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<h3>Introduction</h3> During any kind of software development, a Quality Assurance process is required if the code quality is concerned. During any human endeavor, including programming, mistakes (bugs) are unavoidable. So the main task of the quality assurance (QA) engineer, sometimes also referred to as a tester, is to identify and raise issues so that they can be fixed in a timely manner. As software types vary greatly so does the QA processes and tools used to test them. In this course we will take a look on various types of testing (regression, smoke, etc) and learn when and where they are applied. We will also learn how to test mobile, web and desktop applications and identify which tests can be automated and how to go about doing that. <h3>What is BDD and TDD?</h3> In the software engineered world you’ll hear the terms BDD and TDD casually tossed around. BDD stands for Behavior Driven Development and TDD stands for Test Driven Development. TDD encourages writing tests before starting the development of a feature. So at the first run the test obviously fails. After the feature is developed the test is run again and it should pass this time. Consequently, the codebase will have high test coverage which is a good software engineering practice. As you can see TDD is a developer-centric testing approach and used for writing unit tests. BDD on the other hand, describes a feature or a functionality in a human-readable language called Gherkin, understandable to various stakeholders involved in the project. In practice we use IDE plugins to have nicely formatted scenarios in Gherkin and runnable methods in Cucumber for Java or Behave for Python. <h3>QA Basics</h3> Depending on the software under the test different tools and methodologies are used for testing but there are some fundamental testing principles shared among various testing approaches. Let’s learn about those principles. Testing reveals the presence of defects, not their absence No tester can assure that the software on have doesn’t have any issues. Perfection is hardly achievable in real life. Hence, as testers, we do our best to find and document bugs but we cannot say with absolute confidence that the software under test is bug free. Exhaustive testing is impossible Simply put, you cannot test every possible scenario in which the product under test can break. That’s practically not feasible. Also, it doesn’t make sense because you can gain sufficient confidence in performance and functionality of your software by strategically covering with tests the most important aspects of it. Meanwhile, automated testing tools exist that can generate a huge number of test cases thus giving you enough confidence in your tests. <h3>Web UI testing</h3> In web UI testing you, as a tester, try to make sure that the elements on the webpage function properly, are placed correctly, and look as intended. To test the functionality of web elements you would normally try interacting with them like clicking a button, choosing an option from a drop-down, etc and see if they are behaving correctly. The correct placement is easy to check by a visual inspection of the page. Meanwhile, to have a correct look and feel certain CSS attributes should be present. All the described inspections can be done manually though it can be error prone and time consuming, especially if there are many pages to test. An alternative is to automate the testing process by writing tests that can run periodically and perform the mentioned tasks. Arguably the most popular tool for automated UI tests is Selenium but another tool called Cypress is also getting popular in recent years. <h3>API Testing</h3> Practically all modern web and mobile applications make some kind of API calls to the other servers on the web. Via API requests and responses an application interacts with back-end and third-party services to perform various tasks like user authentication, data retrieval, sending notifications and so on. So correctly functioning API calls are crucial for the application's health. Though you can check an API call response on the UI side by trying to log into the system or validate data retrieved from a 3-rd party service, it is faster to test the underlying calls directly. Here’s when API testing comes into play. Commonly used API requests are GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Every API call consists of a request endpoint, header and body. The body content is usually JSON or XML. The most popular API testing tool is Postman. It lets us make all kinds of API requests and observe the responses. Some advanced features of Postman include Environments, Scripts, Collections, Mock Servers and more. Besides Postman, we can use special programming language libraries like Python’s requests library intended for working with the APIs. This gives us more flexibility and deeper automation test coverage.

What is Quality Assurance and how does it work?

QA Basics 

<h3>Introduction to QA</h3> During any kind of software development, a quality assurance process is required if the code quality is concerned. During any human endeavor, including programming, mistakes (bugs) are unavoidable. So the main task of the quality assurance (QA) engineer, sometimes also referred to as a tester, is to identify and raise issues so that they can be fixed in a timely manner. As software types vary greatly so do the QA processes and tools used to test them. In this course, we will take a look at various types of testing (regression, smoke, etc) and learn when and where they are applied. We will also learn how to test mobile, web and desktop applications and identify which tests can be automated and how to go about doing that. <h3 style="text-align: justify;">Who is this Course for?</h3> No prior familiarity with QA processes is required to take this Course. We start with the basics and carry on to advanced concepts in the field of QA automation. We assume , though, that you are familiar with basic HTML (for web UI testing) and REST protocol (for API testing). <h3>What is BDD &amp; TDD?</h3> In the software engineered world you’ll hear the terms BDD and TDD casually tossed around. BDD stands for Behavior Driven Development and TDD stands for Test Driven Development. TDD encourages writing tests before starting the development of a feature. So at the first run the test obviously fails. After the feature is developed the test is run again and it should pass this time. Consequently, the codebase will have high test coverage which is a good software engineering practice. As you can see TDD is a developer-centric testing approach and used for writing unit tests. BDD on the other hand, describes a feature or a functionality in a human-readable language called Gherkin, understandable to various stakeholders involved in the project. In practice we use IDE plugins to have nicely formatted scenarios in Gherkin and runnable methods in Cucumber for Java or Behave for Python. <h3>QA Basics</h3> Depending on the software under the test different tools and methodologies are used for testing but there are some fundamental testing principles shared among various testing approaches. Let’s learn about those principles. Testing reveals the presence of defects, not their absence No tester can assure that the software on have doesn’t have any issues. Perfection is hardly achievable in real life. Hence, as testers, we do our best to find and document bugs but we cannot say with absolute confidence that the software under test is bug free. Exhaustive testing is impossible Simply put, you cannot test every possible scenario in which the product under test can break. That’s practically not feasible. Also, it doesn’t make sense because you can gain sufficient confidence in the performance and functionality of your software by strategically covering with tests the most important aspects of it. Meanwhile, automated testing tools exist that can generate a huge number of test cases thus giving you enough confidence in your tests. <h3>Web UI testing</h3> In web UI testing you, as a tester, try to make sure that the elements on the webpage function properly, are placed correctly, and look as intended. To test the functionality of web elements you would normally try interacting with them like clicking a button, choosing an option from a drop-down, etc and see if they are behaving correctly. The correct placement is easy to check by a visual inspection of the page. Meanwhile, to have a correct look and feel certain CSS attributes should be present. All the described inspections can be done manually though it can be error prone and time consuming, especially if there are many pages to test. An alternative is to automate the testing process by writing tests that can run periodically and perform the mentioned tasks. Arguably the most popular tool for automated UI tests is Selenium but another tool called Cypress is also getting popular in recent years. Practically all modern web and mobile applications make some kind of API calls to the other servers on the web. Via API requests and responses an application interacts with back-end and third-party services to perform various tasks like user authentication, data retrieval, sending notifications and so on. So correctly functioning API calls are crucial for the application's health. Though you can check an API call response on the UI side by trying to log into the system or validate data retrieved from a 3-rd party service, it is faster to test the underlying calls directly. Here’s when API testing comes into play. Commonly used API requests are GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Every API call consists of a request endpoint, header and body. The body content is usually JSON or XML. The most popular API testing tool is Postman. It lets us make all kinds of API requests and observe the responses. Some advanced features of Postman include Environments, Scripts, Collections, Mock Servers and more. Besides Postman, we can use special programming language libraries like Python’s requests library intended for working with the APIs. This gives us more flexibility and deeper automation test coverage. <h3>Mobile Testing</h3> A popular open-source choice for testing mobile apps is Appium. It doesn’t require including an SDK or recompiling the app. The best part is you can still use the test automation tools you are familiar with like Selenium and it works with iOS, Android, and Windows apps. Both native and hybrid apps are supported. Appium relies on client/server architecture to fulfill its task. The server listens to commands through its REST API method calls, executes the commands on a mobile device and returns an HTTP response that represents the result of command execution. An immediate advantage of client/server architecture for testing is that tests can be written on your local machine. When executed it communicates with a cloud service like Sauce Labs to receive and interpret the commands. This is a more scalable approach as opposed to hosting both client and server on the same machine. The client libraries are written in Java, Ruby, Python, PHP, Javascript, and C# This was the introduction of QA. Nextly we will explore together "Testing tools", "Soft skills of testers" and so on. Keep up with us!

