Software Testing Techniques

Here, we will discuss some important software testing techniques. In exams like UGC NET, questions are often asked from this topic.

There are four levels of software testing: Unit >> Integration >> System >> Acceptance.

Usually, Black Box Testing method is used in Acceptance Testing. Acceptance Testing is performed after System Testing and before making the system available for actual use.

Smoke Testing, also known as “Build Verification Testing", comprises of a non-exhaustive set of tests that aim at ensuring that the most important functions work, but none of them in depth. It helps in exposing integration and major problems early in the cycle.

Functional testing ensures that the requirements are properly satisfied by the application. During functional testing, Black Box Testing technique is used. It is performed during the levels of System Testing and Acceptance Testing. It has a high possibility of redundant testing.

Security Testing intends to uncover vulnerabilities of the system and determine that its data and resources are protected from possible intruders.
Example of a basic security test: Click the BACK button of the browser (Check if you are asked to log in again or if you are provided the logged-in application.)

Regression testing intends to ensure that changes (enhancements or defect fixes) to the software have not adversely affected it.Regression testing can be performed during any level of testing but it is mostly relevant during System Testing.

Unit Testing is performed by using the White Box Testing method. This type of testing is performed prior to Integration Testing, by software developers themselves or their peers.

Integration Testing: The purpose of this level of testing is to expose possible faults in the interaction between integrated units. Different approaches are:
Big Bang:  all or most of the units of the code are combined together and tested at one go. This approach is used when the testing team receives the entire software in a bundle. Big Bang Integration tests only the interactions between the units while System Testing tests the entire system.

Top Down: top level units are tested first and (step by step ) lower level units are tested later. This approach is followed with top down development. Test Stubs are needed to simulate lower level units which may not be available during the initial phases.

Bottom Up: bottom level units are tested first and upper level units step by step after that. This approach is used when bottom up development approach is followed. Test Drivers are needed to simulate higher level units which may not be available during the initial phases.

Sandwich/Hybrid: A combination of Top Down and Bottom Up approaches.

System Testing: A complete, integrated system/software is tested. The purpose is to evaluate the system’s compliance with the specified requirements. Usually, Black Box Testing method is used. independent Testers perform System Testing.

Acceptance Testing: This testing method does not usually follow a strict procedure and is not scripted but is rather ad-hoc. It is performed after System Testing and before making the system available for actual use.

Black Box Testing is also known as Behavioral Testing. There are some techniques that can be used for designing black box tests:

Equivalence partitioning: Involves dividing input values into valid and invalid partitions and selecting representative values from each partition as test data.

Boundary Value Analysis: Involves determination of boundaries for input values and selecting values that are at the boundaries and just inside/outside of the boundaries as test data.

Cause Effect Graphing: Identifies the cases (input conditions) and effects (output conditions), producing a Cause-Effect Graph, and generating test cases accordingly.

White Box Testing (Code-Based Testing or Structural Testing): The internal structure/design/implementation of the item being tested is known to the tester. It is mainly applied to Unit Testing.

Gray Box Testing: The internal structure is partially known. This involves having access to internal data structures and algorithms for purposes of designing the test cases, but testing at the user, or black-box level. it is primarily useful in Integration Testing.

Indian Polity Facts: Rajya Sabha

Continuing with the study material for UGC NET Paper 1, here, I am presenting some useful facts about Rajya Sabha of our Parliament. These facts may be useful for the questions on Indian Polity (for paper 1)->

