Essential Guide to Effective QA Testing

Discover essential QA testing techniques and strategies to enhance software quality! Master Quality Assurance and learn how we can help you.

Welcome to your Essential Guide to Effective QA Testing!

Here, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Quality Assurance (QA), from its importance in the software development process to specific techniques that can enhance your testing efforts and help you deliver high-quality software.

Check out our end-to-end software testing services and contact us. Our global client reviews on Clutch speak for themselves.

What is QA Testing?

Also known as software testing, QA testing is a systematic process designed to evaluate a software product and validate if it meets specified requirements and quality standards. This involves a series of activities to identify and report software defects, bugs, and inconsistencies, helping to improve software reliability and performance.

What Does a QA Tester Do?

A QA tester designs and executes tests to validate software functionality, performance, and usability, working closely with developers to identify issues and improve overall quality.

Does QA Require Coding?

While not always mandatory, coding skills are increasingly valuable in QA, especially for tasks like test automation, API testing, and integrating testing into CI/CD pipelines.

On the whole, QA software testing goes beyond identifying bugs. It’s about verifying that the software functions as intended and delivers a seamless, satisfactory user experience. To achieve this, QA teams need to perform various types of qa testing, such as functional and non-functional testing, each playing a key role in the overall QA strategy.

Planning a Testing Strategy

A well-planned testing strategy is indispensable for effective QA Testing. Combining manual and automated testing is essential to enhance software quality and accelerate release cycles. It involves defining the scope, objectives, and resources required.

At Abstracta, we prioritize test cases based on risk and impact, focusing on critical functionalities first. This approach helps in identifying defects early in the development cycle.

We have developed a quality software testing maturity model, a comprehensive framework that helps teams improve the quality of their software testing efforts. It encompasses all aspects of software quality, including maintainability, functionality, automation, performance, accessibility, usability, and security testing, to meet the needs of users and stakeholders.

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, we recommend reading this article: How to Create the Right Test Strategy for Your Project.

Need support for your test strategy? Check out our Test Strategy Services

What’s The Difference Between Functional vs. Non-Functional Testing?

While functional testing focuses on validating that specific features and functions of the software meet the requirements, non-functional testing assesses broader qualities like performance, usability, and reliability.

Here, it is important to highlight that both types of testing are necessary for the creation of quality software. They focus on different aspects but are ultimately complementary. 

In the following sections, we’ll dive deeper into each type, exploring their unique roles, testing types, and how they work together to enable a robust and effective QA strategy.

What is Functional Testing?

As we highlighted before, functional testing verifies that the software’s features and functions operate as specified in the requirements documentation. It focuses on validating that each function aligns with user expectations and delivers the intended outcomes during real-world interactions, verifying the application behaves as designed in various scenarios.

At Abstracta, we believe testing is a creative process. Our team takes advantage of their own experience and critical thinking to explore how the software works, how it is used, and how it may fail. Our functional testing services involve using creativity, techniques, and tools to explore the software through the entire software development life cycle and identify defects and risks.

As part of this path, functional testing encompasses a range of testing methods, each tailored to assess different facets of the software’s functionality.

Let’s delve into the primary types of functional testing!

Looking for a Functional Testing Partner? Check out our Functional Testing Services

Unit Testing

• Tests individual components or units of code.

Generally, here we talk about code-level units. These are very specific tests, for which it is necessary to isolate a fragment of the code. This corresponds exclusively to what you want to test, and helps in identifying issues at an early stage, making it easier to fix them and preventing them from escalating.

In the vast majority of cases, software developers are responsible for carrying out unit testing. 

Example: Testing a single function in a code module to verify it returns the correct output. For instance, verifying that a function calculating the sum of two numbers returns the correct result.

Eager to learn more about unit testing strategies? We recommend reading this article.

Integration Testing

• Verifies that different components or systems work together.

This type of testing is fundamental for identifying issues that may arise when different modules interact with each other. We perform integration tests when we need to integrate functionality into the system and verify it together with the rest of the system components we are testing.

This can be at the unit code integration level, at the service level (at the API level of a layered system), or even at the system level, when we are integrating changes to different components. 

Example: Testing the interaction between a web application and a database. For instance, verifying that data entered in a web form is correctly saved in the database.

System Testing

• Evaluates the complete and integrated software system.

Teams need to perform system testing in an environment that closely resembles the production environment to verify the software works as expected in real-world scenarios. This helps in identifying any issues that might only appear under production-like conditions.