We start with the basics and carry on to advanced concepts in the field of QA automation.

Introduction to QA

<h3>Manual Testing Tools for QA Engineers</h3> Software testing is one of the essential steps on the way to the project release. There are two primary ways of software testing: automation and manual. While each method has its advantages and disadvantages, its main goal is the same: to ensure the quality of the software. Manual testing is the oldest and primary form of software testing. It is the process of testing software application features and functions from an end-user perspective. Unlike automated testing, which uses a software program to conduct such tests, manual testing relies on the actions of a human. Nowadays, in parallel with technology advancement more and more tests are becoming automated across different layers of the application under test. But despite this fact, the art and science of manual testing continue to be critical to software quality for the foreseeable results. <h3>Manual Testing Tools</h3> A wide range of manual testing tools is available to simplify the testing process and keep all tasks organized. Here we have manual testing tools classified by categories: Test Case Management Tools A test case management tool helps organize, measure, report, and collaborate on manual testing projects. Testing usually involves a lot of documentation, and if the right tools and processes are not in place, things can quickly become disorganized. A good test case management tool can make testing a lot easier when it comes to keeping those assets organized and up to date. Suggested test case management tools: TestLodge -TestLodge is an accurate and simple way to organize testing documents. With TestLodge, we can write and manage test cases, requirements, test plans, and test suites. It can also be perfectly integrated with certain third parties to provide accurate reporting results. Zephyr – Zephyr works with Jira to help testing teams to leave spreadsheets behind and improve visibility into their test results. TestLink – TestLink is an open-source test management tool. It pairs requirements with test cases and supports both manual and automated testing. Issue Tracking Tools Another essential manual testing tool for software testers is an issue tracker. As defects are found, testers need to write a good bug report for sending to the design and development teams to work on and fix them. There is a large quantity of issue tracking tools, and while each one is different, they all aim to solve the problem of helping to track issues easily and collaborate with teams on project work. Suggested issue tracking tools: Jira – Jira’s flexible framework with its customizable features makes it one of the most popular manual issue tracking tools for software testers. Operating around Jira is easy, but at the same time complex, depending on the user and the mode of operation. Basecamp – Basecamp is a project management favorite. With a single, all-in-one dashboard for organizing projects, teams, and corporate communications, Basecamp comes in handy with a live chat function, a message area, a to-do list, schedules, and documents, all on the all-inclusive dashboard. It can be used in multiple fields. Trello – Trello is a project management and issue tracker tool that allows testers to create issues on a board. Trello can be set up in a basic form as well as be configured using more complex rules and automation. Asana – Asana is another widely favored work management platform with numerous variations in application and is used by several of the world’s biggest companies. Teamwork – Teamwork is a project and work management tool that can be easily customized to support the way teams like to work. Cross Browser Testing Tools Cross-browser testing tools often involve verifying that the UI elements are rendering correctly across multiple browsers, involves physically checking functionality and how the code responds in each browser. There are many cross-browser testing tools available today that can help testers to save time and effort, and make sure their web applications function properly on each browser. Suggested cross-browser testing tools: BrowserStack – BrowserStack is a widely used manual testing tool. It enables testers to quickly load their application to on-demand browsers and devices, which saves them a lot of time. Sauce Labs – Sauce Labs is a continuous testing tool that offers simple cross-browser testing solutions. Browser Shots – Browser Shots is a free tool where you can load a URL then receive screenshots showing how the site looks on various browsers. API Testing Tools API testing verifies that the API meets expectations regarding the application’s functionality, security, performance, and reliability. The process often involves repeatedly running the same API calls, which can be time-consuming. API testing helps testers expedite this process by saving and organizing frequently used API calls and scripts. Suggested API testing tools: SoapUI – SoapUI helps software testers test APIs more efficiently. SoapUI supports API load testing, API functional testing, and API performance testing. Postman – Postman is an excellent tool for writing and storing API requests for testing. These requests can be executed manually or run in a sequence automatically. REST Assured – Rest Assured is a java library that helps testers to validate RESTful API endpoints quickly. Screen Capture Tools Many software defects are cosmetic flaws or workflow issues that can be better understood visually, so screen capture tools are valuable when testing manually. Some screen capture tools have the facility to call out specific notes by marking up the image. Being able to generate an image or screen recording quickly in this manner helps software testers communicate bugs more accurately. Suggested screen capture tools: CloudApp – CloudApp is a screen recorder, screenshot creator, and animated .gif generator. It allows testers to capture what’s happening on the screen instantly then share it with their development teams. Loom – Similar to CloudApp, Loom also generates screen recordings and videos, allowing testers to record what they are looking at on the screen. Skitch – Skitch enables testers to capture screenshots quickly and annotate them for extra context. Email Testing Tools Email testing is an area that is often overlooked, but it is super important to make sure emails are functioning correctly and look good. Today, with automated emails and smart drip campaigns connected to software, email is just as much a part of the product as the application itself. This is why we’re including these email tools in our manual testing tools list. Suggested email testing tools: Litmus – Litmus is an excellent manual testing tool allowing testers to view how their emails render in different email clients, so avoiding testers having to sign up to numerous accounts and install email clients, thus saving time. Mailtrap – Mailtrap is another practical manual testing tool that email testers love. Mailtrap does the work of a real SMTP server and prevents test emails from mistakenly landing in a real customer’s inbox. Email on Acid – Email on Acid is a multi-featured email optimizing service that includes campaign analysis and cross-client testing for the performance of individual emails. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Productivity, organization, and the overall effectiveness of manual testing can be improved by using a combination of tools. Many of these tools are low cost or free, and will make a positive impact on manual testing workflows right away.

There is a wide range of manual testing tools to simplify the testing process and keep all tasks organized.

