When you begin to doubt the rationale behind the software testing you’re examining, the acceptance criteria mentioned in user stories, and the design and application itself, it implies that you are engaging in critical thinking.
Among various thinking processes, critical thinking holds particular significance in testing, whether it is manual or automated testing. As a Quality Engineer, it’s imperative only to accept some information received through various channels. Instead, it’s crucial to scrutinize whether the information aligns with the business logic and fulfills the requirements of the end-users.
This article aims to familiarize you with critical thinking, its relevance in software testing, and ways to cultivate this skill. Keep reading to delve deeper into this topic!
What does critical thinking mean?
Critical thinking involves examining information in order to form a conclusion. It necessitates the mental exertion of considering all available facts before reaching a decision. Moreover, critical thinking entails reasoning, seeking to understand the underlying logic behind why something is the way it is.
Critical thinking aids in:
- Understanding the connections between various concepts or ideas
- Acknowledging the significance of arguments
- Identifying and appropriately organizing priorities
- Constructing well-structured arguments.
- Detecting inconsistencies and mistakes.
- Approaching and resolving problems
- Making informed decisions.
Utilizing Critical Thinking in QA:
Critical thinking serves as a crucial asset in the realm of QA. Firstly, it is essential to delineate the quality objectives and prerequisites for your product or service, taking into account customer and stakeholder expectations, standards, regulations, success criteria, and metrics. Subsequently, you need to strategize and formulate your QA plan, carefully selecting the appropriate tools, methodologies, and resources.
Following this, the execution of QA tasks and the accumulation of data become imperative. Once this data is gathered, it should be meticulously analyzed and interpreted to uncover any discernible patterns, trends, or irregularities. Finally, draw well-founded conclusions and provide recommendations to assess the quality of your product or service, along with proposing actionable measures for enhancement.
How software testers employ critical thinking Software testers utilize critical thinking to guarantee the smooth operation of software systems. Here’s how they approach it:
The impact of critical thinking on testing
Critical thinking enhances the overall quality of work, and its influence on software testing can be observed in the following instances:
Analysis of requirements
Consider testing an application displaying financial statistical data. While this is valid for displaying profits, it might not be suitable for costs, especially if they surpass the profit. Recognizing this potential discrepancy enables discussions with stakeholders to manage such situations, emphasizing the significance of scrutinizing and questioning requirements.
Considerations in design
In examining the design, inconsistencies may arise. For instance, multiple confirmation dialogues may exhibit differing behaviors for closing. Ensuring consistency across all dialogues in the application is essential for a seamless user experience.
Testing procedures
Testing involves comparisons, analyses, performance evaluations, error detection, and prioritization, all of which constitute critical thinking activities. Since testing consumes a substantial portion of a Quality Engineer’s time, the efficiency of their critical thinking significantly influences the quality of the testing outcomes.
Bug reporting
When reporting a bug, considering specific user roles and permissions is vital. Failing to include crucial preconditions might result in unintended consequences, such as restricting access for all users. Thus, comprehensive bug reporting requires recognizing all pertinent information and documenting it accordingly.
Test case composition
Creating clear and comprehensive test cases demands meticulous attention to detail. While these cases align with the existing requirements, they also cover broader and unforeseen scenarios. This extension beyond the specified requirements illustrates the application of critical thinking. Moreover, critical thinking aids in identifying ambiguous or misleading requirements, ensuring comprehensive test case coverage.
Although often underestimated, critical thinking constitutes a significant part of a Quality Engineer’s daily responsibilities. Conscious utilization of critical thinking principles contributes to improved overall results.
Ways to Foster Critical Thinking
Quality Engineers have the opportunity to cultivate critical thinking skills on a daily basis. While it often comes naturally to them, it’s possible to enhance this ability. Below are some practical suggestions for incorporating critical thinking into daily tasks as a Quality Engineer:
- Challenge Assumptions: Constantly question any assumptions you might have made. By doing so, you can easily recognize any incorrect assumptions through simple inquiries. Additionally, this practice aids in understanding the underlying reasons for certain conditions or circumstances.
- Scrutinize Requirements: Avoid accepting requirements or acceptance criteria at face value. Thoroughly examine them for any inconsistencies, omissions, or misleading information. It’s crucial to ensure a comprehensive understanding of all requirements by actively seeking clarification and not hesitating to ask pertinent questions.
- Anticipate Future Steps: Engage in forward-thinking to make more informed decisions, anticipate potential issues, provide comprehensive feedback, and generate innovative ideas. By thinking ahead, you can improve your ability to plan and execute tasks effectively.
- Foster Empathy: Develop the ability to empathize with others. This skill enables a deeper understanding of individuals, their perspectives, and their needs, thereby facilitating improved communication and collaboration.
- Reflect on Past Work: Regularly review your previous work and compare the outcomes with the desired results. Consider alternative approaches that could have led to more effective task completion, and strive to incorporate these insights into your future endeavors.
By following these straightforward steps, Quality Engineers can significantly enhance the quality of their testing processes while uncovering new perspectives, scenarios, and innovative concepts.
