ISTQB FOUNDATION 4.0 | Tutorial 3 | 1.2 Why Testing is Necessary | ISTQB Tutorials | TM SQUARE

Summary

This tutorial delves into the ISTQB Foundation certification, focusing on the fundamentals of testing and emphasizing its importance from the early stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC). It clarifies the roles of testers in reviewing requirements and identifying ambiguities. The video distinguishes between static and dynamic testing, highlighting the tester's contribution to project management decisions. It also explains the difference between QA and QC, with QA defining the process for quality and QC implementing it. The script further explores concepts like error, defect, failure, and root cause, illustrating their interplay in the testing process. The tutorial aims to enhance understanding of testing's value in ensuring product quality and meeting regulatory standards.

Takeaways

• 😀 Testing is not limited to writing and executing test cases but starts from the requirement gathering phase in the SDLC model.
• 🔍 Testers play a crucial role in reviewing requirements and identifying ambiguities, contradictions, and inconsistencies.
• 📚 There are two types of testing: static testing, which involves reviewing documentation without execution, and dynamic testing, which involves running and testing the product.
• 📈 Testing contributes to project management by providing critical information for decision-making, such as progress, coverage, and defect identification.
• 🤔 Testers ensure user needs are considered throughout the SDLC, influencing product quality and release decisions.
• 📝 Testing may be necessary to meet contractual, legal, or regulatory requirements, especially in industries like medicine, banking, or automotive.
• 👷‍♂️ QA (Quality Assurance) is about defining the processes and approaches to achieve quality, while QC (Quality Control) is about implementing those processes.
• 🔧 Test engineers are often referred to as QA in the software industry because they can contribute to process improvement, unlike in hardware industries.
• 🧐 The terms 'error' and 'mistake' are synonymous, with 'error' often used in programming contexts and 'mistake' in general.
• 🐛 A 'defect' is a deviation from the expected and actual results, often informally referred to as a 'bug' in software.
• 🚫 'Failure' is the result of a test case not meeting expectations and is used to identify and address defects before product release.
• 🔄 Addressing the root cause of defects can help prevent or reduce the frequency of similar failures or defects in the future.

Q & A

Why is testing considered important in the software development life cycle (SDLC)?

Testing is important because it starts from the requirement gathering phase and contributes to the overall success of a product by identifying ambiguities, contradictions, and inconsistencies in requirements, as well as ensuring quality throughout the SDLC.

What are the two types of testing mentioned in the script, and how do they differ?

The two types of testing are static testing and dynamic testing. Static testing involves reviewing work products or documentation without executing the product, whereas dynamic testing involves running the product and testing it in a live environment.

What is the role of a tester in the context of project management activities?

A tester contributes to project management activities by providing critical information on testing progress, identifying defects, and assessing risks, which helps management make informed decisions on moving to the next stage of the SDLC.

How does testing provide users with an indirect representation of the development project?

Testing ensures that the tester's understanding of user needs is considered throughout the SDLC, contributing to the overall understanding, acceptance, confidence, and coverage of the product before it is released.

Can you explain the difference between QA (Quality Assurance) and QC (Quality Control) as per the script?

QA is defined as a process or a set of people who define how quality can be achieved in a product, often managed by a test manager. QC, on the other hand, refers to the person or team who performs the defined activities, such as writing test cases, preparing the environment, and executing tests.

Why are software testers often referred to as QA engineers instead of QC?

In the software industry, testers are often called QA engineers because they have the privilege to contribute to the improvement of the process, unlike in hardware industries where testers are limited to executing test cases defined by QA.

What is the difference between a mistake and an error according to the script?

According to the script, a mistake and an error are the same, with 'mistake' being a generic term and 'error' being more relevant to programming. Both refer to something a human does wrong unintentionally.

How is a defect defined in the context of the script?

A defect is defined as a deviation between the expected and actual result. It is an indication that something is not working as expected.

What is the relationship between a failure and a defect?

