Software quality assurance stays on guard of the bug-free software making sure all the flows are working as expected. Thus all the visitors of your website or application can enjoy a smooth experience. Once a new feature is developed, it’s thoroughly tested for any defects either manually or automatically.
The first approach is applicable for exploration testing, or subjective assessment of design elements when a specialist is not using any auxiliary tools. Another approach is automation. Here, a script does the same job with the help of special software like the TestProject.io automation testing tool.
But no matter how much effort is put into the testing, it’s possible to receive inaccurate outcomes. That’s the case with false-positives when tests show there is a bug or an issue, while in fact, everything is correct, and even trickier false-negatives when all the tests passed fine, but after the deployment, you realize that the feature is not working as expected.
Sometimes, when we have to deal with false positives and false negatives, we cannot trust the results doubting the effectiveness of having a QA testing as an established process. And it may get things even more complicated, when the devs will be trying to troubleshoot things that are not relevant, at the same time missing the critical aspects that may cause incidents in the future.
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What is the Reason for False-Positives and Negatives?
When it comes to determining the reason why the results are inaccurate, it all depends on the specific case. In some cases, it’s possible that the data input is incorrect, for instance, when you enter the order number that exists in the production but is not present in the database used for the testing environment. Sometimes, the code that is being tested was modified, and these changes are not reflected in a test script. In automation, it may happen that some paths or parameters in scripts were incorrectly specified, and the error was not spotted by the test script.
What Can be Done to Ensure Test Accuracy?
In attempts to reduce the number of inaccurate outputs , various strategies may be used. For instance,the mutation testing when the source code is intentionally changed by putting some faulty parameters to see if the test is able to outline the error. If no, then your specialists will need to put additional efforts to rewrite the testing script. This type of testing is especially helpful when trying to resolve false-negative cases. Finding and eliminating false-positives is more related to prior data checking. For instance, before executing a test, make sure that the parameters you execute as user details like user or service ID are present in the system.
Another important thing when incorporating software testing into your software development cycle is thorough planning and preparation. It includes calculating the budget, gathering the requirements, and drafting a roadmap for the test coverage. Also, it’s essential to adopt the right tools that allow simulating the production environment to have the same conditions in the sandbox for more accurate test results.
Last but not least, do not rely on just one type of testing manual or automation, use the combination to verify the outcomes and check the test case scenarios from time to time to make sure that your test efforts are bringing the desired effect.
