Chapter 4 - Testing Quality Characteristics

Testing Quality Characteristics
1 Testing Process 2 Test Management 3 Test Techniques
Software Testing
ISTQB Advance Test Analyst 2019 Exam Preparation
Chapter 4
Neeraj Kumar Singh
4 Testing Quality
Characteristics
5 Reviews 6 Test Tools

Contents
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Quality Characteristics for Business Domain Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Introduction
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 This syllabus discusses the quality characteristics which may be evaluated by a Test Analyst. The
attributes to be evaluated by the Technical Test Analyst are considered in the Advanced Technical Test
Analyst syllabus.

Introduction
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 This syllabus discusses the quality characteristics which may be evaluated by a Test Analyst. The
attributes to be evaluated by the Technical Test Analyst are considered in the Advanced Technical Test
Analyst syllabus.
 The Test Analyst should concentrate on the software quality characteristics of functionality and usability.
Accessibility testing should also be conducted by the Test Analyst. Although it is not listed as a sub-
characteristic, accessibility is often considered to be part of usability testing.
 The sub-characteristic of compliance is shown for each of the quality characteristics. In the case of
certain safety-critical or regulated environments, each quality characteristic may have to comply with
specific standards and regulations.
 For all of the quality characteristics and sub-characteristics discussed in this section, the typical risks must
be recognized so that an appropriate testing strategy can be formed and documented. Quality
characteristic testing requires particular attention to lifecycle timing, required tools, software and
documentation availability, and technical expertise.
 Quality characteristic and sub-characteristic testing must be integrated into the overall testing schedule,
with adequate resources allocated to the effort.
 While the Test Analyst may not be responsible for the quality characteristics that require a more technical
approach, it is important that the Test Analyst be aware of the other characteristics and understand the
overlap areas for testing.

Contents
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Quality Characteristics for Business Domain
Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Introduction
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Functional suitability testing is a primary focus for the Test Analyst. Functional suitability testing is
focused on "what" the test object does. The test basis for functional suitability testing is generally some
form of test basis such as requirements, a specification, specific domain expertise or implied need.
 In an Agile environment, functional suitability testing usually includes the following:
 Testing the specific functionality (e.g., user stories) planned for implementation in the particular iteration
 Regression testing for all unchanged functionality
 In addition to the functional suitability testing covered in this section, there are also certain quality
characteristics that are part of the Test Analyst’s area of responsibility that are considered to be
nonfunctional (focused on "how" the test object delivers the functionality) testing areas.

Functional Correctness Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Functional correctness involves verifying the application's adherence to the specified or implied
requirements and may also include computational accuracy.
 Correctness testing employs many of the test techniques explained in Chapter 3 and often uses the
specification or a legacy system as the test oracle.
 Correctness testing can be conducted at any test level and is targeted on incorrect handling of data or
situations.

Functional Appropriateness Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Functional appropriateness testing involves evaluating and validating the appropriateness of a set of
functions for its intended specified tasks.
 This testing can be based on the functional design (e.g., use cases and/or user stories). Functional
appropriateness testing is usually conducted during system testing, but may also be conducted during the
later stages of integration testing.
 Defects discovered in this testing are indications that the system will not be able to meet the needs of the
user in a way that will be considered acceptable.

Functional Completeness Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Functional completeness testing is performed to determine the coverage of specified tasks and user
objectives by the implemented functionality.
 Traceability between specification items (e.g., requirements, user stories, use cases) and the
implemented functionality (e.g., function, unit, workflow) is essential to enable required completeness to
be determined.
 Measuring functional completeness may vary according to the particular test level and/or the SDLC used.
For example, functional completeness for an Agile iteration may be based on implemented user stories
and features.
 Functional completeness for system integration testing may focus on the coverage of high level business
cases.
 Determining functional completeness is generally supported by test management tools if the Test Analyst
is maintaining the traceability between the test cases and the functional specification items.
 Lower than expected levels of functional completeness are indications that the system has not been fully
implemented.

Interoperability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Interoperability testing verifies the exchange of information between two or more systems or components.
Tests focus on the ability to exchange information and subsequently use the information that has been
exchanged.
 Testing must cover all the intended target environments (including variations in the hardware, software,
middleware, operating system, etc.) to ensure the data exchange will work properly. In reality, this may
only be feasible for a relatively small number of environments. In that case interoperability testing may
be limited to a selected representative group of environments.
 Interoperability relates to how different components and software systems interact with each other.
Software with good interoperability characteristics can be integrated with a number of other systems
without requiring major changes.
 Testing for software interoperability may, for example, focus on the following design features:
 Use of industry-wide communications standards, such as XML
 Ability to automatically detect the communications needs of the systems it interacts with and adjust accordingly

Interoperability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Interoperability testing may be particularly significant for the following:
 Commercial off-the-shelf software products and tools
 Applications based on a system of systems
 Systems based on the Internet of Things
 Web services with connectivity to other systems
 This type of testing is performed during component integration and system testing focusing on the
interaction of the system with its environment.
 At the system integration level, this type of testing is conducted to determine how well the fully
developed system interacts with other systems. Because systems may interoperate on multiple levels, the
Test Analyst must understand these interactions and be able to create the conditions that will exercise the
various interactions.

