Author: q-pros

Business Analyst

Quality assurance projects consist of many roles and responsibilities. Some of these roles seem similar in scope as they would relate to the testing practice firsthand. One role though that is essential and requires less technical skills is that of a Business Analyst (BA).   Q-Pros offers and relies on multiple jobs and various professions to guarantee accurate results and suitable outcomes for distinct software products, from QA Engineers in both manual and automation experiences to Business Analysts, Quality Directors, Data Scientists, and much more.   This article will take a deeper look at the role of the Business Analyst and how they fit into the entire scheme of quality assurance.   Let us start by defining BAs and what their prime objectives are.   What is a Business Analyst?   A business analyst is a person in charge of providing analytical data and various documents to facilitate the work of IT experts in alliance with business requirements and market research.   BAs are responsible for interpreting business processes to operational figures. The role is distinctive in the initial stages, where defining the business requirements is necessary for IT and testing experts to start strategizing based on gathered comprehensive data.   What are the roles and responsibilities of QA Business Analysts? (What Business Analysts do)   Business analysts do not need to have a strong technical background. However, in QA domains, BAs need to understand how the system or product at hand functions and what are its key aspects of service ability as expected.   The roles of business analysts vary to cover multiple phases but shine most in the initial phases of launching a project and agreeing on methodology and service.   Here are some of BA responsibilities and daily tasks:   Engage with project stakeholders to gather product information. And cooperate with all primary business members and team members. Provide professionally written documents and clear reports to all involved team members and business owners to facilitate the working progress. Identify fundamental issues and investigate areas of improvement based on market standards and enhancements. Conduct presentations to all involved members (SDLC/STLC contributors) to help implement QA plans and testing methods. Identifying budgets, deadlines, and primary requirements for testing plans. Validate end results from executed plans and confirm fulfillment of requirements Supervise the implantation process to keep every involved member on the same page.   How to become a QA Business Analyst:   Acquiring a degree in business-related majors can be a way to get yourself a job as a BA. But to specifically get a job in QA, you would need to work your way up through QA jobs. QA engineers usually become business analysts as they get more experienced with the entire QA process through the years.   Having an IT background mixed with technical experience is a plus. This path usually leads to upper-level jobs in QA as it scans every area of work.   So, with some years of experience and proven effort, anyone can be a business analyst in QA, whether they have a degree in business or not, as most companies favor experience over specific academic certifications.   One way to start is to obtain a software testing certificate from a recognized institution. This will aid you significantly in getting a QA job and boost your career scores.   Learn more about software QA certifications that help you get a job in the field.   The BA’s Role in Testing   Business analysts must always be at the top of their game to answer questions and provide counseling for team members at every production phase.   Here is how BAs relate to some testing activities:   User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – business analysts are required to be present during UAT sessions to verify that the system has fully met requirements through end-users’ usage.   Regression Testing – BAs can select regression test cases that confirm successful outcomes based on expectations.   UX Testing – BAs have the responsibility to look for ways to improve user experience and expand the testing process based on that factor.   Functional Testing – Since business analysts have all the information and specifications regarding functionality, they must remain available for advice and supervision during functional tests.   In Conclusion   Business analysts are inseparable from QA projects. They have the major responsibility to certify the success of the project and keep clients and business owners aligned with the working progress. They are the face of the project, and they make sure that everything is clear for all involved parties.   Having tech experience is a major factor in becoming a business analyst. Most companies value individuals who have both business-related university degrees and dense experience.   BAs work with testers and developers to keep the work on track, clear out any misconceptions and answer questions regularly.   As a leading and pioneering testing service provider, we at Q-Pros make sure to utilize only skilled Individual's in the QA field from all aspects and domains. Our BAs employ modern methods and ensure a healthy flow of analyzed data and comprehensive information through the entire scheme of quality assurance.   Request a service through our online form and learn more about us. ...

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7 Best Functional Testing Tools to Use in 2023

