The Most Common Misconceptions About Software Testing

We all know that testers are the guys who work together with developers and check the functionality of applications. Right?

Today, we kindly invite you to join us to find the answers to the questions like what is software testing, and what is the role of a tester in the SDLC process. In this article, we are going to remove the wraps and dispel a handful of myths about the tester’s job, so that it becomes a little clearer, who they really are.

First of all, it is worth reflecting on where this mysterious aura and all the misguiding beliefs about the job came from. This is probably because both in the tech world and outside it, testers are often perceived as unfortunate programmers, if not as people without technical skills at all.

Such a vision of testers does not line up with reality. Probably, this image has appeared due to the versatility of the profession: the label of a tester can be pinned both on the person who enhances the accessibility of programs and on the person who checks the functionality of user interfaces, and stuff like that.

As often happens, the root of all erroneous ideas is a superficial understanding of the matter. So let’s get down to rooting out these ridiculous prejudices!

The Testing Stage Begins When the Development Stage Ends

No! If this were true, the process of developing modern-day software would take years, and the final product was scarcely of adequate quality. In practice, the development and testing phases run almost simultaneously.

Today, this myth is the shadow of the past and a reflection of the Waterfall methodology that long ago gave way to Agile.

The Goal Of Software Testing Is to Find And Fix All Bugs

This is totally wrong. The whole point is that you can find all the bugs in theory, but not in practice – it’s too resourceful and time-consuming. In addition, no one can guarantee that the application runs smoothly on absolutely all devices, since it is impossible to ensure its rock-solid operation on each and every piece of hardware.

The work of a QA team can be considered completed if the density of bugs does not exceed 1 per 1000 lines of code. But not everything can be measured, so the main goal of software testing is to create a product that functions as intended.

Testers Click On Random Places All Day Long To Break the Application

Nope! First, not all testing looks like “random” mouse-clicking, but only GUI testing in some ways.

And of course, testers don’t break anything. If something does not function properly, then it was broken by developers – the QA team only highlights a problem.

Testers have a keen eye, they know perfectly well how developers think and understand that users look at the application through a different lens. Therefore, they have to test the most insane and unpredictable cases and scenarios that a developer could never think of, but not users.

All Testing Can Be Automated

This is another popular misbelief that you can stumble upon, even talking with developers. Of course, testing can be automated to a certain extent. But it is not worthwhile to carry this possibility to the point of absurdity.

The machine is capable of running many tests in fairly short periods of time, but it is not capable of recognizing issues the way a human does it.

However, today, test automation software is a beloved, vital and handy tool that makes the work of the entire QA team more efficient. For example, you can try DogQ, a cloud-based service that can help you automate testing of any web project with only a few clicks.

QA Is the Same As Testing

There is a hitch! These concepts do not cancel each other and are closely related. However, quality assurance is a broader concept that, in turn, includes testing. During software development, a lot can go wrong, and bugs in the code are only a tiny bit of the total number of possible obstacles.

What is QA testing, and what is software testing? The line can be drawn as follows: QA strives to prevent defects, while the task of testing is to find and fix them.

Testers Don’t Need Programming Skills

Do testers need programming skills? – Well, it can not hurt, since it contributes to more effective communication with the development team. It is also wrong to think that testers are simply less talented programmers.

Do testers require technical skills? – Absolutely. Without a doubt, they should know how to review software, understand what the SDLC is, be able to work with different operating systems, and have other skills that are crucial to accomplish the objectives of software testing.

In a word, an unrelated person is not capable of testing.

Testers And Developers Are the Same Specialists

This is another exaggeration that is obviously not true. This distorted perception of the roles of testers and developers may be due to the fact that they tend to work hand in hand on the same projects.

In reality, these two positions are connected only by a common “playing field”. QA specialists and programmers have the same core knowledge about software, but their skills and competencies differ dramatically.

Drawing the Line

Today, there are about 5 million people employed as testers and QA specialists, and this figure is only to increase. There is no doubt that the more testers surround us, the fewer myths can be fostered around this job.

You can find even more in-depth articles about testing right on our blog.

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