Usability Evaluation
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Test Analysts are often in the position to coordinate and support the evaluation of usability. This may
include specifying usability tests or acting as a moderator working with the users to conduct tests. To do
this effectively, a Test Analyst must understand the principal aspects, goals and approaches involved in
these types of testing.
 It is important to understand why users might have difficulty using the system or do not have a positive
user experience (UX) (e.g., with using software for entertainment). To gain this understanding it is first
necessary to appreciate that the term “user” may apply to a wide range of different types of personas,
ranging from IT experts to children to people with disabilities.
 The following are the three aspects considered in this section:
 Usability
 User experience (UX)
 Accessibility

Usability
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Usability testing targets software defects that impact a user’s ability to perform tasks via the user
interface. Such defects may affect the user’s ability to achieve their goals effectively, or efficiently, or
with satisfaction. Usability problems can lead to confusion, error, delay or outright failure to complete
some task on the part of the user.
 The following are the Individual sub-characteristics [ISO 25010] of usability:
 Appropriateness recognizability (i.e., understandability) - attributes of the software that affect the effort required by
the user to recognize the logical concept and its applicability
 Learnability - attributes of software that affect the effort required by the user to learn the application
 Operability - attributes of the software that affect the effort required by the user to conduct tasks effectively and
efficiently
 User interface aesthetics (i.e., attractiveness) - visual attributes of the software which are appreciated by the user
 User error protection - degree to which a system protects users against making errors
 Accessibility

User Experience
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 User experience evaluation addresses the whole user experience with the test object, not just the direct
interaction. This is of particular importance for test objects where factors such as enjoyment and user
satisfaction are critical for business success.
 Typical factors which influence user experience include the following:
 Brand image (i.e., the users’ trust in the manufacturer)
 Interactive behavior
 The helpfulness of the test object, including help system, support and training

Accessibility
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 It is important to consider the accessibility to software for those with particular needs or restrictions for
its use. This includes those with disabilities. Accessibility testing should consider the relevant standards,
such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and legislation, such as the Disability
Discrimination Acts (Northern Ireland, Australia), Equality Act 2010 (England, Scotland, Wales) and Section
508 (US). Accessibility, similar to usability, must be considered when conducting design activities.
 Testing often occurs during the integration levels and continues through system testing and into the
acceptance testing levels. Defects are usually determined when the software fails to meet the designated
regulations or standards defined for the software.
 Typical measures to improve accessibility focus on the opportunities provided for users with disabilities to
interact with the application. These include the following:
 Voice recognition for inputs
 Ensuring that non-text content that is presented to the user has an equivalent text alternative
 Enabling text to be resized without loss of content or functionality
 Accessibility guidelines support the Test Analyst by providing a source of information and checklists which
can be used for testing. In addition, tools and browser plugins are available to help testers identify
accessibility issues, such as poor color choice in web pages that violate guidelines for color blindness.

Usability Evaluation Approaches
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Usability, user experience and accessibility may be tested by one or more of the following approaches:
 Usability testing
 Usability reviews
 Usability surveys and questionnaires

Usability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Usability testing evaluates the ease by which users can use or learn to use the system to reach a specified
goal in a specific context. Usability testing is directed at measuring the following:
 Effectiveness - capability of the test object to enable users to achieve specified goals with accuracy and
completeness in a specified context of use
 Efficiency - capability of the test object to enable users to expend appropriate amounts of resources in relation to the
effectiveness achieved in a specified context of use
 Satisfaction - capability of the test object to satisfy users in a specified context of use
 It is important to note that designing and specifying usability tests is often conducted by the Test Analyst
in co-operation with testers who have special usability testing skills, and usability design engineers who
understand the human-centered design process.

Usability Reviews
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Inspections and reviews are a type of testing conducted from a usability perspective which help to
increase the user’s level of involvement. This can be cost effective by finding usability problems in
requirements specifications and designs early in the SDLC.
 Heuristic evaluation (systematic inspection of a user interface design for usability) can be used to find the
usability problems in the design so that they can be attended to as part of an iterative design process.
This involves having a small set of evaluators examine the interface and judge its compliance with
recognized usability principles (the "heuristics").
 Reviews are more effective when the user interface is more visible. For example, sample screen shots are
usually easier to understand and interpret than just describing the functionality given by a particular
screen. Visualization is important for an adequate usability review of the documentation.

Usability Surveys and Questionnaires
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Survey and questionnaire techniques may be applied to gather observations and feedback regarding user
behavior with the system. Standardized and publicly available surveys such as SUMI (Software Usability
Measurement Inventory) and WAMMI (Website Analysis and MeasureMent Inventory) permit benchmarking
against a database of previous usability measurements. In addition, since SUMI provides tangible
measurements of usability, this can provide a set of completion / acceptance criteria.