Manual Testing Tools for QA Engineers

<h3>Automated Testing tools for QA Engineers</h3> Automation Testing or Test Automation is a process of performing test cases by repeating pre-defined actions using special tools, scripts and software. Once the test suite is automated, no human intervention is required so by this way the number of test cases to be run manually is reduced but even in this case manual testing is not eliminated altogether. <h3>Automation Testing Approaches(frameworks)</h3> Before presenting the list of the most popular and used Automation Testing Tools let’s find out the main types of frameworks in Automation Testing. Data-Driven Automation Framework A data-driven framework separates the test data from the script. Testers can store data externally so setting up a data-driven test framework tester will have an opportunity to store and enter the input/ output parameters to test scripts from an external data source. Keyword Driven Automation Framework With the keyword-driven framework, each function of the application under test is laid out in a table with a series of instructions in successive order for each test that needs to be run. Having a similar style to the data-driven framework in a keyword-driven framework as well the test data and script logic are separated. With this approach, keywords are also collected in an external data table, making them independent from the automated testing tool being used to execute the tests. Modular Automation Framework While working with modular framework testers will have to divide the application to be tested into separate units, functions, or sections, each of which will be tested individually. After breaking down the application into separate modules, a test script is created for each part and then combined to build larger tests in a hierarchical style. A key strategy in using the modular framework is building an abstraction layer so that any changes made in individual sections won’t influence the overarching module. Library Architecture Testing Framework The library architecture framework for automated testing is based on the modular framework but has some additional advantages to mention. Instead of separating the application under test into the multiple scripts that need to be run, similar tasks within the scripts are identified and later combined by function. Linear Automation Framework With a linear test automation framework there is no necessity to write code to create functions as the steps are written in sequential order. Here the tester set each step down such as navigation, user input, or checkpoints, and then plays the script back automatically to conduct the test. Hybrid Automation Framework As the name suggests, a hybrid framework is a combination of any of the previously mentioned frameworks set up to use the benefits of some and reduce the weaknesses of others. As more teams move to an agile methodology, setting up a flexible framework for automated testing is important. <h3>Automated Testing Tools/Frameworks</h3> Selenium WebDriver - According to the “Test Automation Landscape in 2020 Report” 54% of the responders mentioned Selenium as their main automation testing tool. Selenium is one of the leading open-source automation regression testing tools for browser-based website automation. But, Selenium is not a standalone-testing tool. It’s an API that enables us to programmatically write tests using most programming languages to interact with a browser the way a real user would. Selenium offers flexibility to developers and testers who have experience and skills in programming and scripting but to use Selenium effectively, users have to possess advanced programming skills and need to spend much time building automation frameworks and libraries. This is the main weakness of Selenium, which is addressed to other tools built for codeless automation testing tools such as Katalon Studio. Cypress being an extremely developer-centric test automation framework focuses on making test-driven development (TDD) a reality for developers. One of its design principles was to be able to package and regroup everything together to make the entire end-to-end testing experience pleasant and simple. This approach delivers more consistent results since it can easily understand everything happening inside and outside the browser. It also gives native access to every object without requiring to deal with object serialization or wireless protocols. Webdriver IO is an open-source test automation framework based in JavaScript and is built over nodeJs. WebdriverIO has many advantages like its extendability, compatibility, multiple features available, and effortless installation. This is considered a Next-generation test automation framework that supports both desktop and mobile apps. It supports BDD and TDD test framework. Appium is an open-source automation testing tool for mobile, web, and hybrid applications on iOS/ Android mobile and Windows desktop platforms. Appium supports multiple programming languages provides cross-platform (both Android and iOS) testing on real devices. Being one of the leading test automation tools Appium attempts to be an industry standard for mobile testing, much as Selenium WebDriver is a standard for browser-based automation. Robot is a generic open-source automation framework. It can be used for test automation as well as for robotic process automation (RPA). Robot Framework is used in the software development of many industry-leading companies. Robot Framework is open and extensible and can be integrated with any other tool to create robust and flexible automation solutions. Being an open-source automation tool Robot Framework is free to use without any license. Robot Framework has an easy syntax, using comprehensible keywords for testers. Robot Framework is an operating system and application-independent. The framework is implemented in Python but also runs on Jython (JVM) and IronPython (.NET). Golem is a complete automation testing tool and framework at the same time used for end-to-end testing. It creates powerful, strong and stable test suites, yet, it is easy to pick up and learn even without a lot of programming knowledge. Having a complete GUI module (a web application) to write and execute tests,a reporting engine and a web reports module and an interactive console Golem can use the Page Object pattern, write tests with multi data sets (data-driven), run tests in parallel (remotely as well) and test APIs Cucumber is an open-source Behavior Driven Development (BDD) automated testing tool. Cucumber allows us to interpret application’s behavior in plain meaningful English text using a simple grammar defined by a language called Gherkin. Cucumber is written in Ruby, but it can be used to “test” code written not only in Ruby but also written in other programming languages. The focus of cucumber is the end-user experience. Katalon Studio is a powerful and comprehensive automation solution for API (both Soap and RESTful), Web, mobile, and desktop application testing. It also has a rich feature set for these types of testing and supports various platforms such as Windows, macOS, and Linux. Testers who find difficulties in integrating and deploying different frameworks and libraries to use Selenium and Appium, as well as who are already familiar with these engines can choose Katalon Studio as an ideal option that provides uniquely integrated environment. Groovy is the main scripting language used by Katalon and supports external Java library. So it allows us to reuse Selenium scripts written in Java and use directly in the tool. It integrates easily with Continuous Integration systems like Jenkins, Bamboo, and TeamCity. TestComplete - is a GUI test automation tool for Web, mobile, and desktop application testing. Testers can use JavaScript, VBScript, Python, or C++Script to write test scripts.TestComplete has an object recognition engine that can accurately detect dynamic user interface elements. This tool is especially used in applications that have dynamic and frequently changing user interfaces. As a product of SmartBear, TestComplete can be easily integrated with other “SmartBear” products. It also Integrates tightly with the tools such as CI/CD, test management, issue tracking, and version control, giving users a complete testing lifecycle. Ranorex studio is an all-in-one functional test automation tool both for iOS and Android that provides a comprehensive and professional set of features for Web, mobile, desktop, and API testing. Leveraging its experience in desktop-based test automation, Ranorex has advanced functionalities for UI element identification, editing, and management. Ranorex makes automation testing easy for testers with its friendly and simple GUI, record/playback, and script generation. Test Project is the world's first free cloud-based, community-powered end-to-end test automation platform that allows users to easily test Web, Android and iOS applications on all operating systems. <h3>Conclusion</h3> As we can see there is a huge selection of automation testing tools and finding the right testing tool from all the available ones is not easy, so we need to have basic knowledge of each automation testing tool to understand which one could be the ideal option for us depending on specifications of our software and unique needs of our team.

The most popular Automation tools used by QA engineers.