Assessment of Software
A test is essentially defined as “a procedure for critical evaluation.” Software testers are responsible for evaluating software. However, to carry out this assessment effectively, the tester must possess specific criteria based on which the software under scrutiny is evaluated. These criteria can be derived from various sources.
One common source for evaluating software criteria is the collection of functional requirements pertinent to that software. A simplistic perspective on software testing suggests that the sole purpose of software testing is to determine whether the software complies with its functional requirements.
Even within this context, software testing becomes intricate as requirements often comprise ambiguous and obscure descriptions that are inadequately mapped to computer systems. Consequently, an essential aspect of software testing involves ascertaining whether the system fulfills the implicit expectations of the requirement authors (or the users they represent).
Another set of benchmarks for assessing software encompasses non-functional requirements, or “ilities,” such as accessibility, scalability, usability, and portability, along with components like security and performance. While these non-functional requirements are typically anticipated by users and clients, they are seldom well-specified.
Adopting a critical perspective, the procedures that underlie the evaluation outline how to conduct software testing, but they do not clarify why software testing is necessary. A test is essentially “a procedure for critical evaluation.” The field of software testing extensively describes how to conduct software testing using evaluation procedures but remains relatively silent on the underlying reasons for conducting software testing.
To comprehend the purpose behind software testing, a software tester requires a philosophical foundation for their work. A critical stance entails a coherent set of principles used to assess software projects, demanding critical tools to facilitate evaluating software projects.
One of the most significant critical stances for contemporary software testers involves the ability to evaluate software projects based on their agility. In other words, a software tester may assume an agile critical stance during the assessment of a software project. The Agile Manifesto is a vital, critical tool for an agile software tester to evaluate the extent to which a specific software project adheres to the principles of agility.
Components to Include in a Test Approach:
The essential components to incorporate in a test approach should be carefully considered, and it is crucial to keep the document dynamic by consistently updating it.
- To begin, it is imperative to provide a comprehensive overview of the purpose and project scope, clearly delineating the value the project adds. Clearly defining the aspects that fall beyond the scope of the testing process is equally important. This ensures all stakeholders are aware of what will not be tested, preventing any misunderstandings or oversights.
- Next, outline the planned testing phases in a sequential manner, illustrating the order in which the various testing methodologies will be applied. This provides a clear roadmap for the testing process, enabling efficient and systematic execution.
- Detailing the necessary considerations regarding the test environment is crucial, particularly if an external Quality Assurance team is involved. This section should address queries such as the available physical environments, relevant interfaces, and any specific device requirements for testing.
- Discussing the requirements for test data is vital to ensuring the availability of realistic and relevant data for testing purposes. Address questions related to data refreshment, data creation, and compliance with regulatory standards, if applicable.
- Elaborate on the testing tools and their respective applications within the testing process, providing insights into how tools like JIRA are used for tracking bugs/defects and test cases.
- Provide a detailed explanation of each testing phase, including the responsible personnel, the tasks involved, and the predefined exit criteria, fostering transparency and accountability throughout the testing process.
- Include a timeline to outline the projected completion dates for each testing phase, serving as a reference point for stakeholders and project managers to track progress effectively.
- Conclude with a distribution list that specifies the individuals who should receive regular updates regarding the details outlined in the test approach, such as the Test Manager, Engineering Manager, Business Analyst, and Project Manager.
- Finally, incorporate an audit log to document the individuals responsible for contributing to and approving the test approach, ensuring accountability and transparency in the testing process. The designated sign-off members might include the Test Manager, Engineering Manager, Business Analyst, and Project Manager.
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform to run manual and automated tests at scale. The platform enables users to conduct both real-time and automation testing across more than 3000 environments and real mobile device labs. In Quality Assurance (QA) at LambdaTest, critical thinking is an essential component to ensure the delivery of high-quality software products and services. Here are some key ways critical thinking is applied:
- Requirement Analysis: Critical thinking is employed to thoroughly understand the software requirements and expectations, ensuring that the QA process aligns with the specific project objectives and customer needs.
- Test Planning and Strategy: Critical thinking aids in devising comprehensive test plans and strategies by evaluating various testing methodologies and selecting the most suitable techniques for efficient and effective testing.
- Defect Analysis: Critical thinking helps in identifying and analyzing defects, allowing QA professionals to understand the root causes of issues and collaborate with the development team to implement effective solutions.
Conclusion
To enhance critical thinking in Quality Assurance (QA), it is vital to immerse oneself in studying QA best practices and resources, all while cultivating a habit of inquiry and avoiding hasty assumptions. Maintaining awareness of personal biases is crucial, as is actively engaging in critical thinking exercises. Additionally, fostering a collaborative environment and effective communication, staying abreast of current QA trends, and challenging traditional practices contribute to a comprehensive understanding of various viewpoints.
Reflecting on one’s reasoning and seeking constructive feedback for personal growth are equally important. Applying critical thinking methodologies to real-world QA scenarios, utilizing structured analytical tools, comparing solutions from a holistic perspective, and remaining receptive to others’ insights all contribute to a well-rounded approach to effective problem-solving in QA.
