What is Agile Testing?

Agile Testing: What Is It?

AGILE TESTING is a testing methodology that adheres to the agile software development rules and concepts. Unlike the Waterfall approach, Agile Testing may begin at the beginning of the project, allowing for continuous integration of development and testing. Agile testing is not a sequential process (in the sense that it occurs just after the coding phase), but a continuous one.

Agile Test Strategy

The agile test plan details the kinds of testing that will be performed within that iteration, such as test data needs, infrastructure, test environments, and test results. Unlike the waterfall approach, an agile methodology requires the creation and maintenance of a test strategy for each release. Typical agile test strategies contain the following:

• Scope of Testing
• New features are still being evaluated
• Testing levels or types are determined by the intricacy of the features
• Performance and Load Testing
• Consideration of Infrastructure
• Plan for Risk Mitigation
• Resourcing
• Milestones and Deliverables

Agile Testing Techniques

The agile testing lifecycle consists of four phases.

Iteration 0

You execute initial setup activities at the first step, or iteration 0. It include finding test subjects, deploying testing tools, and arranging testing resources (a usability testing lab, for example). The following tasks are intended to accomplish during Iteration 0.

a) Constructing a business case for the proposed proposal

b) Define the project’s boundary conditions and scope

c) Identify the critical criteria and use cases that will influence design trade-offs

d) Describe one or more potential architectures.

e) Risk identification

f) Estimate costs and develop a basic project

Construction Iterations

The second phase of agile testing is called Construction Iterations, and it is during this phase that the bulk of testing happens. This phase is characterized by a series of iterations used to construct an incremental version of the solution. To do this, the team uses a mix of techniques from XP, Scrum, Agile Modeling, and agile data in each iteration.

The agile team follows the prioritized requirement approach throughout construction iteration: they execute the most critical needs left on the work item stack with each iteration.

There are two types of construction iteration: confirmatory testing and investigative testing. Confirmatory testing focuses on ensuring that the system satisfies the stakeholders’ purpose as stated to the team so far, and is conducted by the team. While investigative testing identifies issues that the confirmatory team missed or overlooked. In investigative testing, the tester identifies possible issues via the use of defect tales. Investigative testing addresses often encountered problems like as integration testing, load/stress testing, and security testing.

Again, there are two types of confirmatory testing: developer testing and agile acceptance testing. Both are automated, allowing for continuous regression testing throughout the application’s lifetime. Confirmatory testing is the agile counterpart of specification testing.

Agile acceptance testing is a hybrid of conventional functional and acceptability testing in which the development team and stakeholders collaborate. While developer testing is a hybrid of a conventional unit and integration testing. Developer testing checks the application’s source code as well as the database structure.

End-of-Season Release Or Transition Phase

The objective of “Release, End Game” is to successfully deploy your system into production. This phase includes tasks such as training end-users, support personnel, and operational personnel. Additionally, it encompasses product marketing, backup and restoration, and finalization of system and user documentation.

The last step of agile methods testing includes comprehensive system and acceptability testing. To ensure that your final testing step goes well, you should test the product more thoroughly throughout the building stages. Testers will work on its defect tales throughout the final game.

Production

Following the release stage, the product will enter the manufacturing stage.

Quadrants of Agile Testing

The agile testing quadrants divide the whole process into four quadrants and aid in the comprehension of how agile testing is conducted.

a) Agile Quadrant I — This quadrant is focused on internal code quality, and it contains test cases that are technology-driven and developed to assist the team.

b) Agile Quadrant II – It includes business-driven test cases that are implemented to assist the team. This Quadrant is dedicated to prerequisites. This step involves the administration of tests.

1. Experimentation with various situations and processes
2. User experience testing, such as prototyping
3. Testing in pairs

c) Agile Quadrant III – This quadrant serves as a feedback mechanism for the first and second quadrants. The test cases may be used as a starting point for automating the testing process. Numerous iteration evaluations are conducted in this quadrant, which develops trust in the product. This quadrant conducts tests of the following types:

1. Usability Evaluation
2. Experimentation
3. Customer testing in pairs
4. Tests conducted in collaboration
5. Acceptance testing of users

d) Agile Quadrant IV — This quadrant is focused on non-functional needs including performance, security, and stability. The application is designed to provide non-functional characteristics and anticipated value using this quadrant.

1. Tests that are not functional, such as stress and performance tests
2. Authentication and hacking security testing
3. Examination of infrastructure
4. Testing of data transfer
5. Testing for scalability
6. Stress testing

QA difficulties associated with agile software development

• Agile increases the likelihood of mistake, since documentation is given less importance, thus putting greater strain on the QA team.
• New features are added rapidly, reducing the amount of time available for test teams to determine if the newest additions adhere to the requirements and really meet the business needs.
• Testers are often expected to take on the role of a semi-developer.
• Test execution cycles are compressed significantly.
• Insufficient time to create a test planf
• They will have low time requirements for regression testing.
• Shift in their position from gatekeeper to partner in quality
• Because agile methods are inherently iterative, requirement modifications and updates become the primary source of contention for QA.

Automation Poses a Risk in Agile Processes

• While automated user interfaces offer a high degree of trust, they are sluggish to execute, insecure to maintain, and costly to construct. Without testers who understand how to test, automation may not substantially increase test productivity.
• In automated testing, unreliable tests are a significant source of worry. Repairing failed tests and addressing brittle test problems should be a high focus to prevent false positives.
• If automated tests are started manually rather than through CI (Continuous Integration), there is a danger that they will not run on a regular basis, resulting in test failures.
• Automated tests should not be used in lieu of exploratory manual testing. To ensure the product’s anticipated quality, a combination of testing kinds and levels is needed.
• Numerous commercially available automation solutions provide basic capabilities such as automated test case collection and playback. Such a technology promotes testing through the UI, which results in tests that are inherently fragile and difficult to maintain. Additionally, storing test cases in a location other than the version control system adds needless complexity.
• To save time, the automated test strategy is often poorly designed or unplanned, resulting in the test failing.
• Typically, test setup and teardown processes are omitted during test automation, while Manual testing, test setup, and breakdown processes all seem effortless.
• Productivity indicators such as the number of test cases generated or performed per day may be very deceptive and can result in a significant expenditure in conducting ineffective tests.
• Agile automation team members must be excellent consultants: accessible, cooperative, and resourceful; otherwise, this method will fail fast.
• Automation may suggest and provide testing solutions that need a disproportionate amount of continuing maintenance in comparison to the value delivered.
• Automated testing may be deficient in terms of the knowledge required to conceptualize and execute successful solutions.
• Automated testing may be so effective that it runs out of critical issues to address and switches to trivial ones.

Conclusion

The agile software testing approach emphasizes testing as early in the software development lifecycle as feasible. It necessitates extensive client engagement and the testing of code as soon as it is made accessible. The code should be sufficiently reliable to be sent to system testing. Extensive regression testing may be performed to ensure that all problems have been addressed and tested. Specifically, communication between teams is critical to the success of agile model testing!!!