Automated Testing tools for QA Engineers

<h3>How to prepare for an QA interview</h3> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">QA (quality assurance) being an inseparable part of software development moves forward expeditiously. And, therefore, the position of QA engineer is one of the most demanded roles in nowadays’ Job Market. We see hundreds of job announcements daily for QA engineers and it seems too easy to get a job. But is it so? Being a good specialist and having profound knowledge of QA is not enough to get this role as there is a kind of “ritual” you have to overcome on the way of getting to your dream job. It is about job interviews. An important and indispensable point in any step of your career. The main purpose of a job interview is to show your personal and professional qualities to convince and then prove to your interviewer that you are capable of taking all the responsibilities and risks related to an appropriate position. Here you can find some general advice that can help you to shine in your job interview.Before going to an interview for any role it is necessary to do profound research of the company and position you are applying for. Observe any kind of information about the company’s history, the scope of engagement, production, concurrence, and so on...</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Be self-confident, but note that overconfidence may have a negative impact on your image from the view of the HR or Manager (who takes your interview). So try to avoid an overconfident tone while presenting yourself or answering the questions.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Talk clearly and comprehensively, don't try to make an impression by using complex and little-known words. It is important that your interviewer gets everything you are talking about, otherwise, It is most likely that your speech will be interrupted by him/her and you will risk failing your interview and lose the chance to be hired.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Talk without rushing, neither too fast nor too slowly not to lose your audience.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Never talk negatively about your previous job/team/management. It is one of the most common mistakes during a job interview that will ruin your reputation in the eyes of your interviewer instantly.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Do not be egocentric, even talking about your experience, skills or education try not to keep you in the center all the time, it will not be seen positively from the side of your interviewer. </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Do not forget to use your body/gestures. In such a situation using body language is highly desirable. </li><li style="text-align: justify;">As it is your first meeting with your recruiter your speech may not be enough to make a good impression on him/her and here body language comes to aid you. Just use the right gestures and manners. So the chance that your interviewer will be convinced is increased automatically.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Prepare questions to ask your recruiter at the end of your interview.</li></ul> Most frequently asked question in an interview for QA engineer 1. SDLC/STLC SDLC (Software development life cycle) consists of the following steps: requirement analysis; product designing; product building; product testing; product deployment in the market and maintenance. STLC (Software testing life cycle) consists of the following steps: requirement analysis; test planning; test case development; testing environment setup; test execution; test cycle closure. 2. BLC Saying BLC (Bug life cycle) we understand the line of statuses every bug can go through during its “life”. The main bug statuses are: new; assigned; open; fixed; tested; verified; closed; reopened; duplicated. 3. Testing levels Every software under test must pass the following levels of testing to be fully acceptable for release: unit testing; integration testing; system testing; acceptance testing. 4. Positive and negative testing Positive testing is done by providing valid data as an input and then checking whether the software behaves as expected. During negative testing, invalid or improper data is provided as an input and it is expected to get appropriate errors regarding invalid data entered. 5. What manual testing tools are you familiar with? This is when you should present all the manual testing tools you have worked with. 6. What automation testing tools are you familiar with? This is when you should present all the automation testing tools you have worked with during your previous projects (if any). 7. Some types of functional testing. Functional testing refers to activities that verify a specific action or function of a software. Functional testing types: unit testing; regression testing; integration testing; smoke testing; recovery testing; sanity testing; interface testing; system testing; user-acceptance testing. 8. Some types of non-functional testing. Non-functional testing refers to those aspects of the software that are not related to a specific function or user’s action. Non-functional testing types: security testing; usability testing; reliability testing; performance testing. 9. Difference between Scrum and Kanban. Scrum and Kanban have many similarities, but they are different in their principles. Working with Scrum means having the whole testing process divided into little intervals called “sprints”. There are clearly defined test stories to be done by the end of each sprint. Sprint duration needs to be defined in advance (before starting the testing process) by the team and it is always the same for every sprint. In the case of working with Kanban, there are no sprints or such intervals for the testing process. All the tasks that need to be completed by testers are located in a storage called “backlog”. Testers are free to prioritize and choose tasks to do. 10. Validation, verification Verification is a static process that starts from the first stage of SDLC and goes to the phase of “testing”. It is mostly about checking documentation and product design, observing specifications and requirements to understand whether the process is going in the right way, as expected. Here we don't have code execution, code is checked but no action or execution is done. Validation is a more dynamic process done in the phase of “testing’ by the QA team to be sure that the product meets the needs of the customer. 11. “Black box”, “White box” testing Black box testing, also called “blind” testing is done to test the behavior of software from an end-user perspective. When using “black box” testing methods, you don’t have any access to software code. Unlike “black box” testing, “white box” testing implies mostly technical testing to check the internal functioning of the system. In this case, the tester has access to the main code to better understand the logic and specifications of the modules. Having excellent technical knowledge is good but not enough. To be a fully competitive candidate you need to own some personal qualities every recruiter pays much attention to. So, to find out your characteristics requiters move to some general questions that help to reveal your “inner self”. <h3>General questions asked during a job interview:</h3> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> Why are you applying for this position?/ What attracts you the most in this role?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">How did you learn about this position?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Where do you see yourself in five years?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">What contribution do you imagine bringing to our company in the first three months of your work?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Which are your strengths and weaknesses?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Which are your salary expectations for this role?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Why should we hire you out of all other candidates?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">How do you imagine your dream job?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Describe the best working environment for you.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Which is your biggest dream?</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Describe yourself in 3 words.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">What/who motivates you in your life? </li></ul>

Here you can find some advice from us that can help you to shine in your job interview.

How to prepare for an QA interview

<h3>Soft Skills for QA engineers</h3> It is not a secret that every specialist no matter in which sphere, needs to possess some soft skills besides the hard ones required. Soft skills reflect your emotional intelligence and ability to interact with your team members, thus define how successful you are/will be in your team. That is not something you should just list in your CV but something you must demonstrate in your work. As we have already talked about Manual and Automation testing tools in our previous articles let's now discuss the SOFT skills for QA engineers. Below we have the list of the top five soft skills every QA engineer must have to succeed in his/her career: Communication skillsNo doubt that communication is an essential part of the working process of every QA engineer. Note that here we are talking about both oral and written communication. As a software tester, you need to communicate effectively with your team (including both technical and non-technical personnel) so that you could easily understand each other. Especially communication with Developers is crucial because the main purpose of QA engineer’s work is to find bugs and then have them fixed by developers due to their proper communication skills. So, any non-healthy communication between QA engineers and Developers may lead to the failure of the mission and unfixed bugs will be the result of that. Any unfixed bug in its turn is a source of “danger" for the entire system. Time Management skillsTime Management skills are essential for any employee. According to recent researches, time management is one of the top five most demanded soft skills. Good time management implies the following skills: multitasking, prioritizing, scheduling, appointment managing, delegation, planning, etc. In other words, it is the ability to manage your working time productively and efficiently and, therefore, meeting all your deadlines, keeping your working process organized and systematized․ The key point in time management is the focus, as jumping from one to another task may affect your productivity and cause stressful situations for you. Attention to detailsAnother soft skill that every QA engineer must own is attention to detail while accomplishing tasks, observing documentation, requirements, or product specifications. Being a detail-oriented employee means having the ability to allocate your cognitive resources to achieve absoluteness and accuracy when managing your tasks. Identifying even a minor bug in the software under test may have a serious trickle-down effect on the entire application. So, don’t ever underestimate the importance of being detail-oriented at your work. Fast-learning skillsThe IT industry is in constant growth and development. To stay a competitive specialist you have to be extremely up-to-date with all business needs and tendencies. You must be ready for any challenges like learning (relatively) new tools or approaches required by your management or your clients. It is impossible without your strong ability of fast learning, flexibility, and stress resistance. In addition to fast learning skills, we can mention researching skills as well, because in most cases you must have to find your needed information on your own and it may demand special skills. Confrontation skills / Strong characterBeing a QA engineer requires a strong ability to stand up for your point of view even if no one is on your side. You need to own solid confrontation skills to controvert, negotiate, and finally persuade your interlocutors to listen and take your opinion into account. Otherwise, you can not succeed and grow in this sphere. <ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Other soft skills also important for QA engineers: Proactivity</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Creative minding</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Analytical thinking </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Problem-solving skills </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Decision-making skills</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Team playing skills </li></ul>

The list of the top five soft skills every QA engineer must have to succeed in his/her career.