Portability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Portability tests relate to the degree to which a software component or system can be transferred into its
intended environment, either initially or from an existing environment.
 The ISO 25010 classification of product quality characteristics includes the following sub-characteristics of
portability:
 Installability
 Adaptability
 Replaceability

Installability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Installability testing is conducted on the software and written procedures used to install and de-install the
software on its target environment.
 The typical testing objectives in focus of the Test Analyst include:
 Validating that different configurations of the software can be successfully installed. Where a large number of
parameters may be configured, the Test Analyst may design tests using the pairwise technique to reduce the number
of parameter combinations tested and focus on particular configurations of interest (e.g., those frequently used).
 Testing the functional correctness of installation and de-installation procedures.
 Performing functional tests following an installation or de-installation to detect any defects which may have been
introduced (e.g., incorrect configurations, functions not available).
 Identifying usability issues in installation and de-installation procedures (e.g., to validate that users are provided with
understandable instructions and feedback/error messages when executing the procedure).

Adaptability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Adaptability testing checks whether a given application can function correctly in all intended target
environments (hardware, software, middleware, operating system, etc.).
 The Test Analyst supports adaptability testing by designing tests that identify the combinations of the
intended target environments (e.g., versions of different mobile operating systems supported, different
versions of browsers which may be used).
 These environments are then tested using a selection of functional test cases which exercise the various
components present in the environment.

Replaceability Testing
Neeraj Kumar Singh
 Replaceability testing focuses on the ability of software components or versions within a system to be
exchanged for others. This may be particularly relevant for system architectures based on the Internet of
Things, where the exchange of different hardware devices and/or software installations is a common
occurrence.
 For example, a hardware device used in a warehouse to register and control stock levels may be replaced
by a more advanced hardware device (e.g., with a better scanner) or the installed software may be
upgraded with a new version that enables stock replacement orders to be automatically issued to a
supplier’s system.
 Replaceability tests may be performed by the Test Analyst in parallel with functional integration tests
where more than one alternative component is available for integration into the complete system.

Test Quality Characteristics
Sample Questions
1. You work for a project which uses an Agile approach in the telecommunications branch. The
application develops a new interface to allow customers to modify their mobile phone plan directly
via the web application. You are performing system tests and work particularly on the screen used
to change the mobile phone plan.
The user story you are testing is:
US-34: As a customer, I want to be able to select a new mobile phone plan online so that I can
change it. As part of these tests, you and the product owner invite a business expert to perform an
exploratory test on this screen and indicate if they have any comments on the proposed solution.
What kind of test are you performing?
a) Functional correctness testing
b) Accessibility testing
c) Functional completeness testing
d) Functional appropriateness testing
Select ONE options
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Sample Questions
2. Assume you work for a company that has developed a software component to help users trade currencies.
A new software version of the component is being developed. The main feature of this version is the ability
to calculate different amounts of commission depending on the volume of the trades. In addition, different
categories of users (beginner, intermediate, expert) are defined and different functions are provided to
them according to their category.
You are the test analyst responsible for creating functional suitability tests.
Which of the following statements correctly defines the level in the software development lifecycle in
which relevant tests should first be performed?
a) Testing that commissions have been calculated correctly for low-volume trades should be performed during
component testing.
b) Testing the suitability of functions assigned to different user categories should be performed during
acceptance testing.
c) The interoperability of the new functions with other trading systems should be conducted in system testing.
d) Testing that commissions have been calculated correctly for high-volume trades may be best performed
during system testing.
e) Required coverage of high-level business cases should be determined in system integration testing.
Select TWO options
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Sample Questions
3. Assume you work for a company that has developed a software component to help users securely
and easily manage all the passwords they have defined for different websites. This component is
integrated into hundreds of websites, used by millions of people world-wide.
A new software version of the component is being developed. The main feature of this version is the
integration with a specific operating system that does not currently support this component.
Which of the following does not qualify as a interoperability defect?
a) Passwords are not saved for all websites which integrate with the component.
b) 5% of the websites do not run on a specific operating system.
c) Passwords are truncated on some browsers.
d) Saving the passwords becomes too complicated for some users.
Select ONE option.
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Sample Questions
4. Which of the following statements define types of defect you would NOT typically consider in
portability testing?
a) An application does not function correctly in all intended target environments.
b) Software cannot be installed for particular configurations.
c) Users with disabilities cannot interact with the application.
d) Certain software components within a system cannot be exchanged for others.
e) Incorrect data exchange between interacting components.
Select TWO options.
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Sample Questions
5. Which of the following statements is correct regarding usability testing?
a) The usability should be verified against the requirements and validated by the real users
b) Validation of the usability requirements should be done after release to enable real users to
participate.
c) Heuristic evaluation can be used to survey the users and find usability problems
d) Usability can be verified by running a comparison with the existing unacceptable product .
Select ONE option.
Neeraj Kumar Singh

Chapter 4 - Testing Quality Characteristics

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Chapter 4 - Testing Quality Characteristics