1.1.1. Typical Objectives of Testing

For any given project, the objectives of testing may include:

• To prevent defects by evaluate work products such as requirements, user stories, design, and code

• To verify whether all specified requirements have been fulfilled

• To check whether the test object is complete and validate if it works as the users and other stakeholders expect

• To build confidence in the level of quality of the test object

• To find defects and failures thus reduce the level of risk of inadequate software quality

• To provide sufficient information to stakeholders to allow them to make informed decisions, especially regarding the level of quality of the test object

• To comply with contractual, legal, or regulatory requirements or standards, and/or to verify the test object’s compliance with such requirements or standards

The objectives of testing can vary, depending upon the context of the component or system being tested, the test level, and the software development lifecycle model. These differences may include, for example:

• During component testing, one objective may be to find as many failures as possible so that the underlying defects are identified and fixed early. Another objective may be to increase code coverage of the component tests.

• During acceptance testing, one objective may be to confirm that the system works as expected and satisfies requirements. Another objective of this testing may be to give information to stakeholders about the risk of releasing the system at a given time.