Ten QA Testing Best Practices That Make All the Difference

What exactly is quality assurance (QA) testing? Why is it an important element in the software creation process?

Let’s dive into these topics and explore the various types of QA testing, their mutual processes, and the best practices that contribute to smooth project execution. Along the way, we’ll also discuss the common challenges faced in this field.

Table of Contents

• What Is QA Testing?
• Why QA Testing Is Important
• Types of QA Testing
• Main Stages of the QA Testing Process
• 13 QA Testing Best Practices
• Common QA Testing Challenges
• QA Testing FAQs

What Is QA Testing?

QA testing is a systematic process that ensures the end product or service meets the set quality standards. It involves a series of activities carried out to identify weaknesses, errors, or discrepancies that might affect the user experience or product functionality.

Everything from software to machinery can and should go through QA testing. This careful review provides stakeholders with the assurance they need that the final product won’t fail them or their customers.

Why QA Testing Is Important

QA testing is a proactive approach that ensures a product’s or service’s impeccable performance and smooth user experience. Imagine launching a software or web application only to find it crash on the user’s device — not the best scenario, right?

The cost of poor software quality in the US has grown to at least $2.41 trillion. Clearly, the impact of software errors is colossal, both economically and functionally, once again proving the importance of robust QA testing.

These are some of the benefits of QA testing:

• Ensures Product Quality: It identifies and fixes bugs and errors before the product reaches the end user. This is crucial for maintaining a brand’s reputation and customer satisfaction.
• Improves User Experience: A product that works smoothly and efficiently improves the user experience. QA testing ensures all aspects of the product work as intended, leading to positive user interactions and reviews.
• Cost-Effective: With early detection of errors and potential issues, QA testing can save businesses a lot of money. The cost to fix a bug found after product release can be four to five times higher than if it’s found during the design phase.
• Increases Confidence in the Product: QA testing builds confidence in the product by ensuring its stability and reliability.
• Reduces Risks: With QA testing, businesses can reduce the risk of failures and malfunctions. This is especially true for sectors like healthcare and banking where software glitches can have serious repercussions.

Types of QA Testing

There are several types of QA testing serving a unique purpose in achieving the highest quality standards, such as:  

Type of QA Testing Description
‍Unit TestingVerifying each module or components of the product individually to ensure they work correctly in isolation.Integration TestingChecking the interaction between different modules of the product to guarantee seamless operation when assembled.End-to-End TestingA comprehensive approach that tests a complete application environment from start to finish, ensuring all interconnected systems work together as expected.Manual TestingTesters manually execute test cases without using any automation tools, assessing various factors like user-friendliness, design, etc. Automation TestingUses QA and test automation tools to execute test cases, which considerably reduces testing time and ensures more accuracy.AI TestingInvolves using artificial intelligence techniques to test the functionality and usability of products, offering efficiency and the ability to easily deal with complex test data.Visual TestingVerifies the visual aspects of the user interface to ensure it appears correctly to the user.Performance TestingAssesses the product’s speed, responsiveness, and stability under various workload conditions.Regression TestingVerifies that previously developed and tested features still function correctly after changes and modifications.Compatibility TestingEnsures the product can operate in different environments, including various hardware, operating systems, and network environments.Accessibility TestingChecks the product’s accessibility for users with disabilities, ensuring it complies with accessibility standards.Smoke TestingA quick, basic test run on newly developed features or modifications to ensure stability before further testing is conducted.Sanity TestingQuick, focused testing that validates whether the new or changed features work as intended.White Box TestingTesters have access to the internal structures or workings of the application. Also known as Clear Box Testing, Open Box Testing, Transparent Box Testing, Code-Based Testing, and Glass Box Testing.Black Box TestingTesters do not have access to the internal structures or workings of the application, they test the application with whatever inputs and outputs they can observe.Testing for Different Application Under Test (AUTs)Tests different AUT to ensure all aspects of the software under test are examined for their functionality. It involves checking various software modules, subsystems and their integration

Main Stages of the QA Testing Process

These are the crucial stages of the QA testing process:

1. Understanding and reviewing the system requirements to ensure a successful testing process.
2. Preparing a comprehensive and detailed test plan that outlines the approach and timeline of testing activities.
3. Developing test scenarios that cover all the possible ways the software could be used.
4. Conducting the actual tests and recording the results.
5. Evaluating the severity and impact of discovered defects and prioritizing them accordingly.
6. Working closely with the development team to ensure the swift and accurate remediation of any issues found.
7. Conducting regression testing to ensure previous functionality remains uncompromised after defect remediation.
8. Finalizing the QA process by documenting the outcomes and making recommendations for future testing phases.

13 QA Testing Best Practices

If you want to ensure QA testing runs as smoothly as possible, you have to keep in mind certain QA testing best practices:

• Hire a tester, developers are not testers, and have a conflict of interest since they would need to find the glitches they created
• Adopt a user-centered approach to testing
• Develop test scenarios and map them to the requirements, so that every single requirement has one or more test cases. Then validate with the client. This should happen ideally during the requirements analysis phase.
• Prioritize test scenarios according to business impact having always in mind that most important functionalities need to work first. A button highlighting in a wrong color or not at all, is not a high priority functionality to test.
• Ensure timely and effective communication within the QA team
• Implement continuous integration to deliver, test and integrate each functionality in an agile way and detect issues early
• Consider investing in automation testing for repetitive tasks
• Work collaboratively with developers to understand their coding approach
• Make use of the latest testing tools and technologies
• Consistently evaluate and update test scripts to maintain relevancy
• Encourage creativity and critical thinking in identifying potential bugs
• Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the QA team
• Ensure at least 2 testing steps, one before handing over the product to the business or Technical acceptance testing, and one after handing over the product to the business or User acceptance testing.

Common QA Testing Challenges

Despite its undeniable importance, QA testing comes with several challenges, such as:

• Inadequate Test Coverage: When the testing does not thoroughly cover all aspects of the software, important issues may be missed.
• Lack of Skilled Testers: A shortage of well-trained QA testers can lead to oversights and costly mistakes.
• Time Constraints: Tight deadlines and other scheduling issues can compromise the thoroughness of the testing process.
• Testing Incomplete Software: Testing is often performed on incomplete software, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the overall quality.
• Handling Unpredictable Issues: Unforeseen errors or issues during testing can derail established timelines and add extra costs to the project.
• Keeping up with Technological Changes: Rapid advancements in technology can pose a challenge as QA testers have to stay updated and adjust their testing methods accordingly.

QA Testing FAQs

What industries use quality assurance testing?

Quality assurance testing is used across a wide range of industries, from software development and manufacturing to healthcare and food processing. Any industry producing a product for consumer usage can greatly benefit from QA testing.

What does a QA tester do?

A QA tester plays a crucial role in the product development process. They are responsible for designing and executing test cases, identifying and documenting defects, and verifying fixes. Their main objective is to ensure the finished product meets quality standards and provides an optimal user experience.

To cap it off, QA testing should not be shelved as an option, nor just a formal step for which we can utilize our development team, but rather viewed as a necessity, proving that the project team understood the business requirements and delivered on expectations. It plays an imperative role in ensuring product quality, preventing faults, and enhancing customer experience. The thoroughness and diligence of a QA tester contribute greatly to a product’s ultimate success.

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