Soft Skills for QA engineers

<h3>What other tools should QA engineer know ?</h3> Besides the main Manual and Automation testing tools which we have already talked about in our previous blogs, there are some additional tools QA engineers may need during their working processes. So, It would be highly preferable for QA engineers to be familiar with the following tools: CI/CD tools Azure DevOps is a Software as a Service platform․Being a leading continuous integration tool is used by the support team while deploying and building applications. Azure DevOps includes a range of services you can choose based on your requirements and business needs: Azure Repos that provide Git repositories, Azure Pipeline that supports continuous integration and delivery of the application, Azure Boards that support work planning and tracking, Azure Test Plans that provide app testing tools, Azure Artifacts that provides package sharing options. Jenkins is an open-source continuous integration service mostly used during job runnings. Jenkins is especially popular for its wide range of plugins. Plugins make Jenkins a unique and valuable service to use. Jenkins enables developers to build and test software continuously. So, with Jenkins, users will always have the freshest builds of the software as changes are integrated to the project easily and fastly. Circle CI is the world’s leading continuous integration and continuous delivery platform. CircleCI provides users the fastest job runs. CircleCI integrates easily with Git Hub/Bitbucket, and every time the code is committed a new pipeline is created by CircleCI. Then pipeline runs automatically to test the commit, and if any failure is found team is notified about it. Git Lab CI/CD is a service supporting all the integration methodologies: continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment. During continuous integration small part of the code is pushed to the main codebase of the software located in a Git repository and with every push scripts’ pipeline runs to build, test, and validate all code changes before having it merged into the main code. Continuous Delivery and Deployment suppose one more further step. Application is deployed to production with every push. These methodologies allow finding the bugs in the early stages of development. TeamCity is a Java-based continuous integration server and build management tool proposed by JetBrains. TeamCity is a commercial tool and licensed under propriety license. Database management tools MySQL is the world’s leading open-source database management system. MySQL databases are relational, which means that data is stored in separate tables instead of being kept in one big storage. MySQL databases are very fast, scalable, and user-friendly. Oracle RDBMS is an all-in-one relational database management system used to create and manage databases. With Oracle, users can safely store and retrieve the data. Oracle database has some structural features which make it one of the most popular database management tools: logical data structure, memory caching, data dictionary, backup and recovery, clustering. PostgreSQL is an open-source object-relational database system. PostgreSQL runs in all operating systems, supports almost all types of data (image, text, sound, video, etc). Postgre supports four standard procedural languages ( PL/pgSQL, PL/Tcl, PL/Perl, and PL/Python) and allows users to write their code on one of these languages and then execute it by Postgre database system. MongoDB is a cross-platform, document-oriented database system used to store and manage a large amount of information. Mnogo DB is classified as a NoSQL (Not Only SQL) database system. Test case management tools Test Rail is a web-based test case management tool giving users the ability to create test cases and test suits, execute test runs and track the results. It is not only used by testers and developers but also by team leads to organize, manage and track and software testing process. Test Lodge is a cloud-based test case and project management tool. It provides a simple way to create, manage, execute test cases, then track the results. Besides test cases and test suits, here we can write and manage test plans as well. Being a cloud-based tool, Test Lodge supports almost all browsers and operating systems and easily integrates with multiple other tools. Documentation management tools Confluence is an incredible workspace (corporate wiki) for teams to share knowledge and collaborate dynamically and effectively. Confluence is created in Java programming language and published in 2004 by Atlassian (an Australian software company). FlowShare is a documentation management tool used to create step-by-step, precise instructions and detailed documentation quickly and easily. With FlowShare it’s also possible to transmit software knowledge, organize some onboarding processes, create support experience, and so on. ClickHelp is a browser-based documentation management tool intended to create knowledge bases, useful/help files, professional tutorials, and FAQs for the staff. It’s easy to use as there is no installation needed, and it supports all the possible platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux. Swagger is a set of open-source tools for designing, building, and using Rest APIs. This set of tools includes Swagger Editor, Swagger UI, Swagger Codegen. These tools help to create client libraries, generate interactive API documentation and enable users to make API calls directly in the browser. Bit.ai is an all-in-one document management and collaboration platform. Here we can create both internal and client-facing documentation. Every user has the permission to update and edit available information, add new recourses and documents.

Additional tools QA engineers may need during their working process besides the main tools used.

What other tools should QA engineer know ?

<h3>We are Tesvan!</h3> A company providing quality assurance services for local and foreign companies since 2019. This article is not about our work and services but mostly about our team. So keep reading and explore the life of Tesvanners behind the doors of the office. Your 3 words best describing the Tesvan team. Lusine: “Casual, Supportive, Flexible” How we work As we are a QA Օutstaffing company we have multiple projects we are working on. Generally, there is a person or a pair in charge of each project, and due to our good collaboration skills, we always succeed in working in pairs. Based on project specifications we work on multiple QA frameworks using different tools. Tesvanners are familiar with most of those tools but there is always one tool each of us is the best on: like saying API testing we imagine Ara, Lusine is our Git guru, Selenium masters are Arman and Norayr, Vazgen is unstoppable in mobile testing and so on... One of the strengths of Tesvan is that we all are good both in individual and team work which makes our team flexible and effective. And to keep a good work ethic there are some key points which must be strictly followed: time management, responsibility, and excellent communication skills. How would you describe Tesvan in 3 words? Ara: “ Yellow, Happy, Smart” How we learn and grow Working in the IT-sphere means growing continuously. We realize that for being competent and valuable specialists in this field we need to improve our skills and knowledge. We give much importance to self-development and self-improvement which are especially enjoyable when accompanied by teamwork. And how do we do that? For every month we suggest several topics related to IT or software testing and each of us chooses a topic closer to him/her and explores that deeply in order to prepare a presentation for other teammates. So, at the end of the month, we do a line of presentations. We gather together to listen to each other, share our thoughts regarding the topic, ask questions and find the answers together. It is a good approach to learn new things and grow which has become a habit for us! What can’t you imagine Tesvan without? Levon: “Laptops and warm smiles of my colleagues :)” What we play It’s not only work that unites us, but also our hobbies! Where to go without Tesvan games and teambuildings? Nowhere! The first on the list is Football, as we all are big fans of football, even the newcomers who didn’t express any interest in it in past, become involved with that just in a very short period of time. We like watching matches and then discussing our favorite moments, rewatching epic goals and sharing our emotions at the office. Sometimes Tesvan boys organize football matches and play with other teams. Also, we never miss the chance to watch football matches from the stadium, it is another pleasure for us. And a good occasion to make good memories all together. What do you like the most in Tesvan? Mane: "People!" After football, the second place is for chess. Once or twice a month, we organize Friday “Mafia Night”, after work. We like playing any new and interesting intellectual games, doing debates taking global topics. Almost every month we organize one teambuilding, or a camping activity to fully relax and be recharged with energy. What is missing in Tesvan? Merine: "My favorite coffee “Jacobs”, instead of “Nescafe”, more fruits especially mandarins for winter, and a perfect internet connection :) " So, Tesvan is not just an office, where we work and spend 8 hours of our day. It is a big family, where we live and grow, support and motivate each other to overcome any difficulty and to become better versions of ourselves day by day. Now, you can get the answer to the question “What is behind the doors of Tesvan?” There is only love, respect, and sympathy! P.S. “Success is a Team Sport!!!” : the phrase always rolling in our mind!