Functional testing is a way to verify that software applications are providing expected outputs as required by the end-user or business. Functional tests are concerned with evaluating and comparing software functions with business requirements and quality standards. We at Q-Pros rely on a heavy arsenal of testing tools and modern utilities that help our teams achieve guaranteed and accurate results.   In this article, we will look at the most renowned functional testing tools and why you should be using them in 2023 to achieve higher status in the testing world. Overview Let us start by looking at the criteria of which we will be relying on to consider a functional testing tools in our top 7 list.   Usability–It is important for testing providers to make sure that the testing tools used can be used by team members with multiple levels of experience, and by more than one section or department within diverse teams.   Integrations – In order to maximize a testing tool’s potential, it needs to be able to integrate with a wide range of software and coding languages. A good testing tool will make use of common frameworks to facilitate the work. User Interface – The perfect testing tool to choose needs to be well designed with a smart, easy to use interface. And so, based on our assessment framework, here is a list of 7 functional testing tools to use in 2023:   1.  Selenium Selenium is one of the best test automation tools available for QA engineers and developers. It offers its users several libraries and tools that allow for efficient browser testing. One of Selenium’s top benefits is that it allows users to design test cases based on functional specifications with ease by offering options to change and control HTML elements to their exact needs. Its latest version (Selenium 4) supports several programming languages, offering simple implementations with JavaScript, C#, Ruby, Python, and Java. It is also worth mentioning that Selenium is an open-source tool that is free to use!   2. SmartBear Ready API SmartBear ReadyAPI is a functional tool designed for API testing, and it goes well with Agile and DevOps methodologies. It offers functional testing, API Performance testing, and API web Virtualization. ReadyAPI also provides automation options at every building stage through CI/CD pipelines. It offers you the ability to build data-driven functional API tests. The tool also integrates with any testing environment that uses Smart Assertion features. ReadyAPI provides integration with platforms such as Jenkins, Docker, and Git.   3. TestRigor TestRigor stands out as an excellent functional testing tool as it allows its users to build automated tests in plain English from a human point of view. It also converts manual tests into AI-based automated tests. TestRigor analyzes all potential factors behind the scenes to use the most effective ones, which outcomes ultra-reliable tests for testing teams. TestRigor is a great tool to build and customize new tests, and it allows the testing team to focus on test building rather than maintenance.   4. TestComplete TestComplete is a GUI functional testing tool that provides adaptable testing solutions. It works with multiple languages such as JavaScript, Python, and VBScript. What makes TestComplete more efficient is that it allows you to record your test runs and go back to them after implantation and adjust them based on initial outcomes. The tool also provides you with the capability to map objects from the screen and display objects, therefore allowing you to monitor any object in addition to providing you with all possible Xpaths for that specific object.    5. SoapUI SoapUI is an open-source functional testing tool that supports requirements-based testing and API solutions. The tool is renowned for its flexible interface as it allows your team to easily navigate through it with basic technical experience. SoapUI offers an endpoint explorer feature that lets you select a certain desired method and save the REST endpoints of URL requests - (URL requests can be made in both JSON and XML formats)   6. Kobiton Specifically created for mobile app testing, Kobiton allows you to perform manual and automated functional testing, performance testing, and visual testing for Android and IOS devices. It also offers a parallel text execution option to combine tests from multiple devices operating systems and platforms. It gives you the ability to implement a full device lab involving local and cloud devices (both public and private clouds) Kobiton allows you to perform automated tests without any knowledge script-wise. It also offers the ability to convert manual tests into complex automated tests.   7. Testim Testim is an automated testing tool that provides AI-based test implementations. The platform relies on AI to verify and lock visual elements, increasing testing stability for UI functional testing. Testim visual editor allows you to record and edit tests to efficiently organize test cases, as well as giving you the ability to keep test steps in parameters, streamlining the testing process for all testing contributors. The tool also helps you to replace duplicated tests with shared objects.   And there you have it, 7 of the best functional tools to use in QA in 2023.   Q-Pros Q-Pros is a leading IT company and a testing services provider, and we rely on market-leading partners and vendors to guarantee accurate results for our clients in every domain and industry. Such vendors include Smart Bear, Microsoft, Oracle, Tricentis, and much more. Our teams make use of various tools and utilities that are chosen uniquely for each client depending on business requirements and project technical specifications. Request a unique testing service through our online testing form. ...