By simulating real-world usage, system testing confirms that all components of the software interact seamlessly and function together as a cohesive unit. This phase is important for validating the overall behavior and performance of the software, confirming that it meets user expectations and business requirements.

Example: Testing an entire e-commerce application to verify all features work together seamlessly. This includes checking functionalities like user registration, product search, and checkout process.

Regression Testing

• Verifies that new changes do not introduce defects in existing functionalities.

This type of testing is critical to maintaining the stability and reliability of the software. Regression testing involves re-running previously completed test cases to check that recent code changes have not adversely affected existing features. By doing so, it helps to identify any unintended side effects of new updates or bug fixes.

The aforementioned is essential for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) environments, where frequent code changes are the norm. It helps to maintain a consistent user experience and evaluates if the software remains robust and functional over time. This ongoing process is vital for delivering a reliable product.

Example: Re-running test cases after a software update to verify existing features still work. For instance, verifying that a bug fix in the login module does not affect the registration module.

Don’t miss these articles! What is Regression Testing in Agile? and Automated Regression Testing.

Exploratory Testing

• An approach where testers actively explore the software to find defects.

Unlike scripted testing, exploratory testing is more flexible and relies on the tester’s creativity and experience. QA testers navigate through the application without predefined test cases, uncovering unexpected issues and gaining a deeper understanding of the software. This encourages critical thinking and adaptability, making it effective for discovering hidden bugs and usability problems.

Exploratory testing complements other methods to provide a thorough evaluation. It is particularly useful in the early stages of development when formal test cases may not yet be available. By leveraging the intuition and expertise of each QA tester, exploratory testing can reveal insights that structured testing might miss, enhancing the overall quality of the product.

Example: Navigating through an application without predefined test cases to discover unexpected issues and gain a deeper understanding of the software.

Want to dive deeper into exploratory testing? Listen to our podcast “Quality Sense” with Federico Toledo and Maaret Pyhäjärvi.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

• Confirms that the software meets specified requirements and is ready for deployment.

User Acceptance testing is a critical phase in the software development lifecycle, validating that the software meets business requirements and is ready for production. It involves testing by real users to confirm the software meets their requirements and expectations.

By involving actual users in the testing process, user acceptance testing bridges the gap between development and real-world application, making the software both functional and user-friendly.

Example: Conducting UAT to verify that a new feature in a CRM system is intuitive and meets the practical needs of the sales team.

Curious about which functional tests can be automated? We recommend reading this article.

What is Non-Functional Testing?

As we touched on earlier, non-functional testing focuses on evaluating aspects of the software that extend beyond its specific functionalities. It examines how well the system performs under various conditions, including its speed, scalability, and responsiveness.

Additionally, it assesses usability to determine how user-friendly and intuitive the software is, as well as reliability to confirm its stability and robustness over time or under stress.

Let’s now explore each type of non-functional testing one by one!

Discover how our expertise has made a difference by exploring our case studies.

Performance Testing

• Evaluates the system’s performance under different conditions.

Performance tests help identify performance bottlenecks and assess whether the system can handle expected user traffic. This is key to understanding how the software behaves under various load conditions and validating if it meets performance requirements.

By simulating different user activity levels, performance testing provides essential metrics and insights into the system’s responsiveness, stability, and scalability. It helps in pinpointing areas that need optimization to deliver a smooth user experience. You can check more about its benefits in this article.

Example: Simulating thousands of users on an e-commerce site to measure response times. For instance, checking that the website loads within acceptable time limits during peak traffic.

At Abstracta, we have developed our own methodology to secure the success of our performance tests. It involves the following main stages: test definition (goals, context, environments, test data, scenarios, etc.), automation (with tools like JMeter, K6, or Gatling), test execution, and results analysis.

We have mastered a methodology to add performance checks in CI/CD to detect degradations on critical components as soon as they are inserted in the code repository. Our agile and shift-left performance testing approaches allow us to deliver faster and with greater confidence. Furthermore, identifying and diagnosing issues in production quickly is critical in the current and uncertain world.

On balance, as experts in performance engineering, SRE, and DevOps, we can diagnose issues in production, improve performance, increase security, and make your systems more resilient.

Find out everything about continuous performance testing in this comprehensive guide.

Looking for a Performance Testing Partner? Check out our Performance Testing Services

Load Testing

• A subcategory of performance testing that determines how the system behaves under a specific load.

Load testing evaluates the system’s capacity to handle a predetermined amount of user activity. This helps assess the system’s limits and identify any performance degradation under high load conditions.

