Case study: Functional Testing of a Test Preparation System

The Client

The client is an IT branch of an American educational service organization which is a senior provider of various test preparation service. More and more educators who want to help their students succeed or people who want to pass certain test consider it a high quality, affordable solution to high test scores to choose this kind of service. They could also get superior customer service.

Client's situation

This system which has both standalone version and web-based version allows for test preparation and practice. People who intend to pass certain test may utilize the enormous content of test preparation materials in the system and get sufficient practice. It is developed with Java Swing, MySQL, Jboss technology compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms.

The client required us to test both standalone and web-based versions on all compatible platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux) according to the System Requirement Specifications, record and track defects, generate defect detail description and test report. We assumed the following responsibilities:

• Testing should be timely finished within budget.
• Defects should be correctly characterized and clearly written. Client may ask for more in-depth investment on characterizing defects.
• Status and other reporting should be completed timely and well documented.

For defects found within 3 months after product shipment, we are liable for bearing the further testing cost if the defect escalated is found to be omitted due to the following:

• Poorly developed test cases and/or test scripts
• Omitted in the course of testing
• Tested but failure not reported

Shinetech solution

• Set up the testing environment, analyzed System Requirement Specifications.
• Developed the Test Plan including test methods, test strategy, tools selection, resource assignment (human resources and other resources), schedule arrangement, etc.
• Designed test cases to cover System Requirement Specifications.
• Executed test cases and implemented ad hoc testing, recorded and tracked the detected defects, generated Defect Description Report.

Shinetech solution

• Online business systems – training system, scheduling system, electronic voucher system, online monitoring system
• Desktop support website built for in-house IT department
• Desktop applications built for stores utilization and management

Benefits

• 400 test cases were designed about and over 200 defects were found in the system. Definition of the test processes resulted in defect capturing early in the development lifecycle thus resulting in on-time, on-budget high quality products.
• System stability was tested, thus reducing time-to-market.