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User Acceptance Testing

If you happen to work in software QA or development, you might have certainly heard the term “User Acceptance Testing sessions” multiple times nearing the end of any project. This step in QA is one of the most essential practices to give confidence to operational teams and business owners and confirm product release. We believe that software testing can only be sealed through real-life usage tests. This activity is labeled in the software testing stages as User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Q-Pros have invested lots of effort into crafting an excellent methodology to conduct healthy UAT sessions and make sure that the software is more than ready to handle end-users. This article hopes to be a clear guide to UAT and how to perform an effective user acceptance session. To start, let us define UAT -  What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)? User Acceptance Testing is the final seal of approval required before releasing an application out to the public. By definition – hence its name- UAT's objective is to get user acceptance by testing all aspects of the application, making sure it is fit for business demands. UAT sessions are done to measure the level of satisfaction a user has while using the application in real-time under real scenarios. It involves mimicking how an application might be used by future users/customers.   User Acceptance Testing is the final stage of testing to make use of all the application's potential to confirm that it is ready to be released. How we perform UAT UAT sessions are conducted by a group of first-hand users, this group of users could consist of customers who are more likely to use the product or the client that this software is directed to (if the software is manufactured specifically for an organization). When conducting a UAT session, all parties involved document their feedback, preferably in the presence of the developing team and beta testers in charge of ensuring quality standards. The role of the QA teams in UAT sessions The QA team has major involvement in the User Acceptance Testing. The QA team must be ready to assist users on how to use the application and oversee taking notes, including on several issues that might not be visible to the users, meaning things that are of QA concern rather than simple functionality. The QA team will then take part in presenting the results to clients, and it is the clients' job to decide whether the results are in alliance with expectations. The key objectives of UAT To make certain the software is performing based on basic business requirements. To confirm Ease-of-use. We need to make sure that the system is usable by end-users. Make sure the application is aligned with legal measures. At the end of UAT, a report is drafted, this report includes valuable results. Then, meetings are arranged to determine whether the application is ready for release or not based on UAT deliverables. Agile and DevOps methods in UAT UAT sessions require an elevated level of cooperation between multiple levels of involvement, including end-users. To plan a solid UAT session, team management methodology plays a huge role. The DevOps approach emphasizes a steady relationship between both developers and operational managers. This coexistence is made feasible using the agile methodology of project management. Agile is heavily adopted in QA techniques in general as it has been proved to save time and maintain structure. As mentioned before, UAT sessions involve multiple parties, from developers, the QA team, and end-users. At the end of every UAT, feedback is collected and worked upon, and then when needed, other UAT sessions will be conducted. UAT (Alpha/Beta Testing) UAT is split into two classifications (Alpha & Beta) depending on the nature of the output being tested. Alpha testing involves testing the application in the development environment. Beta testing is carried out in the production phase when the application is ready for release. Summary User Acceptance is all-important for Quality Assurance. Understanding how your software works in a real-life environment before releasing it to one is an obvious step. Involving end-users will guarantee honesty and generate honest feedback. UAT is most beneficial when each step is documented and studied thoroughly.  Based on the data generated, the developers, QA team, and clients can choose to make changes to enhance all aspects of the application based on the desired quality and business requirements. To learn more about quality assurance practices and frameworks, learn more about us and request one of our many testing services that are crafted based on requirements, business demands and standards.   https://q-pros.com/online-test-request/ ...

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A Short Guide to Stability Testing

A thriving business deserves a thriving software, and we at Q-Pros believe that software testing is the key to scale up businesses and create better results for both business owners and customers/users alike. One way software testing can help extend the functionality of an application is through Stability testing. In this article, we will define what stability testing is and its many benefits. What is Stability Testing? Stability testing is a type of non-functional software testing that helps measure an application’s ability to function continuously over lengthy periods. The primary purpose of conducting stability tests is to ensure the software component does not collapse under a wide range of use over time. One way to test the efficiency of the application is to run a stability test and ensure that the application is running well under circumstances beyond the average use. The intent here is to pressure the system to check its capabilities. Why Do We Need Stability Tests? In general, software testing helps us understand how the application will run under real-life situations, and we can find out what the limitations are, and how we can avoid future bottle-neck situations. Stability tests give us the confidence to trust the system while knowing that it will maintain function even when used to the maximum. Few issues are common in newly developed applications and mostly for justified reasons that are beyond the developer’s capabilities. Stability tests serve as an identifier of such issues and make us aware of the updates and fixes we can use to overcome them. Some issues regarding performance will erupt due to heavy usage. These issues include a sudden or repetitive request on the application or having a massive amount of data being entered at once. Stability Tests Outcomes As is the case with other testing approaches, stability testing requires a lot of reporting and building for test cases. We must document a list of results and stats that include the following: Hits per second – The number of demands or hits users would request; This gives us an understanding of the load percentage over the system. Throughput – Throughput is measured in bytes. It is the amount of data that a user would receive over a fixed amount of time. Memory – This is simply to document memory usage while conducting the test. Transaction Response Times – The time it takes for the system to complete a request/response cycle as declared by the application. Response time is important to measure in general, and in stability tests, we make sure that it has the same value while the system is running under stress. CPU – CPU utilization spent while performing the test. Stability Tests Process Test planning: We start by defining a solid testing strategy, making sure to mention the objectives and milestones. Test case designs: We then create solid test cases and scenarios that can efficiently assess stability parameters. Test case review: Making sure that our test cases are validated against project requirements and technical specifications. Test execution: Perform the tests. Report results: Documenting all outcomes from executed tests to share with operational stakeholders. Tools Used for Stability Tests Several performance testing tools are suitable to test for stability. The most predominant tools used now are: LoadRunner CloudTest Apache JMeter LoadUI WebLOAD In Conclusion It is certainly the goal of any application provider or business owner to have their applications scale up and be used by as many users as possible. Stability testing is a great way to scale up software. By doing a stability test we can guarantee that an application is more than ready to face future challenges. Stability testing is part of other performance testing approaches that evaluate the system’s performance attributes and help us understand how a system would behave under fixed environments. Learn more about software testing and get to know more about us. If you want to request a testing service, check out our list of offers and request a customized testing plan for your software via our request form.   https://q-pros.com/online-test-request/ ...