A failure is an approach to identify defects. It occurs when a test case is run and the expected result is not equal to the actual result, indicating the presence of a defect.

Can you explain the concept of a root cause as discussed in the script?

The root cause is the fundamental reason behind the occurrence of a problem. It is not necessarily the defect itself but the underlying issue that leads to the defect and can potentially contribute to multiple other elements of the application.

Why is it important for a tester to understand the difference between error, defect, and root cause?

It is important for a tester to understand these differences to effectively measure the impact of fixes and to conduct regression testing to ensure that fixes do not introduce side effects or new defects.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Testing Importance and Types

This paragraph introduces the importance of testing in the software development life cycle (SDLC) and differentiates between static and dynamic testing. Testing is crucial as it starts from the requirement gathering phase and continues throughout SDLC. Testers are responsible for reviewing requirements, identifying ambiguities, and contributing to the product's success. The paragraph also highlights the role of testing in project management, such as providing critical information for decision-making and ensuring user needs are considered. Additionally, it touches on the necessity of testing to meet contractual, legal, and regulatory requirements.

05:02

📚 Clarifying the Distinction Between QA and QC

The second paragraph delves into the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). QA is defined as a process or a set of people who define how to achieve quality in a product, including techniques, approaches, and methods. A test manager is an example of someone involved in QA. On the other hand, QC refers to the actual execution of these defined activities, such as writing and executing test cases, logging defects, and performing retesting. The paragraph clarifies that while the software industry often refers to test engineers as QA, they are actually performing QC activities. It also explains that in the software industry, testers have the unique privilege of contributing to process improvement, unlike in hardware industries where testers are limited to executing tests. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the roles of QA and QC in defining and implementing processes, respectively.

10:03

🔧 Understanding Errors, Defects, Failures, and Root Causes

The final paragraph discusses the concepts of errors, defects, failures, and root causes, and their interrelationships in the context of software testing. It begins by explaining that errors and mistakes are synonymous, with 'error' often used in programming contexts and 'mistake' in general. Defects are deviations between expected and actual results, and bugs are informal terms for defects. The paragraph differentiates between defects and faults, with the latter being more common in hardware industries. Failures are defined as the result of running a test case where the expected outcome does not match the actual outcome. The root cause is the fundamental reason behind a problem, which may not always be the defect itself. The importance of understanding these concepts is emphasized for testers to effectively identify issues, ensure fixes do not introduce side effects, and conduct regression testing to prevent similar issues in the future.

Keywords

💡ISTQB Foundation Certification

The ISTQB Foundation Certification is a globally recognized credential for software testers. It signifies a fundamental understanding of software testing principles and practices. In the video, the tutorial is specifically focused on this certification, discussing its core concepts and emphasizing its importance in the field of software testing.

💡SDLC Model

SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle, which is a process used by developers to plan, create, test, and deploy an information system. The video mentions that testing's contribution starts right from the beginning of the SDLC, highlighting the importance of testing from the requirement gathering phase through to the release of the product.

💡Static Testing

Static testing refers to the examination of the software without executing it. It involves reviewing work products or documentation to find anomalies. The video script explains that static testing kicks off at the beginning of the SDLC and is a crucial part of the testing process, different from dynamic testing where the product is actually run and tested.

💡Dynamic Testing

Dynamic testing is the process of running the software to test it dynamically. It is used to find defects by executing the software against the requirements. The script mentions dynamic testing as a type of testing that complements static testing and is performed later in the SDLC when the software is in a testable state.

💡Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality Assurance (QA) in the context of the video refers to a set of processes or a team of people whose role is to define how quality can be achieved in a product. QA is responsible for the techniques, approaches, methods, and timelines for testing. The video clarifies that while testers are often called QA, they are actually performing Quality Control activities.

💡Quality Control (QC)

Quality Control (QC) is the practical implementation of the processes defined by QA. It involves writing test cases, preparing the environment, executing the tests, logging defects, and performing retesting. The video script explains that in the software industry, testers are often mistakenly referred to as QA when they are actually performing QC duties.

