- be familiar with the software development process
- be able to maintain enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere, despite what is a somewhat 'negative' process (e.g., looking for or preventing problems)
- be able to promote teamwork to increase productivity
- be able to promote cooperation between software, test, and QA engineers
- have the diplomatic skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes
- have the ability to withstand pressures and say 'no' to other managers when quality is insufficient or QA processes are not being adhered to
- have people judgement skills for hiring and keeping skilled personnel
- be able to communicate with technical and non-technical people, engineers, managers, and customers.
- be able to run meetings and keep them focused
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
What makes a good QA or Test manager?
A good QA, test, or QA/Test(combined) manager should:
What makes a good Software QA engineer?
The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they must be able to understand the entire software development process and how it can fit into the business approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to understand various sides of issues are important. In organizations in the early stages of implementing QA processes, patience and diplomacy are especially needed. An ability to find problems as well as to see 'what's missing' is important for inspections and reviews
What makes a good Software Test engineer?
A good test engineer has a 'test to break' attitude, an ability to take the point of view of the customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are useful in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers, and an ability to communicate with both technical (developers) and non-technical (customers, management) people is useful. Previous software development experience can be helpful as it provides a deeper understanding of the software development process, gives the tester an appreciation for the developers' point of view, and reduce the learning curve in automated test tool programming. Judgment skills are needed to assess high-risk or critical areas of an application on which to focus testing efforts when time is limited.
Top 5 common problems in the software development process
- poor requirements - if requirements are unclear, incomplete, too general, and not testable, there may be problems.
- unrealistic schedule - if too much work is crammed in too little time, problems are inevitable.
- inadequate testing - no one will know whether or not the software is any good until customers complain or systems crash.
- changes in requirement- requests to add on new features after development goals are agreed on.
- miss-communication - if developers don't know what's needed or customer's have erroneous expectations, problems can be expected.
Top 5 FAQ for those who are new in Software Testing
If you are new into Software Testing, Learn following five things in depth, Let me know if you have any query, Learn from the help of different sites
What is 'Software Quality Assurance'?
What is 'Software Testing'?
Why does software have bugs?
What is verification? validation? walkthrough ? inspection ?
What is software 'quality'?
What is 'Software Quality Assurance'?
What is 'Software Testing'?
Why does software have bugs?
What is verification? validation? walkthrough ? inspection ?
What is software 'quality'?
Top 5 Software Testing Books
Lessons Learned in Software Testing, by C. Kaner, J. Bach, and B. Pettichord (2001)
An excellent compilation of ideas from three well-respected people in software testing, Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Bret Pettichord. The book contains more than 300 statements/questions/ideas, in the form of a sentence or two, and each is followed by several paragraphs of explanatory information, all in a highly readable format. Includes a great deal of practical advice along with testing philosophies.
Testing Computer Software, by C. Kaner, J. Falk, and H. Nguyen (1999)
This book has been a standard reference for software testers since it's first edition was published in 1988 and second edition in 1993. Chapters include "The Objectives and Limits of Testing", "Test Case Design", "Localization Testing", "Testing User Manuals", "Managing a Testing Group", and more. The authors are all experienced in software testing and project management, and the book discusses many of the practical and 'human' aspects of software testing. (Note: The 1999 edition is the same as the 1993 edition)
Perfect Software and Other Illusions About Testing, by G. Weinberg (2008)
Weinberg is a prolific author of software engineering books including 'The Psychology of Computer Programming' and the 'Quality Software Management' series. 'Perfect Software' is an accessible and readable discussion of many of the non-technical yet highly challenging aspects of software testing. Topics include 'What Testing Cannot Do', 'Why Not Just Test Everything', 'How to Deal with Defensive Reactions', 'What Makes a Good test', 'Major Fallacies About Testing', 'Testing Scams', and more.
How to Break Web Software, by M. Andrews and J. Whittaker (2006)
The full title is 'How to Break Web Software: Functional and Security Testing of Web Applications and Web Services'. This is a practical and readable book focusing on web security testing, with chapters on how web security testing issues are different, testing attack strategies, authentication, privacy, web services, and more.
Testing Applications on the Web, by H. Nguyen, R. Johnson, and M. Hackett (2003)
This book's author is also a co-author of another top software testing book, 'Testing Computer Software' (see above). The book covers topics such as a comparison of web testing to traditional testing, test planning, document templates, load and stress testing, functional web testing, database testing, security testing, mobile web app testing, and includes real examples of web tests and bugs and web test tool information.
An excellent compilation of ideas from three well-respected people in software testing, Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Bret Pettichord. The book contains more than 300 statements/questions/ideas, in the form of a sentence or two, and each is followed by several paragraphs of explanatory information, all in a highly readable format. Includes a great deal of practical advice along with testing philosophies.
Testing Computer Software, by C. Kaner, J. Falk, and H. Nguyen (1999)
This book has been a standard reference for software testers since it's first edition was published in 1988 and second edition in 1993. Chapters include "The Objectives and Limits of Testing", "Test Case Design", "Localization Testing", "Testing User Manuals", "Managing a Testing Group", and more. The authors are all experienced in software testing and project management, and the book discusses many of the practical and 'human' aspects of software testing. (Note: The 1999 edition is the same as the 1993 edition)
Perfect Software and Other Illusions About Testing, by G. Weinberg (2008)
Weinberg is a prolific author of software engineering books including 'The Psychology of Computer Programming' and the 'Quality Software Management' series. 'Perfect Software' is an accessible and readable discussion of many of the non-technical yet highly challenging aspects of software testing. Topics include 'What Testing Cannot Do', 'Why Not Just Test Everything', 'How to Deal with Defensive Reactions', 'What Makes a Good test', 'Major Fallacies About Testing', 'Testing Scams', and more.
How to Break Web Software, by M. Andrews and J. Whittaker (2006)
The full title is 'How to Break Web Software: Functional and Security Testing of Web Applications and Web Services'. This is a practical and readable book focusing on web security testing, with chapters on how web security testing issues are different, testing attack strategies, authentication, privacy, web services, and more.
Testing Applications on the Web, by H. Nguyen, R. Johnson, and M. Hackett (2003)
This book's author is also a co-author of another top software testing book, 'Testing Computer Software' (see above). The book covers topics such as a comparison of web testing to traditional testing, test planning, document templates, load and stress testing, functional web testing, database testing, security testing, mobile web app testing, and includes real examples of web tests and bugs and web test tool information.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
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