What are the most effective ways to improve your test execution skills? (2024)

Test planning is a critical part of the software development lifecycle. It begins with selecting the appropriate tools and assets. Identifying people who have the ability to identify defects through their keen observation and execution skills, who can think from the point of view of a business user, and who are always willing to carry out repetitive tasks when required. Automation can be used, but remember that it should be simple to implement with minimal maintenance, otherwise manual testing might take precedence. Live functional demos will also add an additional layer to the verification and validation effort.

Pre-Planning test cases is also a crucial step in improving test execution .Pre-Planning includes:1.Thoroughly review the functional and non-functional requirements of the system to ensure your test cases cover all scenarios.2.Define what you want to achieve with your testing, such as functionality, usability, performance, or security.3.Prioritize test cases: Focus on testing high-risk areas and critical functionalities first. This helps identify major issues early in the testing process.4.Choose testing techniques: Select appropriate testing methods based on the specific requirement and project objectives.

Improve test execution skills effectively by:Automation Training: Gain proficiency in test automation tools and frameworks.Real-World Projects: Apply skills on real projects to enhance practical experience.Collaboration: Work closely with developers and other team members for better integration.Continuous Learning: Stay updated on testing methodologies and industry best practices.Feedback: Seek feedback from peers and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement.

As a startup, it is important to carefully plan your test cases to ensure the quality of your software.To do this, you need to identify potential risks, prioritize your test cases, and use automated testing tools and techniques.Automatic testing tools can be a valuable asset for startups. They can help reduce costs, improve quality, and decrease risks associated with software development.To get the most out of automated testing tools, startups must:• Invest in training (training is never a waste of time and money for the company).• Properly integrate automated tests into the development process.

Adopting a test-first approach can be highly beneficial. By writing automated unit tests before the actual code, developers can ensure that the code is working as intended and meets the requirements of the project. This approach can help improve the quality of the code and contribute positively to a better solution architecture.

Test automation enhances efficiency and reliability:Efficiency in Execution: Automated tests streamline the testing process, handling repetitive and complex tasks with greater speed and precision than manual testing.Consistency and Reliability: Automation ensures test consistency across various environments and platforms, providing reliable results.Strategic Tool Selection: Choosing appropriate tools and frameworks is crucial for effective automation suited to specific testing requirements.Regular Maintenance: Keep automated tests up-to-date to ensure their continued relevance and accuracy.

Automate or Stagnate! Consider these nuances before defining automation journey!1. Tool Selection: Choosing the right tools for diverse testing needs.2. Initial Investment: Time and resources required for setup.3. Script Maintenance: Regular updates to keep tests relevant.4. Complex Scenarios: Difficulty in automating intricate test cases.5. Human Touch: Automation may miss aspects requiring intuition.6. Continuous Changes: Adapting to evolving application features.7. Resource Dependency: Skilled personnel for effective automation.8. False Positives/Negatives: Interpreting results accurately.9. Integration Issues: Ensuring seamless tool integration.10. Costs: Investment in tools, training, and maintenance.

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Automate everything!!Automation reduces stress on the test resources: Here I am talking about software that runs on hardware. There is software that runs on multiple hardware and if we have our tests automated, then we can simply run our automation on all different hardware and get the results we need. This reduces the stress of the organization's test resources and these resources can just focus on developing the strong automation tools and scripts. We also can use these automation tools and scripts to run as a part of CI/CD pipeline to avoid collateral damages to code base.In addition, whenever new hardware is introduced, we don't need to start from scratch, we can simply run all our automation on new HW.

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Few years back, our company used to focus only on manual testing. But after some time they realized we can automate most of the labour work (test cases).So they invested in automation by conducting automation workshops and trainings.By doing automation, you can speedup your releases and productivity. However, you will still need some manual testing to make your product completely reliable.

Test automation tips:Choose the right tools and frameworks that fits your needs.Plan your automation strategy: Identify test cases ideal for automation. Focus on repetitive tasks, critical functionalities, and regression testing to maximize efficiency.Create & maintain robust scripts.Integrate into CI/CD pipelines.

Other test design techniques include pairwise testing and error guessing.Pairwise testing tests all possible pairs of input values instead of testing all possible combinations. This is based on the assumption that most errors are caused only by interaction between two factors, rather than more.Error guessing relies on the tester's experience and intuition to identify potential errors and defects. This is useful when testing areas not covered by other techniques or discovering anomalies or unexpected errors.State transition testing is suitable for testing dynamic systems in different modes or states.

Test design techniques are the cornerstone of precise and efficient testing.Equivalence Partitioning optimizes input grouping, while Boundary Value Analysis stress-tests system limits. Decision Table Testing unravels complexities, and State Transition Testing evaluates dynamic responses accurately.Leveraging these methods ensures heightened testing efficiency and accuracy, delivering software of superior quality. 🚀💡

Test design is the backbone of effective testing, ensuring coverage, quality, and relevance. Let's explore some key techniques that can elevate your test design game🔍 Equivalence Partitioning🚧 Boundary Value Analysis📊 Decision Table Testing🔄 State Transition Testing

Purpose of Test Design Techniques: Enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and coverage of test cases.Equivalence Partitioning: Group input data by expected behaviour or output for focused testing.Boundary Value Analysis: Test edge or limit values of input data to check system robustness.Decision Table Testing: Evaluate combinations of conditions and actions affecting system behaviour.