Load testing involves subjecting the system to expected peak usage levels to observe its behavior. It reveals how well the software can maintain performance standards during high-traffic periods and helps identify potential bottlenecks.

Example: Testing how a website performs when accessed by a large number of users simultaneously. For instance, verifying that the website remains responsive when 10,000 users access it at the same time.

Curious about API performance testing types? Read this article.

Stress Testing

• Assesses the system’s behavior under extreme conditions.

Stress testing helps identify the system’s breaking point and understand how it recovers from failure. This type of testing is crucial for determining the robustness and resilience of the software under high-stress scenarios.

By pushing the system beyond its normal operational capacity, stress testing reveals how well the software can handle unexpected spikes in load and whether it can recover gracefully from failures. It provides valuable insights into the system’s limits and helps in planning for capacity and scalability.

Example: Testing a web application by increasing the load until the system fails. For instance, verifying that the application can handle a sudden spike in traffic without crashing.

Interested in this type of testing? Don’t miss this article! How to Stress Test a Website?

Usability Testing

• Assesses how easy and user-friendly the software is.

Usability testing helps identify usability issues and evaluates whether the software provides a good user experience. This is essential for validating that users can navigate and interact with the software effortlessly.

By observing real users as they navigate through the application, usability testing uncovers areas where users may struggle, allowing for improvements that enhance the overall user experience. It focuses on the design, layout, and overall interaction to make the software intuitive and accessible.

Example: Observing users as they navigate through an application to identify usability issues. For instance, verifying that users can easily find and use the search functionality on a website.

Accessibility Testing

• Evaluates how well the software can be used by people with various disabilities.

Accessibility testing verifies if the software is inclusive and usable by everyone. It helps to meet legal requirements and provide a positive user experience for all users.

By testing the software against accessibility standards and guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), accessibility testing identifies barriers that might prevent people with disabilities and with different conditions from using the software effectively. It involves checking for features like screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and color contrast.

Example: Testing a web application to verify that it is navigable using only a keyboard. For instance, validating that all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard shortcuts and that screen readers can accurately interpret the content.

At Abstracta, our accessibility audit offers a comprehensive assessment to pinpoint and mitigate accessibility issues, providing clear reports to reduce risks and costs. This boosts your web applications and mobile apps to meet web content accessibility guidelines.

Need help making your software accessible to everyone? Explore our Accessibility Testing Services.

Security Testing

• Identifies vulnerabilities and verifies the software is secure.

Security testing helps protect the software from security threats and enables data integrity. This type of testing is vital for safeguarding sensitive information and preventing unauthorized access.

By testing for common security issues, security testing uncovers potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors, allowing for timely remediation. It involves checking for weaknesses in authentication, authorization, data protection, and more.

Common security issues include SQL injection, where malicious SQL queries are inserted into input fields to manipulate the database. Cross-site scripting (XSS) entails injecting malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.

Example: Testing for common security issues like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. For instance, verifying that the application does not allow unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Achieving compliance with industry standards and regulations is critical. That’s why compliance testing and ethical hacking are key components of our service offering at Abstracta. Our expert-generated evidence supports specific compliance requirements like PCI DSS in payments or OWASP MASVS in mobile.

We evaluate the potential impact of vulnerabilities on websites, APIs, and apps, and the likelihood of attacker exploitation. By conducting thorough risk assessments and utilizing advanced security testing tools, we aim to uncover and address all security vulnerabilities.

Need support with Security Testing? Check out our Security Testing Services

Compatibility Testing

• Verifies the software works across different devices, browsers, and operating systems.

Compatibility testing helps provide a consistent user experience across various platforms. This testing is vital for confirming that the software functions correctly in different environments.

By testing the software on various devices and browsers, compatibility testing identifies any discrepancies in functionality or appearance, allowing for adjustments that create a seamless experience for all users. It covers different operating systems, screen sizes, and hardware configurations.

Example: Testing a web application on various browsers and devices to verify compatibility. For instance, verifying that the website displays correctly on both desktop and mobile devices.

Advanced QA Testing Practices

In this section, we will explore advanced QA testing practices that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your testing efforts. From setting up the right test environment to leveraging AI in testing, these practices are designed to help you deliver high-quality software consistently.

Observability Testing

Observability testing is the practice of monitoring and understanding the internal state of a system using logs, metrics, and traces. It helps confirm that the software operates correctly under various conditions.

Observability also extends to data, focusing on monitoring the health and quality of data within your systems, which is critical for maintaining data accuracy and reliability.

