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Requirements-based Software Testing

A lot of customers do not often understand what requirements testing is and why it is important. As a result, requirements testing is often overlooked on projects, which leads to multiple problems and miscommunication. In this article, we will explain what requirements testing is and will look at its types and peculiarities.

2 months ago
3 min read

What is software requirements testing

Requirements testing is an approach where test cases, conditions, and data are derived from requirements. It is done to find out if the project requirements are fully explained and do not conflict. QA testing requirements includes functional and non-functional attributes assessment (performance, reliability, usability). To perform requirements testing, QA engineers get information from the BA or PM who are involved in the collection and description of requirements for a software product.

Requirements testing is an important stage of the testing process which always helps optimize the work of the team and avoid misunderstandings. The requirements testing process ensures the resulting quality of the software solution from the very beginning. Therefore, before testing an application, it is necessary to solve important problems related to the incomprehensibility of the requirements, their frequent changeability, last-minute changes, and incorrect interpretation of the requirements. As a result, the customer gets a high-quality competitive product developed in compliance with all the requirements stated.

Types of requirements in software testing

There are 3 types of requirements testing:

Testing of business requirements is needed to determine why the product is created, the scope benefits it will bring and how the customer will profit from the product.
Testing of user requirements finds out what tasks the user will be able to perform using the product.
Testing of product requirements may be functional (what the solution has to fulfill) and non-functional testing requirements (how the product fulfills these requirements).

Requirements testing attributes

When the QA engineer gets the requirements, it is necessary to know which attributes to test to ensure the product quality. We have collected the most widespread ones:

Completeness. The requirement should contain all the necessary information for developers and all stakeholders concerned. The requirement should also include all the key details that reveal the needs of users.
Consistency of requirements. Requirements must not conflict with other requirements. Each one should comply with all external and internal documentation and standards.
Correctness of requirements. Requirements should accurately and completely describe the functionality, so that there are no additional questions and ambiguities.
Unambiguity. A requirement should be interpreted in the same way by all the users of the system. Documentation should be simple, concise, and accurate. A requirement that is clearly stated can be traced back to the document in which it was first mentioned.
Testability. The fulfillment of a requirement should be verified.
Changeability. It should be easy to make changes to individual requirements and to a set of requirements.
Traceability. It is the ability to track the requirements throughout the life cycle of a project until the delivery of the finished product.

Conclusion

When all the requirements are tested and updated, QA engineers write test cases for requirements and start test execution. If you are looking for software quality assurance services, EffectiveSoft QA team is at you disposal. Just contact us, and we will find the best solution for your business.