Tests are procedures performed to verify that a new software product complies with specific requirements. Confidence in the new software is gained by providing the user with objective evidence that the product performs as expected. This evidence is represented by data collected from the testing process.
Managing the testing process requires:
- sequencing of the test events throughout software development
- establishing and running of reviews to examine the status of tests
- re-scheduling tasks for product modification
- allocating resources
- monitoring the completeness of the testing process
- coordinating the movement of the software into the business environment.
In quality assurance systems, documentation drives the testing process. The foundation document that guides the testing process is the test plan.
This unit (ICAT5082A) gives you the skills to plan and manage the testing process to an industry standard. You will learn about creating and reviewing the test plan; allocating human and environmental resources; analysing risk and contingency planning; assessing test progress and metrics; managing and evaluating the test team; analysing results; defect correction and re-testing process; managing software migration between environments and version control.
Unit topics
1. Develop the test schedule
Review and approve the test plan, objectives and risk analysis, and allocate resources according to testing timeline established in the test schedule.
Activity 1.1 test case type classificationQ1a: Read test case 1 and answer the following question.
Test case 1
Task B10: Find information in Month view of Calendar
This task asked participants to determine the time and owner of a specified appointment. At the start of the task, the specified appointment was already displayed in the month view. The meeting time could be obtained via the item’s popup or by opening the item, but the item’s owner could only be obtained via the item’s popup.
Q: During which type of testing will test case 1 be performed?A: This is an usability test case performed during system testing.
Q: During which type of test would 'Task 314: Test upper and lower bounds of array' be performed?
A: This type is performing as unit tasting part.
Q: During which type of test would test 32B be performed? (According to case 2)Test case 2
Test 32B: Test for the ‘Proxy’ preference pane
Estimated Time to verify test case: 00:15.0
Procedure
User to verify proxy settings for PNA, RTSP and HTTP traffic.
Expected result
The settings for PNA, RTSP and HTTP traffic must be configurable for network environments where proxies are used within the allotted time.
A: Test 32B: Test for the ‘Proxy’ preference pane would be performed as part of User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
Activity 2 — Gantt chartsThe following table represents tasks performed during testing in a Gantt chart. First, on a sheet of pater sketch the Gantt chart that represents the table, the answer the four question to follow.
Gantt chart details
Table 1: Tasks for Gantt chart

The critical path is the series of tasks that determine the end date of testing. That is, when the last task in the critical path is completed, the testing is completed.
A critical task is a task that cannot be delayed without affecting the test date.

Referring to Gantt chart above there are shown the critical path are Task C, D, E, F that take time by 11 days. Also Tasks A, B, G are non-critical.
Q: The project manager wants the testing completed two days earlier than scheduled and has allocated another tester to the test processing for two days. Which task or tasks could you assign this tester to?A: I will assign this tester to any of the tasks in the critical path. That is, C, D, E, F or any combination of these tasks.
2. Complete IT test procedures
Migrate source code, data and executables through the development, testing and production environments and manage the test team.
Activity 2.1 allocating resources, to read the scenario below and answer all three questions.
Tester’s experience: scenario
You have been sent a software tester’s résumé and are required to fill some resource gaps in your test schedule.
Here is an excerpt from the skills section of her resume.
Skills and experience summary
Use case design | 2 months |
Creation of VBS test case scripts | 9 months |
Configuration of hardware/operating systems | 2 years |
Configuration XYZ automated testing software | 1 year |
Programming experience in C# | 2 years |
Generation of unit test cases for C# language | 2 years |
Q: You require the objectives, requirements and scope of the test plan to be reviewed and updated urgently. Does the tester in the scenario have the relevant experience?
A: The answer is no, because of this applicant has a stronger background in development rather than testing and no high level testing experience is conveyed by her resume. Given the urgency of the task, this person’s experience does not make her an appropriate choice for this task.
Q: No one has been allocated to review documentation compliance. Is the tester in the scenario an appropriate person for this task?A: The answer is no, Although no documentation compliance experience is conveyed by her résumé, the documentation compliance review is relatively simple once the internal or external documentation standard has been determined and documentation made available for review. The applicants experience is not specific to documentation compliance, but her IT background and ability for follow procedures would be adequate for this purpose.
Q: You need someone to set up the test environment. Which of her following skills are appropriate to this?
A: A creation of VBS test case scripts, configuration of hardware/operating systems and configuration XYZ automated testing software.
Activity 2.2 version control
During testing of software on a live system a user reports an error in a program module. Programmers fix the problem and re-run the test. This time the module causes no problem, but a related module demonstrates an error fixed by programmers two weeks ago.
Q:
A: It could be the case the software modifications to one module could influence another, especially if they are related. Commonly errors like this occur when programs are copied from the operating environment to the development environment, fixed and copied back along with prior versions of other modules.
3. Review the completeness and accuracy of the system
Execute the system test and review the results. Determine defects and apply procedures to complete and document the outcomes of the system test.
Activity 3.1 evaluating test case results
You are evaluating recorded results from a testing process with the three defect classifications:
- Critical
- Major
- Minor
Classify the following observed errors.
Q: An error message is not displayed when invalid blank user name is entered.
A: It is a major defect but the system is still usable.
Q: The price entered in the web form is not displayed in the order query screen of the network software.
A: It is critical because the system is unusable if the customer cannot view products.
Q: The first product record is not listed; the program crashes when accessing an empty database table.
A: Minor, variances are only minimal, and represent annoyances only.
Activity 3.2 test metrics
To answer the following two questions, go to the example of a test metric as the percentage of unit testing performedTest metrics — unit testing percentages
One test metric is the percentage of unit testing performed.
This could be defined by a formula such as:
Unit test percentage = 100 x lines of code unit tested / (total lines of code - line of code in header files)
This indicates how much of the projects source code has been unit tested (excluding header files). A project being tested has only four files:
Name | File type | Lines of code |
Header.h | Header | 100 |
Prg1.c | Source Code | 300 |
Prg2.c | Source Code | 200 |
Prg3.c | Source Code | 100 |
A: 60%
Q: If Prg1.c and Prg2.c has been unit tested, what is the unit test percentage?
A: 80%