Software Testing project - points to keep in mind for test execution

Every software testing professional should keep the below points in mind for successful project execution.

 Test Readiness:

1.  Who is the client and which process to be followed.
2.  Know your project team including dev and business.
3.  Project size (Large, Medium, Small)
4.  Project schedule including Go-Live date
5.  Requirements understanding and Priority of those requirements.
6.  Highlight the requirement gaps if any
7.  Platform, where execution needs to perform like,
•    Browsers
•    Devices
8.  List of deliverables to the client (list of documents)
9.  What is Test strategy and Test plan to execute the targeted test cases. It must be reviewed by project team and agreed.
10.  List of Resources and skill set which match to the current project execution
11.  Environment and its contingency if any.
12.  Test data availability and constraints if any scenarios needs to exempt
13.  Test scenarios and Test case preparation. It must be reviewed by project team and approved.
14.  Review for all deliverables before execution starts. eg: Test strategy/ test approach, Test Plan, Test Cases etc.
15.  Test management Tools and Testing Tools readiness before execution starts

Execution:

1.  Entry criteria check list
2.  Environment shakedown testing
3.  Execute, high priority test cases first to identify the critical defects at early stage.
4.  Verify the execution status against the burn down chart to keep the project on track for implementation
5.  All the testing resources should be knowing the defects raised by others. to identify the defect trend.
6. Schedule the defect triage calls daily to discuss on the outstanding defects and ETA for fix.
7.  Test case execution should be done effectively.
8.  Check every day, execution Pass %.  If % pass is not as planned, check what is the gap.?
9.  Check every day, defect rate and analyse, how the defect rate is impacting the test execution
10.  Check if any CRs are anticipated and plan the execution accordingly.
11.  Have a frequent catch-up meetings with the team to understand the issues and challenges if any.
12.  Exit criteria check list
13.  Test completion report and testing recommendations (Positives / Negatives) to move into the next phase.
14.  Always keep the client confidence good and high on testing team.

 

Why Test Scenarios are important?

First, what is a Test scenario and what is the difference between test case and test scenario.

The test scenario is a business flow of the application in different ways with limited information but test case gives the step by step process to execute that business flow.

For writing test case, does not require a domain knowledge, just it require a hands on experience on the application but to write a Test scenario an understanding of the domain, understanding of the requirements, business flow and an individual thought process is required. The customer gets confidence only if the test coverage is 100% for the given requirement. So test scenario writing is a prime requirement to start with test case writing / test execution.

Also every test scenario should have an objective like, what is the outcome a particular test scenario and whether it is relevant to the requirement or not ?

If the project does not have enough time to write test case documentation, the testing team can commence the testing with the test scenarios itself. Its not an ideal but we can make a conclusion at the end to provide testing sign off based test scenario execution itself.

For example, assume an application which captures the leads / request of a loan, it might be a personal consumer or business customer's  loan request. So, the loan request involves multiple parameters. 

eg:

1. Type of loan (Vehicle loan, home loan, personal loan)

2. The type of security given customer

3. Type of guarantee 

4. Term of loan, 

5. Interests rates ( fixed or variable)

6. Customer address types ( residential address, registered address, mailing address ) etc.

So, the scenarios can be :
    - Create a loan request with Single product, Multiple products, combination of Individual and Business customers products eg: personal and business loans.
   - Create a loan request with Fixed, Variable Int.rate and also combination of both Fixed and Variable int.rate.
   - Create a loan request for an Individual Customer, Business Customer and In partnership with both Individual & business customer.
   - Create a  loan request, with Security and without Security.
   - Create a loan request with Guarantee and Without Guarantee.
   - Create a request with a limited guarantee amount out of loan request.
   - Create a loan request minimum and maximum loan allowable limit. etc..