How to Avoid Common Software Testing Problems

The American economy loses between $22.2 and $59.5 billion annually as a result of insufficient software testing, according to National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) research. (https://www.nist.gov/)

Why do organizations continue to report such losses when testing consumes a significant portion of their budgets? Even if businesses are committed to producing high-performing, bug-free goods, testing may still be less effective than we would want.

Make sure your organization uses best practices and tools for test management to prevent typical testing issues. Testing is essential for improving the performance of your product and decreasing software vulnerabilities.

Here are a few testing mistakes you should avoid if you want to make sure your product is booming beyond the testing phase.

Starting without a Specified Testing Scope

Beginners are frequently unaware of the multifaceted nature of testing, ranging from functional testing to performance and load testing to security testing and many other activities. Therefore, before beginning the execution, it is crucial to comprehend the extent of the testing that must be done.

The requirements should be thoroughly understood before defining the scope, and the test approach should be established with timetables in mind.

Start testing without having a plan

A test plan is a crucial document for conducting structured testing with discipline. A test plan is a document that outlines the scope, methodology, available resources, and timetable of the intended test activities, according to the ISTQB.

Beginners frequently assume they will be able to recall all the test cases that need to be completed and do not require a formal test plan when they first begin testing. Testing gets more error-prone when the testing scope expands and iterations take place because it is impossible to remember every detail precisely. A test plan makes it easier to remember which test cases you need to run.

Review and approval of the test plan

It can cost a lot later if the test plan is not reviewed and approved by all relevant stakeholders, including developers, peer testers, and product owners.

Reviewing the test plan can provide you with a fresh viewpoint that you might not have noticed or may have missed. Additionally, having the test plan approved by all parties involved ensures that the testing scope has been evaluated and approved.

Testing using Monotonous Test Data

If different test data types are required for the testing, you should make an effort to keep them as diverse as possible in terms of properties.

Repeating the same test cases with the same kind of input test data over and over won't provide any value if you're looking for fresh issues with the product. Repetition of test cases with identical test data is beneficial for regression but detrimental for exploration.

You must take into account all the inputs that are available in the actual world for your test data to determine whether the product will behave as expected in the real world.

Missing Regression Test Plan

Regression testing does not require that every test case in the test plan be run. To ensure maximum code coverage with the fewest test cases possible, it is crucial to complete a regression test plan.

Regression testing is a suitable fit for end-to-end workflow tests that can cover the most interactions between product components. It is wise to start working on automating these tests.

Automating UI-based test cases

Although beginners are very passionate about automating the test cases, they occasionally miss the fact that UI is a constantly changing aspect of a product. Therefore, unless you intend to test the UI itself, implementing automation based on UI is not the best course of action.

For instance, it is preferable to use dependable properties like XPath, id, name, etc., for identifying UI elements when developing automation for testing a website as opposed to coordinates, which may change over time and across different devices.

Conclusion

The list of frequent errors that testers make when they first enter the area of software testing is endless. From person to person and product to product, it differs. It's crucial that errors aren't repeated and that they do not prevent you from learning and attempting novel things. Agile quality assurance services ensure to have perfect test cases every time for successful testing.

Suggested Read: Software Testing Life Cycle Phases Explained