System Testing

Course Overview

This System Testing course offers training in the essential skills required by systems analysts and programmers who are to take part in system testing. With the emphasis on quality and productivity, skills such as producing test strategies and test plans have become increasingly important.

Audience

• Analysts and programmers who take part in System Testing
• Development staff who will be responsible for the testing of new/amended systems.
• This course is relevant and appropriate to those new to system testing as well as to experienced testers who need a more methodical approach.

Skills Gained

Delegates will learn how to:

• understand the key principles/strategies of testing
• estimate for testing
• identify test conditions
• carry out risk assessment
• document test data and test scripts
• appreciate the concepts and benefits of walkthroughs
• run and document tests

Prerequisites

Delegates should have a basic knowledge of IT systems development as an analyst or programmer.

Course Outline

Principles of Testing

• Definitions of testing; Problems/limitations of the testing process; Principles of testing; How to minimise problems

Testing Strategies

• Testing Steps - a step by step method for planning, producing, and applying tests; The Testing Cycle - the various levels of testing which may be used, and the objectives of each; The Testing Strategy - the different categories of conditions which must be tested; The strategy matrix - determining which categories to test in a given level of testing

Designing Tests

• Test conditions and test cases; Characteristics of a good test; Techniques for defining tests; Equivalence classes; Boundary analysis; Online state changes; Error guessing; Checklists and building on previous testing; The contents of a test plan

Risk Assessment

• The risk management cycle; Business risks defined; Identifying high impact areas of systems; Factors contributing to risk; Assessing risk and prioritising test conditions

Requirements Based Testing

• Identifying and assessing requirements; Defining test conditions from requirements; Tracing requirements through testing; What to do if requirements are unclear

Design Based Testing

• A stepwise approach to deriving test conditions from design documentation; Valid, invalid and boundary test conditions; Reviewing for completeness, clarity and balance; Mandatory tests - standard tests for all parts of a system

Structured Walkthroughs and Inspections

• The difference between the two; Powerful methods for identifying and removing work defects; Roles, responsibilities and procedures for structured walkthroughs and inspections

Estimating for Testing

• The need to estimate; Problems to be overcome; What will need to be estimated; Techniques available; Factors to consider; Tuning the techniques; The overall approach

Test Data and Test Scripts

• Base data and input data; Definition of the test case (data and expected result); Sources of data; How to specify test cases as a test script; How to assess test coverage; Documentation produced

Running and Documenting Tests

• Initiating and controlling tests; Checking test cases and recording results; The error notification cycle; On line testing

Problem and Change Management

• Change control - why and how; The use of metrics

The Testing Environment

• Factors influencing the success of testing; People factors (organisation, procedures, communications); Types of automated tools and their uses

System Testing / ST