How to Improve Test Case Efficiency in 2023?

Ever wondered ‘a test case could be challenging task’..

There has been much discussion about test plan, test cases, test strategy, finding bugs in an application, but the topic of discussion isn’t confined to that, there’s a different degree of assessment of a software development.

Talking about testing we have a wide range of factors to be concerned about, such as, scalability, performance, stress endurance and above all exceeding expectations of the user. We need to stay a step ahead when it comes to delivering a state-of-art software product.

What is Test Case Efficiency?

To ensure that we get the best results from test case execution, we need to adopt a testing model that offers a quantified outcome which can be used to assess the actual output against the expected one.

Ways to improve Test Case Efficiency:

• Preparing self for writing test cases: In order to write effective and beginning with the overall process of software testing, it is important to understand the core of the project.
  
  Testers need to identify the requirements along with the metrics to be applied, in short this phase is about preparing oneself mentally and professionally to begin with testing and writing test cases.
  
• Think from Security perspective: Security is the most essential aspect of any software or web application. Therefore to understand the requirements of an application from security’s point of view and write test cases accordingly.
  
• Adding value to the development team: The key to success is a unified approach. When developers can follow continuous integration the testers are equally responsible to take part in the same process.
  
  Testers can offer their valuable feedback to the development process by simultaneously testing the modules that are being completed.
  
  This way software testers can understand the dimensions from which a test case could be written.

• Know about the product: Characteristics of an application defines the very meaning of an application. By developing a good understanding of a project testers get a better insight into the ways of writing test cases, either manual or automation.
  
• Store all documents in a sorted way: Documents are very crucial as it provides a definite path following which testers can understand the requirements, at every phase.
  
  Documents that are important from a tester’s perspective are – user requirement documents, use case document, functional requirements document, QA/test plan.

• Test often: Testing must begin as soon as a project is in its development stage. This procedure helps reduce chances of defect at later stages of the SDLC.
  A series of test cases could be developed by observing the pattern of functionality of the application.

• Use metrics: By metrics, we mean applying the right model for assessing the quality of the application. Therefore choosing an appropriate metric is important to measure quality of an application in terms of the timeline followed for implementing all tests, size of the application (lines of code, modules, test cases), resources etc.
  
• Identify regression tests: An effective aspect of writing test cases is to identify the number of regression tests to be conducted. An application is expected to go through a lot of changes at a certain point of time, may be feature modification, upgrading some feature, adding new component etc.
  
  Thus after changes take place within the application, the same needs to be verified against the new changes to make sure it delivers the same performance as before and operates in the expected way.

Conclusion:

Efficiency develops gradually, with experience and exposure to new methodologies of working. Hence with passage of time a tester acquires skills and domain knowledge using which he can refine his way of writing test cases/improve test case efficency.

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