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System vs Acceptance Testing Explained

Integration testing ensures components work together as specified in the system design by checking interfaces. System testing checks the entire system meets requirements. Acceptance testing differs by checking the system delivers what was requested rather than just what was specified. Requirement traceability maps test cases to requirements to ensure full coverage. Severity ratings categorize defects from showstoppers to suggestions. Maturity levels specify expected performance levels of an organization.

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2 views4 pages

System vs Acceptance Testing Explained

Integration testing ensures components work together as specified in the system design by checking interfaces. System testing checks the entire system meets requirements. Acceptance testing differs by checking the system delivers what was requested rather than just what was specified. Requirement traceability maps test cases to requirements to ensure full coverage. Severity ratings categorize defects from showstoppers to suggestions. Maturity levels specify expected performance levels of an organization.

Uploaded by

shabeer789
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Integration Testing

As the components are constructed and tested they are linked together to
make sure they work with each other. It is a fact that two components that
have passed all their tests, when connected to each other, produce one new
component full of faults. These tests can be done by specialists, or by the
developers.
Integration testing is not focused on what the components are doing but on
how they communicate with each other, as specified in the “System Design.”
The “System Design” defines relationships between components.
The tests are organized to check all the interfaces, until all the components
have been built and interfaced to each other producing the whole system.
System Testing
Once the entire system has been built then it has to be tested against the
“System Specification” to see if it delivers the features required. It is still
developer focused, although specialist developers known as systems testers
are normally employed to do it.
In essence, system testing is not about checking the individual parts of
the design, but about checking the system as a whole. In fact, it is one giant
component.
System testing can involve a number of special types of tests used to see if
all the functional and non-functional requirements have been met. In addition

to functional requirements these may include the following types of testing


for the non-functional requirements:
Performance - Are the performance criteria met?
Volume - Can large volumes of information be handled?
Stress - Can peak volumes of information be handled?
Documentation - Is the documentation usable for the system?
Robustness - Does the system remain stable under adverse
circumstances?
There are many others, the need for which is dictated by how the system is
supposed to perform.

(I) W hat’s the difference between System Testing


and Acceptance Testing?
Acceptance testing checks the system against the “Requirements.” It is
similar
to System testing in that the whole system is checked but the important
difference is the change in focus:
System testing checks that the system that was specified has been delivered.
Acceptance testing checks that the system will deliver what was requested.

Severity 1 (showstoppers): These kinds of defects do not


allow the application to move ahead. So they are also called
showstopper defects.
Severity 2 (application continues with severe defects):
Application continues working with these types of defects,
but they can have high implications, later, which can be more
difficult to remove.
Severity 3 (application continues with unexpected results): In
this scenario the application continues but with unexpected
results.
Severity 4 (suggestions): Defects with these severities are
suggestions given by the customer to make the application
better. These kinds of defects have the least priority and
are considered at the end of the project or during the
maintenance stage of the project.

an you explain requirement traceability and its


importance?
In most organizations testing only starts after the execution/coding phase of
the project. But if the organization wants to really benefit from testing, then
testers should get involved right from the requirement phase.
If the tester gets involved right from the requirement phase then
requirement traceability is one of the important reports that can detail what
kind of test coverage the test cases have.
The following figure shows how we can measure the coverage using the
requirement traceability matrix.
We have extracted the important functionality from the requirement
document and aligned it on the left-hand side of the sheet. On the other side,
20 Software Testing Interview Questions
at the top, we have mapped the test cases with the requirement. With this
we can ensure that all requirements are covered by our test cases. As shown
we can have one or more test cases covering the requirements. This is also
called requirement coverage.
Figure 25 Requirement Traceability
Note: Many professionals still think testing is executing test cases on the
application. But testing should be performed at all levels. In the requirement
phase we can use the review and traceability matrix to check the validity of
our
project. In the design phase we can use the design review to check the
correctness
of the design and so on.
ow did you define severity ratings in your
project?
Note: Severity ratings vary from organization to organization and project to
project. But most organizations have four kinds of severity rating as shown.
There are four types of severity ratings as shown in the table:
Figure 64 Test cases from the above decision tables
Figure 65 Severity rating in projects
60 Software Testing Interview Questions
Severity 1 (showstoppers): These kinds of defects do not
allow the application to move ahead. So they are also called
showstopper defects.
Severity 2 (application continues with severe defects):
Application continues working with these types of defects,
but they can have high implications, later, which can be more
difficult to remove.
Severity 3 (application continues with unexpected results): In
this scenario the application continues but with unexpected
results.
Severity 4 (suggestions): Defects with these severities are
suggestions given by the customer to make the application
better. These kinds of defects have the least priority and
are considered at the end of the project or during the
maintenance stage of the project.



What is a maturity level?
A maturity level specifies the level of performance expected from an
organization.
(B)

Common questions

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Severity 3 defects cause the application to continue functioning, albeit with unexpected results. While they may not immediately halt operations, they can lead to inconsistent user experiences or expose underlying issues that degrade overall system reliability and user satisfaction over time if left unresolved .

Severity ratings are significant in defect management as they allow teams to prioritize defect resolution based on their impact. Severity 1 defects, or showstoppers, must be addressed immediately as they halt application progress. Lower severity levels, like Severity 4, are less critical and can be handled later, allowing teams to focus first on defects with higher impact on the application .

Performing testing only after the execution phase can lead to incomplete requirement coverage and late detection of critical issues, making them more costly and time-consuming to resolve. Early involvement of testers allows for requirement validation and design review, improving defect prevention and ensuring alignment with project goals through traceability and coverage analysis .

The fundamental difference between acceptance testing and system testing lies in their focus. While system testing checks if the specified system has been delivered correctly according to the "System Specification," acceptance testing assesses whether the system fulfills the original "Requirements" it was intended to meet, evaluating if it delivers what was requested .

Early tester involvement during the requirement phase helps in identifying potential issues early, ensuring thorough requirement understanding, and facilitating more effective test planning. This proactive approach can lead to improved requirement traceability, enhanced test coverage, reduced rework, and increased likelihood of project success by aligning development with testing and business goals from the start .

Requirement traceability is critical because it ensures that all requirements are adequately covered by test cases, which provides assurance of test coverage. Involving testers from the requirement phase and using a traceability matrix helps in validating that all necessary test scenarios are accounted for and assists in monitoring test progress effectively throughout the project lifecycle .

Integration testing focuses on ensuring that different components work together correctly by checking their communication as specified in the "System Design." It is concerned with building and verifying interfaces between components. In contrast, system testing checks the entire system against the "System Specification" to verify it delivers the required features and functions as one complete unit .

A traceability matrix enhances the software testing process by mapping requirements to corresponding test cases, which allows teams to ensure comprehensive requirement coverage and monitor which parts of the system have been tested. It facilitates logical organization of tests, validation of test completeness, and helps identify gaps in testing early .

System testing for non-functional requirements might include performance testing to validate performance criteria, volume testing to ensure large volumes of data can be managed, stress testing to check peak volumes, documentation review for usability, and robustness testing to verify system stability under adverse conditions. These tests help confirm the system's effectiveness and reliability beyond just functional correctness .

Focusing on non-functional aspects during system testing contributes to software quality by ensuring the system meets performance, volume, stress, documentation usability, and robustness criteria. This thorough evaluation helps prevent potential operational issues, enhances user experience, and increases system reliability, supporting overall business objectives and satisfaction .

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