Software testing life cycle

Testing is process, it is not a single activity.It has a specific steps to be executed and in a definite sequential order to ensure whether the goals of testing are met or not.In STLC we have different phase in which steps are carried out in systematic and perfect planned way . Software testing life cycle consists of five phases which are as follows

• Test planning and Control
• Test analysis and Design 
• Test Implementation and execution 
• Evaluating exit criteria and reporting
• Test closure

Test Planning and Control :

Test planning generally deals with what to test? when to test? who will be testing and how to test? The test plan shall have the the Test plan identifier which identifies the requirements, test items needed for testing and features which are to be tested and features not be tested . It also deals about what test approach we've to use and declaring Item pass /fail criteria, test deliverable s and artifacts , test tasks to be done and environmental needs like system requirements and tool requirements . It also plans the staffing and assigning roles and responsibilities..It plans the schedule about when to start testing and risk contingencies . It also gets approvals and mainly plans about risk impact .

Test Control is nothing but controlling and measuring the progress of the project .It is an ongoing activity which is used to measure and analyze the reviews and testing., monitors the test coverage and exit criteria and also initiates the corrective actions and make decision. mainly test lead plans and controls the test process.

Test Analysis and Design:

Test analysis and design is the activity where general testing objectives are transformed into tangible test conditions and test designs .In this phase we take general testing objectives like reviewing the test basis and evaluating testability and identifying the test conditions and design test cases and set up a test environment and creates a test trace ability matrix .In designing we deal with test case design and is a very deep thinking activity and in order to think we need test design techniques. Techniques is nothing but a way of deriving good test cases and objectively measuring a test effort and it helps in successful finding of faults. 

Test Implementation and Execution :

After analysis and designing test engineers mainly concentrate on the test case preparations .the test case preparation is done manually or in automation tools.Manually we can write the test cases in excel sheets or word or ..doc . In automation we use Quality Center to write test cases.test cases are of two types one is User Interface test cases design and other is Functional and System based test case design .It also conducts reviews on test cases.

Test execution is is the process of execution alter or selected number of test cases either manually or using automation tools . First execution starts with Smoke testing, Comprehensive testing , Retesting and regression testing,final regression testing and sanitation testing. It executes the test suites and also creates the test documents, incidents and reports and defect reports 

Evaluating Exit criteria and Reporting :

The major task of evaluating and exit criteria and reporting are checking test logs against  the exit criteria specified in test planning.Assessing if more tests are needed  if the exit criteria specified should be changed. Writing a test summary report for stake holders. maximum test cases are executed with certain pass percentages and bug rate falls and when achieved. 

Test Closure:

During test closure activities , we collect data from completed test activities to consolidate exp.  including checking and fitting testware and analyzing facts and numbers.the major tasks involve in test closure. are 

• It finalizes and archiving testware, the test environment and the test infra structure for later reuse
• Handover testware to the maintenance organisation
• Analyzing lessons learned for future releases and projects and the improvements of test maturity