The main process of testing includes planning, refinement, execution, recording and verification of completion.

Test Planning

Test planning must clarify how the test strategy and plan are used in the tested software. It must involve detection of all exceptions to the test strategy and of all software with which the tested software interacts at the time of testing process.

Test Specification

Test cases must be developed using the test case design methods chosen during test planning activity.

The Realization of Tests

Every testing must be carried out.

Test Recording

The test records must clearly fix the identities and versions of the tested software. The actual result must be recorded. It must be possible to ensure that all the indicated testing activities have been realized with reference to the test records. The actual result must be compared to the expected one. Any identified gap must be registered and examined to identify its reason and the testing must be repeated to eliminate the fault in the software.

Verification of Test Completion

The independent testing services must be compared with the above-mentioned test completion factors. If these criteria are not fulfilled, the earliest test activity that must be repeated to satisfy the criteria should be defined and the test process must be rerun from that moment. You may need to renew the test specification activity to create further test cases that will reach the test coverage targets. The main goal of the test must be to identify defects. The test is considered “successful” if it is able to detect a fault.

This is illogical, as faults retard progress: a successful test is one that may create delays. The good test must find out a fault which (if not revealed timely), may be much more dangerous in the long term. Completion or exit criteria are usually defined when testing is over.

They can be determined in terms of cost, time, defects found or coverage criteria. Coverage criteria are determined with regard to the items that are exercised by branches, user requirements, and most commonly used transactions, etc.