💡Mistake

A mistake, as defined by the video, is an unintentional human error. It is a generic term for when a person does something wrong without intending to. In programming, the term 'error' is often used instead of 'mistake', but they are synonymous. The script uses the term to differentiate between human errors and system defects.

💡Defect

A defect is a deviation from the expected result or a fault in the software that causes it to behave differently than intended. The video script explains that defects are also known as bugs in informal terms, but the formal term used in the industry is 'defect'. Defects are a key focus for testers to identify and report.

💡Failure

Failure, in the context of the video, is the event when a test case does not produce the expected outcome. It is an approach to identify defects. The video emphasizes that failures are not the same as product failures post-release but are a part of the testing process to find and correct defects before the product is released.

💡Root Cause

The root cause is the underlying reason for a problem or defect. It is the fundamental issue that needs to be addressed to prevent further occurrences of the defect. The video script explains that the root cause may not always be the same as the defect itself and that identifying and fixing the root cause can help prevent similar failures in the future.

💡Regression Testing

Regression testing is the process of retesting a software application after changes have been made to ensure that the changes have not introduced new defects. The video script mentions regression testing in the context of fixing defects and ensuring that fixes do not have unintended side effects on other parts of the application.

Highlights

Testing contributes to the overall success of a product by identifying ambiguities, contradictions, and inconsistencies in requirements.

Testing begins from the requirement gathering phase in the SDLC model.

There are two types of testing: static testing, which involves reviewing documentation without execution, and dynamic testing, which involves running the product.

Static testing starts at the beginning of the SDLC and is crucial for early detection of issues.

Testing is part of larger project management activities, providing critical information for decision-making in the SDLC.

Testers ensure user needs are considered throughout the software development life cycle.

Testing provides confidence in the product's quality before release.

Testing may be required to meet contractual, legal, or regulatory standards.

Differentiating between QA and QC is crucial; QA defines the process for achieving quality, while QC implements those activities.

In the software industry, testers are often called QA engineers, reflecting their role in process improvement.

Mistake and error are synonymous, with 'error' commonly used in programming contexts.

A defect is a deviation between the expected and actual result.

Failure is an approach to identify defects through test case execution.

Root cause analysis is essential for understanding the fundamental reason behind a problem.

Addressing the root cause can prevent or reduce the frequency of similar failures or defects.

Regression testing is important to ensure that fixes do not introduce side effects.