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Top 5 Software Quality Assurance Certifications

The field of software testing is becoming increasingly competitive every day, if you are planning to work in software QA or even if you are already working, you might want to consider getting hold of a software testing certificate.   Q-Pros believes that the quality of an institution depends on the quality of its employees. That is why we pride ourselves with testing experts who are equipped with QA and software testing certifications from prestigious institutes.   In this article, we will look at the top 5 software quality assurance certifications based on popularity and demand.   What is a Quality Assurance Certification?   A software quality assurance certification is an acknowledgment from a licensed institution to professionals in the field of software testing and QA that they have acquired and updated their set of skills in their domain. QA certifications include tests upon completion that assess and recognize members while adding to their basic knowledge.   Why Are Quality Assurance Certifications Important?   Acquiring QA certifications not only adds value to your resume, but it also elevates the level of quality of the entire industry. QA certifications help keep companies aligned with the latest updates in the field, delivering better quality to clients and upping the level of quality in services overall.   Most QA companies encourage and sometimes demand obtaining QA certifications to assist in profiling candidates to their respected projects based on their area of expertise.   It has become essential over the years for job seekers looking to obtain a position in quality assurance to be certified by a renowned organization that specializes in quality assurance and software testing training.   What are the Top Software Testing Quality Assurance Certifications?   There are many sources to obtain a QA certificate, they vary from one country to another and based on the standardized demands of each region. Nonetheless, having a certificate will always be a plus and would support your claim in achieving higher positions.   Here are the top 5 Quality Assurance Certificates: International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)   One of, if not the most prominent certifications to obtain in the field is an ISTQB certification. This board certificate is accepted internationally and is granted anywhere in the world with a universal syllabus. It is applicable on three levels, foundational, advanced, and expert.   ISTQB laid the foundation and set the standards for software testers. The training program includes a heavy load of information that cover all aspects of the industry.   On the foundation level, candidates would be suggested to have not less than (6) months of practical experience but with no prerequisites. The advanced level would require a foundation level certificate and practical experience while the expert level would require an advanced certification and more extensive experience, which could suggest more than (6) years of practical knowledge.   Certified Test Engineer (CSTE)   A CSTE certification sets the foundations and standard requirements for software quality assurance qualifications. It includes components in the basic level of IT and Quality Control (QC).   CSTE brings about good career opportunities. It targets people looking to get started in business and improve their resumes.   To apply for a CSTE, you must have one of the following prerequisites alongside a minimum of more than (18) months of experience:   4-year degree from a recognized college + 2 years of experience 3-year degree from a recognized college + 3 years of experience 2-year degree from a recognized college + 4 years of experience (6) years of experience in the field   Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA)   This certificate targets people who are more advanced than CSTE, it takes a deeper dive into Quality Control and Quality Assurance.   Obtaining a CSQA certificate is conditioned to the same prerequisites as CSTE:   4-year degree from a recognized college + 2 years of experience 3-year degree from a recognized college + 3 years of experience 2-year degree from a recognized college + 4 years of experience (6) years of experience in the field   And such as CSTE, CSQA requires prior experience of (18) months before applying.   Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST)   This certification requires no prior work experience as a prerequisite. CAST is perfect for beginners looking to take the first step on the technical side of QA and software testing. It gives candidates the chance to learn more about the foundational level of QA and QC and teaches applicants about the basic techniques used in the process.   To qualify for a CAST certificate, applicants must have one of the following:   3 or 4-year degrees from are cognized college 2-year degree from are cognized college and 1+ year of experience 3 years in the field   Certified Manager of Software Quality (CMSQ)   This certificate is concerned with highly professional applicants who are knowledgeable of all the skills and talents of software testing and QA.   CMSQ applicants are proficient managers who are able to lead QA teams and plan testing strategies.   Out of all the certifications on this list, CMSQ has the most challenging conditions for applying:   Candidates MUST have:   CSQA Certification Currently working in the field Take a manager’s level test   Candidates must also have one of the 3 prerequisites   BA from an accredited college with 4 years of experience in the QA field Associate degree with 6 years of experience 8+years of experience   What does a software QA manager do?   QA managers play a vital role in securing quality for clients. They organize and strategize QA plans and frameworks that utilize the most out of the QA team. They also produce quality control procedures and practices that improve profitability for business owners.   To learn more about Quality Assurance, learn more about us, and request a service via our online test request form.   https://q-pros.com/online-test-request/ ...

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