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Test Design Techniques

  • Test Design Techniques are structured methods used to derive and create test cases to ensure that a software system is tested effectively. These techniques help testers select the right test conditions, design the test cases, and ensure thorough coverage of the application under test.

  • They are often categorized into three main types: Black-box techniques, White-box techniques, and Experience-based techniques. Below is a breakdown of these categories and the popular techniques within each.

Black-box Test Design Techniques​

  • These techniques focus on testing the external behavior of the software without knowledge of the internal code or implementation. Testers are only concerned with the input-output relationships.

Equivalence Partitioning (EP)​

  • This technique divides input data into partitions or classes. It assumes that all values within a partition behave similarly, so only one value from each partition needs to be tested.

Boundary Value Analysis (BVA)​

  • This technique focuses on testing the boundary values of input ranges, as errors tend to occur at the edges of input ranges.

Decision Table Testing​

  • A decision table helps model complex business rules or combinations of inputs to determine corresponding actions or outputs. Each combination of inputs is considered a unique test case.

State Transition Testing​

  • This technique is used to test systems where different inputs or events cause the system to change its state. Each state and transition between states is tested.

Use Case Testing​

Definition: This technique tests the system based on use cases, which are real-world scenarios or user interactions. Each use case defines a sequence of steps between a user and the system.

Example: For an e-commerce website, a use case might involve a user searching for a product, adding it to the cart, and completing the purchase.

Purpose: Validate that the system behaves as expected in real-world use cases.

White-box Test Design Techniques​

  • These techniques involve knowledge of the internal code structure and are used to design tests that explore the internal workings of the system. They focus on covering the code comprehensively.

Statement Coverage​

  • This technique ensures that every executable statement in the code is executed at least once during testing.

Decision (Branch) Coverage​

  • This technique ensures that every possible branch (true / false) of each decision point in the code is executed at least once.

Condition Coverage​

  • This technique ensures that every condition within a decision statement is tested. ie: A part of a decision that evaluates to true or false.

Path Coverage​

  • Path coverage ensures that all possible paths through the code are tested, from start to finish.

Experience-based Test Design Techniques​

  • These techniques rely on the experience and intuition of the tester to identify areas of the software where defects are likely to occur.

Error Guessing​

  • This technique is based on the tester’s experience and intuition to guess where defects might exist in the application and design test cases accordingly.

Exploratory Testing​

  • In exploratory testing, test cases are not predefined. Instead, the tester explores the application, simultaneously learning about it and designing and executing tests on the fly.

Checklist-based Testing​

  • This technique uses a checklist of test conditions, based on experience, guidelines, or previous test efforts. The tester ensures that all items on the checklist are tested.

Summary of Test Design Techniques​

Black-box Techniques​

  • Focus on inputs and outputs without knowing the internal code.

White-box Techniques​

  • Focus on internal code structure and coverage.

Experience-based Techniques​

  • Rely on tester’s intuition and experience.

Module Review​

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