Read and explore the life of Tesvaners behind the doors of the office.

Everyday life of Tesvanners

<h3>How to choose a GOOD laptop</h3> We are usually talking about QA basics, testing tools, skills, frameworks and approaches, but… what if you have faced a case to choose a good/powerful laptop suitable for your work and have some lack in knowing how to do that? This useful article is special for you, keep reading! While taking your first steps in the IT field you will probably face the case of choosing the right laptop with good parameters․ We have prepared a guideline to help you choose a good laptop. Follow the steps: <h3>The Processor</h3> Here we are dealing with two main brands: Intel and AMD. In the Core brand of Intel chips, after the name "Core" you will find a brand modifier, such as i3, i5, i7, or i9. The higher the modifier, the higher the CPU performance and capabilities. When buying a laptop with an Intel processor, focus on models with i5 and higher modifier. As for laptops with Ryzen processors, which are not so many in the Armenian market compared to Intel, in this case, we recommend choosing models with AMD Ryzen 5 or a high index. Processor model Here we must pay attention to the generation of the processor, in case of intel processors, it is highly recommended to buy a laptop with at least 10th generation. In case of Ryzen, at least 5th generation. Processor’s generation is identified by the first/first two digits of the four-digit / five-digit number mentioned in the processor model, such as AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (5600, therefore we have here 5th generation), or Intel Core i5 10210U (10210 in this case, we have 10th generation). The core of a processor, which is an important point as well must be at least 4. Then, one more indicator that is included in the processor model is the product line suffix, which is expressed in letters: G1, G7, H, U, Y etc. What does each of them mean? G - Includes discrete graphics on the package G1-G7 - Graphics level (processors with new integrated graphics technology only) H - High performance U - Power efficient Y - Extremely low power F - Requires discrete graphics Considering all this, it is necessary to understand which type you need to then make a choice accordingly. Of course, it is recommended to buy a laptop with H type processor, but their price is quite high compared to others. <h3>The Screen</h3> Size: 13.3 inches (33.8 cm), 14 inches (35.6 cm) 15.6 inches (39.6 cm) 17.3 inches (43.9 cm) Depending on what you usually do, the purpose for which you use the laptop, you can choose the size that suits you best. A 15.6-inch screen is generally considered to be the optimal size, but if you are a graphic designer, for example, it may be more effective to work with a larger screen. So, this is more a matter of preference. Screen resolution If you are a programmer or QA engineer for whom screen resolution is not a priority, then choose at least full HD (1920 x 1080). Matrix display type: TN- (low image quality, low viewing angle, poor color gamut) avoid buying computers with this matrix type IPS - (high-quality image display, large viewing angle) we recommend choosing models with this type of matrix VA - intermediate position between TN and IPS <h3>The Memory</h3> RAM The next important point to consider when buying a computer is, of course, the RAM, on which mostly depends the capacity of the laptop. We recommend choosing models whose RAM will be not less than 8GB (preferably higher - 12GB, 16GB, etc). By the way, most of the models have the possibility of increasing the RAM that means you can buy a computer with 8GB of RAM, later doubling it to 16, thus paying less than costs any other model with the initial 16GB of RAM. So when buying a laptop, pay attention to this fact as well. While choosing between DDR3, LPDDR3, LPDDR4, DDR4 processors always choose DDR4 or if you want to save some money choose its energy-efficient version LPDDR4. SSD/HDD hard disk We recommend giving your privilege to laptops with SSDs (512GB or larger memory capacity), as in this case the capacity and efficiency of the computer are obviously higher. HDDs, being relatively older information storage devices, are considered vulnerable and slow. Note that SSD in turn has its types: SATA, PCIe, M.2, U.2 each of which has its own characteristics and differs from the others by its price:) For more details: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-buying-guide,5602.html <h3>The Graphics</h3> Integrated graphic card / Discrete graphics Like in the case of processors, here as well we are dealing with two major brands: Nvidia's Geforce and AMD's Radeon graphics discrete cards, for example: Extremely low productivity GeForce 920M, 920MX, 940M, 940MX: Radeon R5 M330, R5 M430, 520, 530: Low productivity GeForce MX110, MX130, MX150, MX230, MX250, Raedon 540, 540X Medium productivity GeForce 1050, 1050Ti, Raedon RX 560X: High productivity GeForce 1650, 1060: Extremely high productivity GeForce 1070, 2060, 2070, 1660Ti, 1080, 2080: <h3>The Ports</h3> When choosing a computer, pay attention to the models that have at least 1 USB-C, at least 1 USB-A, HDMI, and microphone/headphone connection capability.

We have prepared a guideline to help you choose a good laptop.

