Software
Testing Life-cycle is a standard process categorized into various stages, used
by the QA testing team to perform end to end testing of a developed software.
Software Test Life Cycle (STLC) is a part of SDLC (Software Development life
cycle) and it is a step by step process to test a software thoroughly. STLC is
an essential part of SDLC. Be that as it may, STLC bargains just with the
different testing stages.
STLC
begins as soon as requirements are recorded in documents like BRS, SRS, and FRS
and shared by client to testing team.
STLC gives
a well ordered procedure to guarantee quality software.
As soon as
development completed, testing team can start execution of designed test
scenarios and test cases. It helps to find the defects initial stage.
Phases in STLC
As we know
now STLC is one of the phase of SDLC and it also have separate stages like
SDLC.STCL has following six phases.
Requirement Analysis
Requirement Analysis is the first
phase in Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC). In this
testing team try to understands the requirement with respect to what we will
testing & find out the testable requirements. If any conflict, missing or
not understood any requirement, then testing team get I touch with the
stakeholders like Business Analyst, System Architecture, Client, Technical
Manager/Lead for the better
understanding and detailed knowledge of requirement.
Test Planning
Test Planning is second stage in Software
testing life cycle (STLC). In this all testing strategies are designed. This
phase is also referred as Test Strategy phase. In this phase Test
Lead or QA team members (based on company to company) try to determine the
effort and cost estimates for testing project. This is commenced as soon as
requirement gathering phase is completed & based on the requirement
analysis, start designing the Test Plan and Test Strategy
>>Get the Sample Test Plan Template here.
>>Get the Sample
Test strategy Template here.
Test Designing
The test designing phase started
once the test planning is completed. It is also referred as test case
development process. This is the stage of STLC where testing team starts
designing the detailed test cases based on test scenarios. In this QA team also
prepare the test data for testing. When the test cases designing completed then
the test cases are reviewed by peer members or QA lead.
Test cases are reviewed on the
basis of test scenarios and requirement documents to make sure that end to end
requirement coverage has been done.
Here is another document known as
Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM) is designed. The Requirement Traceability
Matrix is used for tracking requirements where each designed test case is
mapped with the requirements. Using RTM QA can track backward & forward
traceability to showcase stakeholders that all the requirements has been
covered in test case designing.
>>Get the Sample
Test Scenarios Template here.
>>Get
the Sample
Test Case Template here.
>>Get
the Sample
Traceability Matrix Template here.
Test Environment Setup
Test Environment
Setup is fourth phase in STLC. Setting up the
test environment is critical part of testing activity and can be done in
parallel with test case designing. Test environment setup decides in which
conditions software is tested. In this activity of setting up test environment QA
team may or may not involve in it. Based on company to company may be developers
or customer provides the test environment. Meanwhile QA team prepare the smoke
test cases to check the readiness of the test environment setup.
Test Execution
Once Test
Case Designing and Test Environment setup phase is finished then the next phase
to kick start is test execution. In this QA team start executing test cases as
per test planning, test strategy & designed test cases.
In the
execution process passed test cases are marked as Passed. When any of the test
case is failed a defect is raised using test management tools like HP-QC,
HP-ALM and JIRA and assigned to development team. The bug can be linked for
corresponding test case for further analysis. When the defect is fixed by
development team then associated test cases with that can be re-executed based
on test planning which is also known as re-testing.
When due
to any defect any of the test cases are blocked such test cases are marked as
Blocked, so QA can get the report after execution based on how many test cases
passed, failed, blocked or not run status. When the defects are resolved, all
failed or blocked test cases re-executed again to retest the functionality.
Test Closure
The last
phase of STLC is Test Closure. In this QA team involve in meetings to evaluate
test cycles completion criteria based on Test coverage, Quality, Cost, Time,
Critical Business Objectives, and Software. Test case & defect reports will
be analyzed for defect distribution by type and severity. Test closure report
& Test metrics are designed with graphs and tables to show the total test
cases executed, Passed, Failed and Blocked it also includes total number of
defects raised with priority and severity and retested test cases after defect
fixes.
Software Testing Life Cycle
Reviewed by Career Software Testing
on
March 25, 2018
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