Why Observability Testing is Important? It is instrumental in performance testing as it allows teams to monitor system behavior in real-time, identify bottlenecks, and diagnose issues quickly. It also benefits other types of testing:

• Functional Testing: Verifies functionalities and detects issues in real-time.
• Security Testing: Identifies and responds to vulnerabilities promptly.
• Usability Testing: Monitors user interactions to uncover usability problems.
• Regression Testing: Verifies if recent changes have not introduced new issues.

At Abstracta, we joined forces with Datadog to leverage real-time infrastructure monitoring services and security analysis solutions for modern applications. Check our solutions here!

Test Environment Setup

Setting up a proper test environment is pivotal for effective QA Testing. This includes configuring hardware, software, network settings, and other necessary components to mimic the production environment as closely as possible.

A well-configured test environment not only helps in identifying issues that might not be apparent in a different setup but also plays a key role in enabling Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Testing (CT).

Continuous Integration (CI) involves automatically integrating code changes into a shared repository, enabling every change to be immediately tested. Meanwhile, Continuous Testing (CT) facilitates the running of automated tests as part of the CI process, providing immediate feedback on code quality. Together, CI and CT foster a seamless development process where testing becomes an integral, continuous part of the lifecycle.

Another critical aspect of QA Testing is managing test data, which should be realistic and cover various scenarios, including edge cases. Proper test data management helps you ensure that your tests are reliable and repeatable.

Automated Testing

Automated testing plays a crucial role in QA Testing. It helps in executing repetitive test cases quickly and accurately. We decide which tests to automate based on factors like frequency of execution and complexity. Automated testing saves time and boosts consistent test results.

Moreover, automated testing is a cornerstone of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Testing (CT). By automating repetitive and time-consuming test cases, teams can streamline the development pipeline and provide immediate feedback on changes. Automating the right amount of test cases across all system levels—unit, API, and UI—is key to supporting agile and continuous delivery practices.

At Abstracta, our team assesses context and goals to determine the best strategy for your team and product, create a test plan, and automate different types of tests for optimal results. Our test automation services include both low-code solutions to boost test authoring speed and full-code approaches.

Our partnerships with top low-code innovators like Mabl, Tricentis Testim, and Provar allow us to tailor our automation testing services to your specific needs. Thus, we enable comprehensive test automation coverage and empower people with and without coding skills.

While automated testing offers numerous benefits, combining it with manual testing allows critical scenarios requiring human judgment. Together, they create a comprehensive testing strategy that covers all aspects of software quality.

Don’t miss our Automated Functional Testing Guide!

Need support with Automated Testing? Boost your ROI with our Test Automation Services

AI in QA Testing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing QA Testing by enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the testing process. Here are some ways AI is being used in QA Testing:

• Test Case Generation: AI can automatically generate test cases based on user stories and requirements. This helps in covering more scenarios and reducing the time spent on manual test case creation.
• Defect Prediction: AI can analyze historical data to predict where defects are likely to occur. This helps in prioritizing testing efforts and focusing on high-risk areas.
• Test Automation: AI can enhance test automation by identifying which test cases to automate and optimizing test execution. This helps in reducing the time and effort required for test automation.
• Visual Testing: AI can perform visual testing by comparing screenshots of the application to identify visual defects. This helps in verifying the UI is consistent and free of visual issues.

Keep on learning in this article! Generative AI for Dummies, a Powerful Guide for All

Revolutionize Your Testing and Boost productivity by 30% with Abstracta Copilot! Our AI-powered assistant quickly generates user stories, tests cases, and manages instant system documentation.

In a Nutshell – QA Testing

QA Testing is an integral part of software development. It enables the final product to meet the highest standards of quality and functionality. By delving into the various aspects of QA Testing, from planning and tools to defect management and automation, we can deliver reliable and high-quality software.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the world of QA Testing. We hope this article has provided valuable insights and practical knowledge. Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of software together and impacting society with quality software.

How We Can Help You

With over 16 years of experience and a global presence, Abstracta is a leading technology solutions company specializing in end-to-end software testing services and AI software development.

We believe that actively bonding ties propels us further and helps us enhance our clients’ software. That’s why we’ve forged robust partnerships with industry leaders like Microsoft, Datadog, Tricentis, and Perforce, empowering us to incorporate cutting-edge technologies.

Our holistic approach enables us to support you across the entire software development life cycle. Visit our solutions page and contact us to discuss how we can help you grow your business.

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