• Rajya Sabha was initially called "The Council of States". It was first constituted on 13 May, 1952. It was renamed to "Rajya Sabha" by its chairman on 23 August 1954.
• Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms
• Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the current chairman since 11 August 2012.
• The minimum age for being nominated as its member is 30 years.
• The maximum strength of Rajya Sabha is two hundred and fifty (250), of which 238 are to be elected and 12 are to be nominated by the President of India. The actual strength is two hundred and forty five (245), of which 233 are elected and 12 are nominated.
•  The nominated members of Rajya Sabha have a right to vote in the election of the Vice-President of India, they are not entitled to vote in the election of the President of India.
• The allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha to the States is based on population. The maximum representation is of U.P. (31 members) and the minimum is 1 by total 9 states/UTs:
  Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Tripura.
• Except of Delhi and Puducherry, Other Union territories are not represented in Rajya Sabha.
• Members of Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Assemblies of States and Union territories in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
• Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution; It is a permanent body. As nearly as possible, one-third of its members retire every second year.
• The term of a member of Rajya Sabha is 6 years.
• The quorum to constitute a meeting of Rajya Sabha is 1/10 of total members, i.e. 25.
• The Vice-President is the ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. The Deputy Chairman is elected by the members of Rajya Sabha from amongst its members.
• The Chairman too has right to vote; has a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
• In Rajya Sabha, generally four methods of voting are adopted: Voice vote, Counting, Division by automatic vote recorder and Division by going into the Lobbies.
• A Minister who is a Member of Lok Sabha has the right to speak and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha but has no right to vote in Rajya Sabha and vice versa.
• In legislative matters, Rajya Sabha enjoys almost equal powers with Lok Sabha. However, Money Bills cannot be introduced in Rajya Sabha and are deemed to have been passed if these are not returned to Lok Sabha within fourteen (14) days.
• A Bill is a legislative proposal brought before the House for its approval. 
• The Bills initiated by Ministers are called Government Bills and those introduced by Members, who are not Ministers, are known as Private Members’ Bills. Depending on their contents, Bills may further be classified broadly into:->

1. original Bills which embody new proposals,
2. amending Bills which seek to amend existing Acts,
3. consolidating Bills which seek to consolidate existing law on a particular subject,
4. Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bills which, otherwise, would expire on a specified date, 
5. repealing Bills,
6. Bills to replace Ordinances,
7. Money and financial Bills and
8. Constitution Amendment Bills.

• A Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament becomes an Act only after it has been assented to by the President.

UGC NET/SET Exam: Some Ideas for success

Friends,

I want to share some of my ideas on NET/SET preparation. I have done MCA and qualified UGC NET exam twice and SET(H.P.)-2013 exam.

The very first time I appeared in NET exam simply to know the pattern of the exam and I didn't prepare much. At that time, exam had subjective pattern. I was able to clear Paper I and Paper II but I could not clear paper III. Still, I was very happy that I cleared first 2 papers. Then, I appeared again, then again. In total 5 of my efforts, I was not able to clear Paper III. In my 4th and 5th attempt, pattern of the paper had become totally objective. Still, I was not able to clear paper III.

I had started losing my faith in myself and I decided to opt out of Dec' 13 NET Exam and preferred to sit in another exam on the same date. I believed that the same story will get repeated. But one good thing I did was that before Dec' 13 exam, Himachal Pradesh Public Service commission had announced SET/SLET exam for the state universities/colleges. I applied for the exam and had appeared in the exam on November 17, 2013. The result of the exam was announced on  March 14, 2014 and I was declared qualified! WOW!!

The success in SET gave me much needed high and faith in myself. The point here is, we throw seeds on the land without bothering about which seed will bore fruits and when. Our efforts in one direction may show result somewhere else. The time I devoted in preparation of NET helped me to crack SET exam. Further, the success in SET exam enthused me and started preparing in a more determined manner. SET is limited in scope and a bit easier than NET. But success in this exam rekindled my faith in myself that NET too is not far and can be cracked with some more planning.

And the result was that I was able to qualify December 2014 exam. For the first time, I Cracked the "hard NUT" called UGC NET.

If one is failing 3 or more times in NET, it is quite possible that one will get disappointed and will lose one's confidence. To uplift one's spirits, focusing on some other exam/objective (for time being) of your chosen career will help you to forget the stress you might have been facing due to rejection in NET. You may choose to focus on some other competition exams for computer teacher/lecturers like CTET, SET, KV schools exams etc. whichever is announced in the time frame. Believe me, these exams can be cracked more easily than NET.

Your sole objective may be NET only, but if you succeed in other exams I have mentioned, it will lift your morale and will give birth to an enthusiastic mindset which is very crucial for cracking exams like NET.

PLEASE post your ideas (If whatever I have mentioned is right or wrong)..