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Test Case Effectiveness
Test Case Effectiveness
Yuri Chernak
Overview
Summary
Introduction
Software testing is crucial to the success of product Evaluation certifies product usage
New metric for evaluating test case Framework for test-case effectiveness test-
Formulation of metric to measure the effectiveness of testing Metric Definition: TCE = Ntc /Ntot * Definition: 100% TCE value compared to a baseline to determine effectiveness (eg 75% baseline)
Analyze causes and areas improvements are needed Proposed improvement framework based on test-escapes (defects test case suite did testnot find but were side effects found in the same test cycle)
5 steps to Improvement
1.
2. 3.
4. 5.
Thoroughly understanding and properly documenting the test process Make Assumptions Gathering defect data and performing causal analysis Identifying main factors Implementing corrective actions
Description
defines scope, objective and test approach designs test cases preparation and setup of test environment, execution of test cases, finding and reporting defects analyzing testing results
Deliverables
Test Plan Test-Case TestSpecifications Defect Report
Summary Report
After completing step 1, project team makes assumptions about factors affecting TCE Test Planning
Test objectives defined in test plan should be traceable to functional specifications Incomplete specifications lead to an incomplete test plan and leads to reduced TCE
Test Design
Necessary test cases to test logic of functional features need to be defined, if not adequate coverage will be lacking Test case specifications should correspond to business rules Deficiencies could be caused by:
Incomplete test suite (all possible test cases are not defined) Incomplete test cases proper logic is not tested negative test cases Incorrect test-specifications test-
Testers need to track defects and categorize defects. Test-escapes are Testfurther categorized according to (fig. 2) Understand reasons for missed defects Verify completeness of test specifications Verify coverage of test-cases testCheck for test deficiencies Verify the correctness of test cases
Identifying factors that are causing major defects Analyze these defects and focus on these as most needing corrective measures
Depending on project at hand, corrective measures could vary. These may include:
Revisiting and revising functional specifications, which results in revising test case specifications Use of traceability matrix to meet coverage needs of the project ensures that test cases meet business rule Training for testers on proper design techniques, using checklists to help better design test case specifications (involves revisiting and revising test case specifications) Training for testers on proper way to execute tests and verifying test results
Summary
New framework is to aid in better effectiveness of test-cases, however its not testapplicable to some projects as it requires large number of defects Framework would theoretically help to reduce defects present in a product when released to production, since it first checks the test process and if its not effective then provides steps for achieving effectiveness Formalized way of achieving effectiveness, other ways for improving effectiveness could include the use of other testing techniques