Software Testing Flashcards

What is 'exploratory testing'?

Answer: Simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution without pre-scripted tests

Exploratory testing is an approach where testers simultaneously design and execute tests, using their knowledge and intuition to explore the application.

What is 'shift-left testing' in modern software development?

Answer: Moving testing activities earlier in the development lifecycle

Shift-left testing moves testing activities earlier in the SDLC so defects are caught sooner when they are cheaper to fix.

Which metric measures the ratio of defects found during testing versus total defects found including post-release?

Answer: Defect removal efficiency

Defect Removal Efficiency (DRE) measures the percentage of defects caught during testing before the software reaches production.

In agile testing, what are 'acceptance criteria'?

Answer: Conditions that must be satisfied for a user story to be considered complete

Acceptance criteria are specific, measurable conditions that a user story must meet to be accepted by the product owner.

What is 'mutation testing' used for?

Answer: Evaluating the effectiveness and quality of existing test cases

Mutation testing introduces small changes (mutations) to source code and checks whether existing tests detect these changes, evaluating test suite quality.

What is a 'test harness' in software testing?

Answer: A collection of software and data configured to test a program under varying conditions

A test harness is a framework of software tools and test data that automates the execution of tests and compares actual versus expected outcomes.

Which approach in integration testing starts testing from the lowest-level modules first?

Answer: Bottom-up integration

Bottom-up integration testing starts with the lowest-level modules and progressively integrates and tests higher-level modules.