Using checklists in software quality assurance plays an important role. It helps to verify the main functions, track the sequence of connections, and make sure that no important aspects of testing have been missed.
In this article, you will learn which types of testing the approach is best suited for, what its advantages are, and get a universal checklist that you can use for your future project.
Features and Benefits of Checklists for Testing
A checklist has many meanings and is used in a variety of industries. In quality assurance, it is a guide for testers that they can use to check a wide range of software functions and areas that need to be tested. A checklist is significantly different from a test case. It has a much broader scope and indicates a general list of features or functions to be examined, while cases are detailed steps that a tester must perform.
In some projects, a checklist may be the only document for testing. In others, it may be an initial instruction supplemented by detailed test cases.
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Checklists have become widespread because they:
- Can be easily changed or supplemented if necessary.
- Suitable for different projects and types of software.
- May be used several times and eventually become a unified reference for testers in the company.
You can apply checklists to numerous projects. However, their use is most justified for smoke, regression, and exploratory testing. All of them aim to check the main functions of the software for compliance with requirements and the presence of bugs.
Example of a Real Checklist to Consider
It does not matter what project you are working on now; below you will find a completely universal testing checklist example that you can use to ensure the quality of your program or application. It consists of 6 main sections and a large number of sub-items.
1. Preparing for Testing
In the preparation phase, you should review all the requirements for the project, take care of the technical stack that you will use, and outline the test plan. Here are the points that you should follow:
- Study the specifications and requirements.
- Explore user and business expectations.
- Identify the functionality that will need testing.
- Define the end goal.
- List the key performance indicators.
- Set a deadline.
- Determine the equipment and programs that are needed.
- Take care of the appropriate tools.
- List the environments, devices, and operating systems for testing.
Once you are done with the preliminary preparation, you can move on to listing the tests.
2. Defining Test Types
Each project requires different tests for in-depth software examination. Their common types include unit, integration, user interface acceptance, and system testing. Here are the main indicators to check:
- Test individual software components.
- Evaluate the interactivity between units.
- Check the overall functionality of the platform.
- Explore the software’s compliance with end-user expectations.
You can continue this list according to the needs of your project.
3. Test Development and Management
Once you have an idea of the types of tests you need to implement, you can move directly to creating test cases. Here are some points to note:
- Create detailed and understandable test cases.
- Define their expected results.
- Classify and organize the cases.
- Track progress.
- Update test cases according to changes, if any.
Remember that your test cases should be understandable to all team members.
4. Test Execution and Reporting
Tests can have different priorities and require detailed documentation, so do the following:
- Prioritize test cases.
- Implement automation.
- Conduct parallel testing.
- Assess the presence and complexity of defects.
- Prepare a comprehensive report.
- Provide information that will help in fixing bugs.
After all test cases are executed and defects are eliminated, you will need to resort to retesting.
5. Finalizing the Procedure
Although regression takes time, you have to make sure that all bugs have been fixed and new ones have not appeared. So:
- Conduct regression testing.
- Verify that all tests are executed and errors are documented.
- Finalize documentation.
The final stage ahead of you is to improve the testing experience.
6. Checklist Improvement
Every checklist, like software, needs timely updates to better meet your needs. To keep it up-to-date, you should:
- Analyze the overall testing results.
- Collect feedback from all team members.
- Update the checklist.
- Implement new approaches and insights.
A testing checklist can provide reliable and objective results. However, it must be adapted to all updates and contain an exhaustive list of indicators for verification. It significantly improves team productivity and does not allow you to miss any critical functions.
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