How to choose a GOOD laptop

<h3>QA and software testing trends in 2021</h3> Accordingly, the QA/Software testing industry has to be extremely flexible to be able to integrate into all those new tendencies fastly and easily. As a result over the years, QA/Software testing industry has changed a lot and there are new working technics and trends which are adopted by QA services provider companies to keep up with the times. Before this article, we have only talked about 2 main testing types (Manual testing and Automation testing) to have a general idea of the QA industry. Now, it’s time to go a bit deeper and explore more! Among those testing trends, we can mention Cybersecurity testing, Codeless automation testing, Big Data testing, Blockchain testing, Security testing, Game testing, AR/VR testing. Tesvan as a QA service provider would like to share with you all the knowledge and experience gathered working in this industry. So, now let’s go through each part and discuss them a bit in detail. <h3>Cybersecurity/ Cybersecurity testing</h3> Cybersecurity, also called IT security is the procedure of protecting essential systems and vulnerable information from any kind of attack (hacking). Ensuring full cybersecurity means having a security strategy that would be able to cover all the below layers: - Critical infrastructure security, - Network security, - Application security, - Cloud security, - Information security, - End-user education, - Disaster recoveryTypes of cyber threats Generally, cyber threats can be categorized as: - Cybercrime: also called computer crime, includes illegal actions such as fraud, stealing identities, or Internat violence. - Cyberattack: usually involves information gathering for political reasons - Cyberterrorism: often intended to generate massive panic of fear Common cyber attacks - Malware: Malware is malicious software created to break or damage a user’s computer. - Ransomware: is another kind of threat that locks down files, data, or systems. Can make private or sensitive data accessible to the public. - Phishing / social engineering: phishing scams, emails, or text messages are meant for gaining sensitive information of a company, such as login credentials or credit card data - Insider threats: insider threads could be presented by the current or former employees or any person who has access to the internal system and all data. - Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks: A DDoS attack aims to crash the network by generating artificial traffic - Advanced persistent threats (APTs): Here an intruder penetrates a system and remains uncovered for a long time and steals sensitive data. - Man-in-the-middle attacks: It is an attack, where the hacker makes connections with two parties (the victims) and sends messages between them to make them believe they are communicating to each other and thus steal data. There is no doubt that cybersecurity testing is essential. Because even if you are a small or a medium-size business you have the same risk to be attacked as the other bigger and more powerful companies. Cybersecurity testing gives us to understand where especially are our vulnerabilities and what kind of action do we need to reduce any risk regarding our cybersecurity, So, instead of waiting for attacks to fight with then better be proactive and avoid all possible negative scenarios. Being proactive means arranging the right and periodical testing procedures. We can mention 2 main forms of cybersecurity testing: - Penetration testing - Vulnerability testing Generally, the process of cybersecurity testing consists of the following steps: - Cybersecurity audit - Cybersecurity risk assessment - Penetration test - Red team assessment - Bug bounties <h3>Codeless automated testing</h3> Nowadays in the world of automated testing, many companies deal with tools and frameworks that require less or even no code. Here we face the following terms: low-code, no-code, and codeless. In fact, low-code, no-code, codeless, and scriptless terms just explain the same phenomena. It means dealing with tools that will allow users to create and execute tests without having any code under their hands. This approach will allow testers to create a test visually just based on any type of business logic which will make the software testing process much more accessible and easy for those who don’t have any coding skills. But even choosing codless automated testing coding knowledge may be needed to perform specific or more complex interactions. At the end of the day testers and QA engineers ARE NOT developers and they don’t have to know to code as good as programmers do. And which are the main benefits of codeless automated testing? - It reduces time-wastage - Software functionality can be evaluated and tested easily, without creating tests - It is more cost-effective than traditional automation testing - Tests are maintained and scaled easily Top codeless automation tools: - Katalon Studio - Leapwork - Ranorex studio - Selenium IDE - Perfecto - AccelQ <h3>Big Data testing</h3> Big Data Testing can be defined as the process of checking and validating the proper functionality of Big Data Applications. Big-Data gains its fame through its superiority in handling multiple formats of data which the traditional data processing units fail to handle. The data formats which that big data can handle are as follows. - Structured Data - Semi-Structured Data - Unstructured Data The General approach of Big Data Application testing involves the following steps. 1. Data Ingestion Data is first loaded from source to Big Data System using extracting tools. The Storage might be HDFS, MongoDB, or any similar storage. Then, the loaded data is cross-checked for errors and missing values. 2. Data Processing In this stage, the key-value pairs for the data get generated. Later, the MapReduce logic is applied to all the nodes and checked if the algorithm works fine or not. A data validation process takes place here to make sure the output is generated as expected. 3. Validation of the Output At this stage, the output generated is ready to be migrated to the data warehouse. Here, The transformation logic is checked, the data integrity is verified and the key-value pairs at the location are validated for accuracy. <h3>Blockchain testing</h3> Blockchain is a software architecture that has the potential of growing and being a protestor in the industry. With time, with the continuously growing of blockchain systems, we face parallelly the risk of quality issues. So blockchain testing is an unavoidable procedure, which demands high attention and resources. While doing blockchain functionality testing its important to be focused on the following points: - Block Size - Chain Size - Data transmission and - Adding a block Top blockchain testing tools: - Ethereum Tester - Brownie - Truffle - Embark - Drizzle - BitcoinJ - Ganache <h3>Game/Vidoe game testing</h3> What is game testing? Game testing is one of the essential phases of the game development process. Its main purpose is to check whether the game is ready to be launched or not. In other words, Game Testing is a software testing process done to ensure testing and quality control of video games. The main goal of Game testing is to identify and uncover any possible defects and bugs in a video game and thus improve its quality and stability. Game testing represents a step in the game development process that helps to ensure the video game to be distributed is bug-free. Game testing VS Software testing 1. Game Testing Is Complex: It is not easy to be a game tester, because it has a lot of complexities. To ensure quality, Game Testing requires more concentration, diligence, and attention to detail. 2. Software Testing requires Automation: Unlike Game Testing which expects mostly manual effort, software test cases utilize some automation processes as well. 3. More Teams involved In Game Testing Projects: Because of all the manual effort concentrated in Game Testing, the process usually requires more hands. Software test projects may use fewer human recourses as most of the operations can be automated. Besides a software tester can be engaged in multiple projects concomitantly. However, conditioned by the demanding role of each team member in Game Testing, they cannot be requested to handle multiple projects simultaneously. 4. More Teamwork In Software Testing Projects: If we compare Software and game testing processes, in forts one there is evidently more teamwork than on the second one. Usually, software testers work in a team, thoroughly collaborating for getting expected results. Whereas for game testers there is no need for so much interaction with other teammates. 5. Software Testing Requires More Expert Knowledge: As many processes should be automated there is a need for good specialists with profound knowledge of current QA trends and tools, in other words, to be an expert on their work. As for game testing here, each team member of a Game Testing project is generally required to be focused on a particular angle in the game only, thus is no need to master an enormous number of tools. Game Metrics in Game Testing every tester must know DAU/MAU: (Daily active users/monthly active users): This shows the proportion of users who play every day over the number of monthly active users. Session: Each time a user opens the app, that measures as a session. Download Rank: This shows the rate of the game in an app store recording monthly downloads. Retention: To calculate this matrix we different the users into units based on the day the application was downloaded. Performance metrics: This matrix shows the performance of online games. <h3>AR/VR technology testing</h3> Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are some kind of “bridge” connecting digital and physical worlds. Due to AR/VR, we can take any information and content visually, in the same way, we can take them in the real world. AR enlarge immediately the ways our devices can help us with everyday activities like searching for information, shopping, or even expressing ourselves. And VR lets us experience what it's like to go anywhere — from the nearest crossroad to any other planet. Why do we need AR/VR testing? First of all, we need to make sure that AR &amp; VR app operates flawlessly across devices and platforms as well as ensure that UX and UI are user-centric which is an important point here. Ar/VR testing is done also to protect sensitive user data from any possible cyberattack. And finally, testing helps to understand all the strengths and weaknesses of the product and help easily find the aspects which need to be improved. The main testing approaches for AR/VR testing - Cross-platform testing - Interactivity testing - Usability testing - Hardware testing - Performance testing - Security testing To get good results: - use real devices in the testing process - involve interactive teams - not only find and fix the bugs but uncover the path to a better product <h3>Conclusion</h3> So, as we can see to stay competitive in the QA industry, software testing companies need to stay updated on the trends and new techniques that will be hazing up in the market. The more flexible they are the higher their productivity is, which will lead them to more prospective collaborations and projects. Tesvan can be surely considered a competent and flexible QA service provider because we are open to any new testing trend. Our specialists are ready to easily integrate new testing approaches and properly respond to the market demand.

Day by day new tendencies and techniques appear in the IT sphere. Let’s now go a bit deeper and explore them.

QA and software testing trends in 2021

<h3>Tesvan is in African market now</h3> Tesvan started its route in the sphere of QA by positioning itself as an Armenian QA outsourcing and outstanding service provider company (here is the blog telling about us) collaborating mainly with foreign companies. In the first year of our activity, we were mostly concentrated in the EU market, collaborating with different companies from Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, etc. Then, we started expanding our geography by creating reliable cooperative relationships with companies from Grece, Ukraine, Russia, and Israel. Over time getting excellent feedback from our client companies we realized that our company has the real potential for growth and development. We are extra-motivated to set new goals to achieve them and that leads us to conquer new heights by striving for new destinations. So, we are happy to announce our next destination which is Africa. This means from now on Tesvan is actively cooperating with African companies providing high-quality Manual and Automation QA services and hope to have a long-term and successful working relationship with them. We already have our first African client company. Here the scope of our responsibilities covers: <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">API testing with Postman </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Version control by Bitbucket </li><li style="text-align: justify;">UI testing using Java and Selenium </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Framework creation and integration with Jenkins CI/CD platform</li></ul> This is only the beginning, we are in continuous growth and process!

