Test Execution Related Interview Questions and Answers
This section introduces some common interview questions and answers of the testing concepts, such as test execution, test suite, boundary value analysis, equivalence partitioning, test result analysis, exit criteria, and test logs. Understanding these testing concepts is essential for anyone involved in the software development process, as they help ensure the quality and reliability of the software being developed.
What is Test Execution?
Test execution is the process of running software tests to check if the software behaves as expected. Testers use specialized tools to run test cases and record results. Effective test execution is crucial to ensuring the software is reliable and functional before release.
What is a Test Suite?
A test suite is a collection of related test cases that are designed to be executed together. It helps ensure that all aspects of the software are thoroughly tested, and that testing efforts are organized and efficient. Test suites are usually created during the test planning and test design phases and can include different types of testing such as functional, performance, security, or usability testing.
What is Boundary Value Analysis?
Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) is a software testing technique used to identify errors and defects at the boundaries or extremes of input or output values. It is based on the principle that errors and defects are more likely to occur at the limits or boundaries of a system's input or output values.
Example - Let's say that we are testing a web form that requires users to enter their age. The form specifies that the user's age must be between 18 and 65 years old. In this case, we can use Boundary Value Analysis to test the form's input validation at the boundary values.
To test the boundary values, we would test the form with values that are just below, at, and just above the boundary values. For example, we could test the form with an age of 17 (just below the lower boundary), 18 (the lower boundary value), 19 (just above the lower boundary), 65 (the upper boundary value), 66 (just above the upper boundary), and so on.
What is Equivalence Partitioning?
Equivalence Partitioning (EP) is a software testing technique used to divide input values into partitions or groups that are equivalent in terms of the software's behavior. The goal of EP is to reduce the number of test cases needed to test the software while still providing thorough test coverage.
The principle behind EP is that input values that belong to the same partition are expected to exhibit similar behavior in the software. Therefore, testing one representative value from each partition is sufficient to test the entire partition.
Example- Let's say we are testing a web application that requires users to enter a username. The application specifies that the username must be between 6 and 12 characters long and can only contain letters and numbers. Instead of testing every possible username within this range, we can use EP to divide the possible usernames into partitions. We can identify three partitions:
Partition 1: Usernames that are less than 6 characters long Partition 2: Usernames that are between 6 and 12 characters long Partition 3: Usernames that are longer than 12 characters We can then select one representative value from each partition and use it as a test case. For example, we could test the application with a username of "abc" (representing Partition 1), "testuser" (representing Partition 2), and "averylongusername" (representing Partition 3).
By using EP, we can reduce the number of test cases needed to test the application while still providing thorough test coverage. This helps to make the testing process more efficient and effective. What is the purpose of test result analysis?
What is the purpose of exit criteria?
The purpose of exit criteria is to define a set of conditions that must be met before a testing phase can be considered complete and ready to move to the next phase. Exit criteria help ensure that the testing process is thorough and that the software is of sufficient quality before it is released to production or the end-users.
Exit criteria may include a variety of factors, such as-
A certain percentage of test cases have been executed and passed All high-priority defects have been fixed and verified The software has met all specified requirements All performance and security tests have been completed and passed All test documentation has been completed and reviewed
What is a test log and purpose of a test log?
A test log is a record of all activities and events that occur during the testing process. Its purpose is to document the testing process and results, provide a historical record of testing activities and results, and enable stakeholders to make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information.