exist  between actual result and expected result  and that difference is found by developer and  corrected by himself in the development phase then it’s called a defect.   Example if developer  has developed  a code  and while performing (Unit Testing) developed  found that the code is not functioning  as per requirement  then in tat case the issue occurred  is known as DEFECT. BUG: If testers find any mismatch in the application/system in testing phase then they call it as Bug. Example if the developer has done the development  and performed Unit testing of a login form then the module is sent to Tester for performing testing. In this phase if tester found that the client requirement is not matching with the  result of application then tester report it as Bug.  NOTE:  there is a contradiction in the usage of Bug and Defect. People widely say the bug is an informal name for the defect. ERROR If we can’t compile
Read more

Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?

Image
STLC(SOFTWARE TESTING LIFE CYCLE) It is a sequence of specific activities conducted during the testing process to ensure software quality goals are met. STLC involves both verification and validation activities. Contrary to popular belief, Software Testing is not just a single/isolate activity, i.e. testing. It consists of a series of activities carried out methodologically to help certify your software product. STLC stands for Software Testing Life Cycle. PHASES OF STLC : Requirement Analysis Test Planning Test case development Test Environment setup Test Execution Test Cycle closure What is Entry and Exit Criteria? Entry Criteria:  Entry Criteria gives the prerequisite items that must be completed before testing can begin. Exit Criteria:  Exit Criteria defines the items that must be completed before testing can be concluded. Requirement Analysis During this phase, test team studies the requirements from a testing point of view to identify the testable requirements. The QA team may in
Read more