Transcripts

Hello friends and greetings for the day

welcome back to another tutorial on

istqb Foundation certification we are in

chapter one talking about fundamentals

of testing and today we shall be

continuing with our next segment that is

1.2 why testing is important or why

testing is necessary so let's quickly

have a look what this segment of this

chapter has to talk

about

so as a part of this segment all we are

trying to add is the value what testing

adds to the overall contribution of

success of a product now testing

contribution to the overall success

certainly talks about the various

activities being conducted at any point

of time many people as we discussed in

1.1 think that testing is limited to

writing test cases and execution of

these test cases which happens pretty

later and in the life cycle but if I

consider the sdlc model and talks about

the testing contribution it starts right

from the beginning of the sdlc model

that means right from the requirement

Gathering phase a tester is someone who

is responsible to go ahead and review

the requirements and contribute by

finding ambiguities contradictions

inconsistencies omissions related to

that indeed in simple words all we are

trying to do is analyze the information

and Report any kind of confusions

unclear requirement incomplete

information to the author in this case

the author would be the product owner or

the business analyst but the point is

testing gets started right from there so

of course there are two types of testing

which we all know we have static testing

and dynamic testing static testing is

without executions when you review the

work products or documentation and F

anomaly in that is what I call it as

static testing whereas if I talk about

running the product and testing it

dynamically I call it as Dynamic testing

so we will talk about static and dynamic

testing in in more detail in our chapter

2 and chapter 4 for now static testing

is something which kicks off right at

the beginning of the sdlc and testers

are just not limited to that of the

dynamic testing another important Point

here is to talk about that one I can

talk about static and dynamic and second

important thing is the part of the

larger project management activity that

is contributing to decisions to move to

the next stage of the sdlc model that

means we are consistently providing the

those critical information to the

management that how exactly our testing

is progressing in the context of

reaching the required coverage or

identifying the defects at the same time

any other you know identifications

regarding the risk or any kind of

defects to be close prior to moving to

the next St and that all puts together

in terms of management to make a

decision on how exactly can we move

ahead or should we continue to do

something more there talking about

testing provides users with indirect

represent ation of the development

project where testers ensure that their

understanding of the users need are

considered throughout the software

development life cycle that means tester

not only performs the activities but at

the same time looks forward to gain the

required confidence on the product's

quality if I as a tester is not

confident about the quality of the

product I will not be able to give a go

ahead to any of the production team or

the management including the release

management team so there's no point

releasing a product which is not like a

tester is not confident about the same

so in that context the testing certainly

contributes to the overall understanding

acceptance confidence coverage and then

push it across to the next module also

testing may also be required to meet

contractual or legal requirements or to

comply with regulatory standards now

it's not necessary that every single

product will have this into

consideration but contractual things

like timelines the required level of

coverage and Etc comes as a part of

contractual agreement when it comes to

the legal requirements could be related

to the things which are like uh

medicines or talking about banking or

you know any other things like

automotive and all so they do have

related legal requirements and there are

of course many products around you like

including the appliances the phones or

any other products which are embedded

systems they have to go through the

regulatories which are like AOW amount

of things so for example if I'm talking

about the radiation being emitted by a

cell phone has a limitation that means

what amount of radiation can be you know

emitted from the phone and if your phone

is a meeting more than that required

regulatory then of course your phone

will not be released to the market and

that's where a lot of phones are banned

by default before releasing them also

the second important topic we are

talking about is differentiating between

QA and QC uh indeed QA and QC are two

very important term attesting team or a

test engineer should be aware of many

people think we are the quality

assurance as QA but let me tell you as a

tester you are not a QA you are actually

a QC of course surprising right so we

are actually trying to tell you those

things which we may have never

understood in our past experience so far

so what is QA and how QA is different

from QC QA is basically defined as a

process or it's a set of person or

people put together who Define how you

you can achieve quality in a product now

that how can be answered by the

techniques the approaches the methods

the test cases the amount of testing the

number of test cases and the timeline of

executing them right so the entire

approach definition is done by someone

or set of people called as QA so in

simple words test manager is someone who

is called as a QA whereas QC is a person

or a team of member who performs all the

defined you know activi acties by the QA

that means writing the test cases

preparing the environment preparing the

test data executing the test cases

logging the defect tracking the defect

performing retesting regression testing

that means QC is all about the activity

driven approach that means performing

those activities implementing those

approaches is what you call it as

quality control so in simple words my

test engineer is a quality control now

is that like you might be thinking that

is this something we are going wrong

with that the whole world is calling

engineer test engineer as QA answer is

no not absolutely correct why because

only the software industry does that not

the other Hardware Industries for