Applying test design techniques encourages a thoughtful and strategic testing process, ultimately contributing to improved test execution skills.For example, if you are testing a login feature for a web application. Instead of randomly entering username and password combinations, applying test design techniques involves systematically identifying various scenarios, such as valid and invalid inputs, boundary values, and error handling. By incorporating techniques like equivalence partitioning or boundary value analysis, you can design tests that cover a range of possibilities and potential pitfalls. This approach not only enhances the thoroughness of your testing but also allows for a more organized and efficient execution of test cases.

I can attest that test case management is indeed a complex and multifaceted topic. There's no one-size-fits-all approach; the right method varies widely depending on numerous factors, including project scope, team size, and the nature of the software being tested. Particularly when dealing with hundreds or even thousands of tests, the task of maintaining and updating them can become daunting. It's essential to have dedicated personnel within your team who are specifically responsible for test maintenance. Moreover, it's crucial to allocate time for test maintenance in each iteration. This ensures that your test cases evolve alongside your software, maintaining their relevance and effectiveness.

Importance of Reviewing Tests: Regular checks for errors, inconsistencies, or gaps in test cases.Refactoring Test Cases: Aim to reduce redundancy, complexity, or ambiguity in test code.Utilise Supportive Tools: Use code analysis, coverage, and quality tools for identifying improvement areas.

Warum schreiben wir Tests? Natürlich um das korrekte Verhalten der Software sicherzustellen. Tests sind aber auch eine wichtige Dokumentationsquelle für Entwickler. Sie vermitteln Wissen, wie sich das System (nicht) verhält. Entsprechend sollten Tests auch so geschrieben werden, dass sie von Menschen gelesen und einfach verstanden werden können. Das fördert die Produktivität und Stabilität bei Anpassungen.

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It is very Important to maintaining refractor your test suites on regular intervals it will lead to more consistent and robust test suite for your software which will conclude and solid software product overall.Refactoring of your test cases could be happened of many reasons like due to major changes in features of your softwares or maybe technology behind your software is changing or could be migration of your software and have to refractor the tests to keep in line with software itself.

Good point! Adding more relevant variations & continuously improving (=reviewing, removing, then adding relevant ones) is crucial. This way you're keeping your stack up to date.

In software development, learning from feedback and metrics is indispensable. Feedback from users, stakeholders, and peers provides valuable insights into areas for improvement and helps refine the product or service. Metrics, such as performance data and user engagement statistics, offer quantifiable feedback on the effectiveness of implemented changes and features. By embracing feedback and metrics, developers can iterate more effectively, make data-driven decisions, and ultimately deliver higher-quality solutions that better meet the needs of users.

Here are a couple of testing nuggets I’ve picked up over the past several years as a Fullstack dev:Seek Feedback: Chat with peers over coffee, engage with project teams, and tap into user feedback. It's like finding hidden treasures in your testing journey.Love the Metrics: Keep an eye on defect density, test coverage, and execution time. They're your roadmap to improvement.Learn and Adapt: Turn insights into action. Low test coverage? Time to explore new territories with additional tests.Continuous Improvement: Make reviewing and adapting part of your daily ritual. Stay agile and ready to embrace new testing adventures.Remember, every day is a chance to polish your testing skills. Stay curious!

Use coverage metrics from the testing lib. Important metrics are Line coverage, Statement coverage and Branch coverage. You can also integrate with sonar to get more accurate metrics.

Feedback is always good. Because that always give the opportunity for continuous evolution of your testing skills.If you can get this interesting data you can get valuable insights on the areas of improvement you should focus on.

Analyzing feedback and metrics gathered from test executions can provide valuable insights for improvement. This involves looking at the types of defects found, the effectiveness of different test cases, and areas where bugs are frequently missed. Metrics like defect density, test coverage, and time to execute can help in evaluating the effectiveness of testing efforts and guide future improvements.

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first to understand the system under test completely - study the requirements, design documents, and functionality thoroughly. Then practice writing detailed test cases and executing them yourself multiple times. Start simple and add complexity over time. Another key technique is to watch experienced testers - go through test cases together, ask questions about their approach, observe how they investigate unexpected behavior, and understand their mindset. Automating repeatable tests is also very useful to improve consistency and freed up time to focus on more complex tests. Reviewing the test cases and results after execution with the goal of improving coverage through gap analysis has helped strengthen my skills as well.

Great pointers, I would like to add that we need to be careful about repetition of test cases. So instead quantity of test cases, write quality test cases is of utmost importance.

In my perspective, a crucial reminder stands paramount: Prioritize quality tests over the sheer quantity of test casesQuality > Quantity

Participating in testing communities, attending workshops, and taking relevant courses can expand your knowledge and skills. Practicing different types of testing, like exploratory testing, can also enhance your ability to uncover unique bugs. Additionally, developing soft skills such as communication and critical thinking is important, as they enable better collaboration with the development team and a deeper understanding of the software being tested. Lastly, fostering a mindset of quality assurance, where testing is integrated throughout the software development lifecycle, rather than being an afterthought, can significantly improve test execution outcomes.

You need also to look outside. If you try to do only the same thing better you can. But there may be bigger breakthroughs other ways.