We are extra-motivated to set new goals, leading us to conquer new heights by striving for new destinations.

Tesvan is in African market now

<h3>Recommendations on how to drive business value from Test Automation</h3> It is not a secret that our modern world is rolling to automation. There is a tendency to automate (if possible) actions that have been done manually all over time. But why? What makes us starve to automation? The answer is that automation is beneficial for business growth. But how to reap as many benefits of automation as possible? In this article, we will talk about test automation, and reveal its benefits. Here are our recommendations on how to drive business value from Test Automation! 1. The first and crucial point is the GOAL setting Nothing in this world is done without purpose. So, all the objectives need to be clear and precise. Otherwise, the company will have a financial loss and other consequences like the inconsistency of requirements, missed deadlines, and so on. In order to set clear goals for your business, you need to first understand what you want to achieve. Another point that needs to be strictly defined is of course the timeline. For every step that we take we set goals with a specific completion deadline. Note, that the more realistic deadlines you have the more successful your business processes go. 2․ Understand the capabilities and skills of the staff. The work should correspond to the skills and knowledge of the team members. If there are no specific requirements for automation tools, you are free to choose any of a large number of tools. But how to make the right choice? The key is to understand and estimate the capabilities of the team members who should handle test automation. There is no need to always follow the latest tools and approaches, to do experiments... It is important to choose the tools that best match the skills and knowledge of your employees. This way you can save your time and avoid many undesired episodes for your business. 3. The third point is regular maintenance. No matter what kind of business we are talking about, maintenance is a point with an undeniable important role. We need regular maintenance to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of each process. We need this to ensure that everything goes as expected and nothing interrupts the workflow to go smoothly. Without this phase, we risk having failures and harmful situations from a business perspective․ 4. Leave some space for manual testing as well․ Even though test automation makes QA engineers’ life easier by decreasing the human factor, there are cases where manual testing is unavoidable. In many cases, manual testing can’t be replaced by automation because of its specifications and nuances. So don’t try to automate the full testing process, not always it is preferable and effective for your business. 5. Define and set a clear Test Data management strategy․ To test the software, testing teams need to prepare and manage the necessary test data, as well as the activities related to it. If the essential test data is not available or well defined, it may cause a negative impact on the overall process of software testing. So you need to be sure that all the data is clearly defined and accessible to the team. The usual process to make the testing environment as close to the production environment as possible is to clone the production data and mask out any sensitive data. 6. No Sense In Automation Unless The System Is Fully Stable․ Any experienced AQA will tell you that before embarking on testing automation you should make sure that your app behaves consistently and it’s robust enough to avoid tests failing at random steps. Reproducibility is key in testing. Hence, if tests can fail due to incomplete code or some other external factors then the system is not yet ready for automation.

Here are our recommendations on how to drive business value from Test Automation!

Business value from Test Automation

<h3>Tesvan Projects by Business fields</h3> In Tesvan we are QA outsourcing service providers taking over about 30 projects in various business fields (more about it later in this article). Our engineers either handle each project on their own or work in pairs. We highly encourage pairwork. In the opinion of our management, it is a practical approach for employees and the company. What kind of projects does Tesvan team deal with? Financial, Blockchain, Gambling, AR/VR, Managemental, Telecommunication, Legal, and so on… Every project has its specifics and nuances. So each of them requires an individual approach and unique work techniques. To succeed, testers need to dive deep into a project, understand the main business logic, clearly envision all the workflows. Only after that, they would embark on their main responsibility: organizing and maintaining the testing process. Moreover, each engineer must be capable of taking responsibility for the corresponding project, be ready to take all the challenges and possible risks. At this point, we have adopted the following approach: Tesvan’s management seeks to know each employee as well as possible. It is done to discover each employee’s strengths and weaknesses, interests, and passion. Why? Because it will help us to choose the right person for every new project. Fortunately, we have only good experience with the aforementioned. With our flexible team and reasonable managerial approach, we always succeed! Now, let’s talk about our projects per their business lines. <h3>Blockchain</h3> Entering a new “world” called blockchain was a little challenging but extremely interesting for us. To be able to handle the testing process, we had to explore this domain deeply and gain much knowledge. First of all, we needed to get acquainted with cryptocurrencies, crypto-wallets, and other related stuff like p2p protocols, smart contracts, Proof of Work (PoW), etc. To implement the blockchain testing, we were provided with a local blockchain, which gave our QA engineers better flexibility and freedom. Lusine: I like trying myself on different projects and discovering new horizons for me. So, I started working on a blockchain testing project, knowing that it would be something new and challenging for me, but I couldn’t imagine that it would be so interesting. <h3>Finance and Insurance</h3> We have several big projects in this sector. Those are different applications with different specifics but with one shared aspect: these kinds of applications are very complex both for development and testing. So, the testing of financial applications requires an extremely detail-oriented and analytical approach. In the scope of testing, our engineers also deal with important procedures such as anti money laundering and anti-fraud inspection. Those actions have huge importance from a business perspective, as they are meant to prevent all kinds of illegal activities posing danger for the company and country’s economy as a whole. Merine: Even the scariest algorithms seem easy if you do you work with love! <h3>Gambling</h3> Another interesting and provoking area where our team has an experience. Gambling platform testing is not easy, it requires experience, skills, knowledge of the latest technologies and tools. Talking about gambling industry testing: we were engaged in online games testing, especially for Sports betting and Online Casinos. We provided full testing that covered all the following points: Compatibility Testing, Functional testing, Localization testing, Penetration testing, Performance testing, Payment testing, and Usability testing. Arman: Yes, the overall process was interesting. The biggest challenge I have faced was understanding the main logic of the gambling system. There was a nice dynamic that pushed me to learn and discover more and more. To the question, “Is there a risk of getting attracted to such games and starting playing them?” My answer is unequivocal: NO. Honestly, I have never been interested in such games. And now, already experienced in gambling testing and understanding how these platforms function, I can surely say that this is something that can never attract me as a player. But testing… yes. With pleasure! <h3>Telecommunication</h3> We have handled the testing of a large project for a telecommunication company. Here, one of the challenges was the fact that we had to deal with microservices, which are more complex compared to monolithic applications. It is also a very responsible and important area. Testing required consistency, a flexible mindset, and lots of technical skills. Telecom testing suggests also working with huge databases and prioritizing data security. Our QAs did their best to handle the testing process as expected and even better! Andranik: I just would like to say one thing. Don't underestimate little, daily things. You can't even imagine how much lies behind a simple SMS you receive every time topping up your balance! <h3>AR/VR</h3> Let’s close the list with another interesting but not less challenging testing experience. AR/VR technology testing may seem complex and scary at first sight. But, it is far from the reality, if you are a real gadget geek. To succeed in this testing, testers should be passionate about new technologies, have out-of-box thinking, and be ready to have a learning attitude. Here, the key is to understand what we are testing. What is it designed to do? If it is clear, everything goes smoothly! Ara:I was excited to be engaged in a team doing AR/VR testing. I dived into the application and just enjoyed the working process. While working on testing, I have also learned a lot of nuances that I would hardly find elsewhere. We can’t cover all our projects in only one article… So keep up with us and read about our other projects in our following blogs!

In Tesvan we are QA outsourcing service providers taking over about 30 projects in various business fields.

Tesvan Projects by Business fields

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