Testing Types

Acceptance Test Formal tests (often performed by a customer) to determine whether or not a system has satisfied predetermined acceptance criteria. These tests are often used to enable the customer (either internal or external) to determine whether or not to accept a system.

Alpha Testing: Testing of a software product or system conducted at the developer's site by the customer.


Automated Testing Software testing which is assisted with software technology that does not require operator (tester) input, analysis, or evaluation.


Background testing. is the execution of normal functional testing while the SUT is exercised by a realistic work load. This workload is being processed "in the background" as far as the functional testing is concerned.


Beta Testing. Testing conducted at one or more customer sites by the end-user of a delivered software product or system.


Black box testing: A testing method where the application under test is viewed as a black box and the internal behavior of the program is completely ignored. Testing occurs based upon the external specifications. Also known as behavioral testing, since only the external behaviors of the program are evaluated and analyzed.

Boundary Value Analysis (BVA): BVA is different from equivalence partitioning in that it focuses on "corner cases" or values that are usually out of range as defined by the specification. This means that if function expects all values in range of negative 100 to positive 1000, test inputs would include negative 101 and positive 1001. BVA attempts to derive the value often used as a technique for stress, load or volume testing. This type of validation is usually performed after positive functional validation has completed (successfully) using requirements specifications and user documentation

Code Inspection. A manual [formal] testing [error detection] technique where the programmer reads source code, statement by statement, to a group who ask questions analyzing the program logic, analyzing the code with respect to a checklist of historically common programming errors, and analyzing its compliance with coding standards. Contrast with code audit, code review, code walkthrough. This technique can also be applied to other software and configuration items.


Code Walkthrough. A manual testing [error detection] technique where program [source code] logic [structure] is traced manually [mentally] by a group with a small set of test cases, while the state of program variables is manually monitored, to analyze the programmer's logic and assumptions


Data-Driven testing An automation approach in which the navigation and functionality of the test script is directed through external data; this approach separates test and control data from the test script. 


Data flow testing Testing in which test cases are designed based on variable usage within the code.

Database testing. Check the integrity of database field values.

Dirty testing Negative testing.

Regression Testing. Testing conducted for the purpose of evaluating whether or not a change to the system (all CM items) has introduced a new failure. Regression testing is often accomplished through the construction, execution and analysis of product and system tests.

Range Testing. For each input identifies the range over which the system behavior should be the same

Smoke test describes an initial set of tests that determine if a new version of application performs well enough for further testing.


Stress / Load / Volume test. Tests that provide a high degree of activity, either using boundary conditions as inputs or multiple copies of a program executing in parallel as examples.