Top 10 Myths Surrounding Software Testing
Software testing is a process of running a program to identify/detect bugs in software. The process involves testing a program to ensure that it meets the standards and requirements of the business. While it is true that software testing is the most crucial step in ensuring the delivery of a quality product, there are also a number of myths surrounding this process.
Although these myths do not have a direct impact on the software testing process, it is important to debunk them so that everyone on a software development team is aware of its benefits and importance.
Read on to discover the 10 common myths associated with the software testing process:
Myth #1: Testing is too expensive
Reality. There is a saying: pay less for testing during software development, or pay more for maintenance or patches later. Early testing saves time and money in many ways, but cutting costs without testing can result in an incorrectly designed software application, rendering the product useless.
Myth #2: Testing takes time
Reality. During the SDLC stages, testing never takes long. However, diagnosing and correcting errors detected during correct testing is time consuming but rewarding.
Myth #3: Only fully developed products are tested
Reality — Testing is undoubtedly dependent on source code, but requirements review and test case development are independent of developed code. However, an iterative or incremental approach as a development lifecycle model can reduce the dependency of testing on fully developed software.
Myth #4: Comprehensive testing is possible
Reality — This becomes a problem when the client or tester thinks that a full test is possible. It is possible that all paths have been tested by the team, but a complete test is never possible. Some scripts may never be executed by the test team or the customer during the software development life cycle and may be executed after the project has been deployed.
Myth #5: The software tested is bug-free
The reality is a widespread myth that customers, project managers and management teams believe. No one can say with absolute certainty that a software application is 100% bug-free, even if a tester with superior testing skills has tested it.
Myth #6: Missed defects due to testers
Reality. This is a poor approach to blaming testers for bugs that remain in the application even after testing. This myth relates to time constraints, cost constraints and requirements. However, the testing strategy can also cause the testing team to miss bugs.
Myth #7: Testers are responsible for product quality
Reality. It is a very common misunderstanding that only testers or the test team should be responsible for product quality. The testers are responsible for identifying bugs for the stakeholders, and then they decide themselves whether to fix the bug or release the software. The release of the software at the same time puts more pressure on the testers, as they will be blamed for any mistakes.
Myth #8: Test automation should be used wherever possible to reduce time.
The reality is yes, it is true that test automation reduces testing time, but it is impossible to run test automation at any time during software development. The test machine must be started when the software has been tested manually and is relatively stable. Furthermore, test automation can never be used if the requirements are constantly changing.
Myth #9. Anyone can test the application
The reality is that people outside the IT industry think and even believe that anyone can test software, and testing is not creative work. However, testers know very well that this is a myth. Thinking of alternative scenarios, trying to bring the software down to examine potential bugs is not possible for the person who developed it.
Myth #10. The only task of a tester is to find errors.
Reality. Finding bugs in software is the task of testers, but at the same time they are experts in the field of a specific software. Developers are only responsible for a specific component or area assigned to them, but testers understand how the software works in general, what the dependencies are and how one module impacts another.
Conclusion:
In life, we tend to set certain expectations for ourselves but get disappointed when we see a different outcome. This is where the reality of life sets in. Just as it is with life, certain software testing expectations are not true.
We hope that this article has put to rest some rumors that have been going on in the IT circles about the QA community. (Just kidding :))
Be a tester if you believe in QA.
It’s an amazing job to do and you are going to enjoy and love it. Don’t forget that you are paid to improve the quality of the end product and for your excellent skills.