example if you go to a hardware industry

where even a simple screwdriver is made

that is being tested but that is tested

by a QC not by QA right but why do

software Industries making a mistake

instead of calling you QC why are they

calling you as a QA because only in

software industry you have the

Privileges to contribute to the

Improvement of the process in Hardware

industry I do not ask testers to

contribute to the process all I give

them is set of test cases or ask them to

write the test cases and execute them

but when it comes to the process

Improvement only QA that is managers

take the decision about it but in

software industry a tester is allowed to

contribute back to the process and add

more value in that context the software

industry prefers to call you as a QA

engineer rather than a QC so just to

differentiate now in software industry

we call you as QA engineer and the Qs

will be called as QA manager so that's a

slight difference what we need to

remember and understand so QA defines

the process QC implements the process

additionally we are all talking about

some of the common keywords like error

mistake and uh we have failures root

causes Etc so let's see exactly the

difference between the mistake uh error

defect and failure is so first of all I

have two words which I'm talking about

is error and mistake now as per istqb

mistake and error are exactly the same

they're just the synonyms where mistake

is a generic word and error is something

which is relevant to the programming but

what is the definition of mistake now

that definition is defined by me so you

won't find that as a part of the leus so

when humans do anything wrong

unintentionally that is what is called

as a mistake but that mistake when it is

performed in a programming environment

I do not call it as a mistake rather

prefer to call it as error so mistake

and error are exactly the same when a

human does anything wrong

unintentionally but just the differen is

between the environment what we have so

in general world you use mistake as a

word whereas in programming world you

use as error on the same way if I

further continue I do have few words

like you know defects which are also

called synonymy as false and bugs where

the basic definition to defect is it it

is a deviation between expected and

actual result so it's not that like U it

has anything else to do like fault has a

different definition or bug has a

different definition in fact bug is a

very informal name as per istqb for a

defect it's informal name not a formal

name and uh the fault is the synonym of

defect in the hardware industry so when

you're making products like appliances

electrical products and all if something

goes wrong or something is not working

as expected I call it as fault for

example if a electrical switch is not

working you call it as faulty switch

rather than calling it as a defect right

but when it comes to software industry I

prefer to call it as defect because

that's a more you know relative keyword

related to the softwares but the

definition Remains the Same when things

are not working as expected you call it

as a defect whereas the third word here

is called as failure the failure is the

word which basically is an approach to

identify the defect approach to identify

the def effect that means when you run a

test case and if that test case fails is

what I call it as a failure many people

go in the discussion towards the release

failure the product failure let me tell

you the whole syllabus is talking

everything before the release they are

not talking about anything after release

so we have to limit all our

understanding before the release what we

do failure is an approach that helps you

to find defects that means when you run

a test case and if the expected is not

equal to actual you call it as a fail

and that's put together is the failure

as an approach so in other words if I

have to use all these keywords together

I can make a statement that a tester is

someone who is responsible to conduct as

many failures as possible on the system

so that defects can be identified and

corrected where defects are due to

errors or mistakes mistakes can be

related to requirements also another

important thing what we are covering in

the same is that the difference or

relationship between uh the error defect

failure and root cause now error and

defects are not only the cause of

failures failures can also be caused by

environmental conditions such as when

radiations or electromagnetic field uh

causes defects in firware a root cause

is basically the real reason behind it

so it is the fundamental reason for the

occurrence of the problem and it's not

necessary that uh root cause is what you

see as a defect sometime root cause can

be anything for example I was not able

to log into Facebook and U I had no

internet connection so I was thinking

that my login credentials are not

working but when I realized the root

cause was that I was not connected to

Internet so you can very well correlate

that the defect and root cost can be

totally different from each other and

that could be far far away so a tester

has to understand the difference between

the error and the root cause or the

defect and the root cause because a root

cause can be different and can be

contributing to multiple other elements

of the application so whenever a

developer fixes a defect

basically that person is fixing the root

cause and if the root cause is

contributing to further other elements

or modules then they may have side

effects of these fix and that's where it

is very important for a tester to

measure the regressions introduced by

these fixes so that's where when the

root causes are fixed we look forward to

uh conduct a regression testing also

just to make sure that the fix of a

defect has not introduced anything as a

side effect so it is believed that

further similar failures or defects can

be prevented or their frequency reduced

by addressing the root cause such as by

removing it so I think put together all

we wanted to explain you is that how

error defects fault uh failure and root

causes are related to each other and how

exactly they do contribute to the

overall conduction of testing so that's

all from this particular tutorial team

should you have anything else feel free

to comment below I'm always there to

address your queries and answer them

well till then keep learning keep

exploring keep understanding the context

thanks for watching the video team and

happy

[Music]

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