How to Uncover Hidden Bugs and Enhance Test Coverage in QA

Ever since the nomenclature “Bug” for an issue in programming caused by a real bug on September 9th, 1947 at Harvard University, the hunt for them has taken the shape of a massive technological industry.

Along with that, the role of a Software Tester to uncover them and debug has become even more paramount and undisputed.

Regardless of how meticulous and comprehensive the testing process may be, the reality is that bugs can still find their way into the production phase in SDLC.

It is an experience that every tester has likely encountered at least once - a missed bug slipping through the testing phase and making its way to production. We are here to solve your problem!

We have listed the valuable strategies that can assist in identifying hidden bugs so you can ensure effective quality assurance.

Table of Content

1. Why Are Extensive Test Coverage Techniques Necessary in QA?
2. Accepting the Challenge - Effective QA Strategies To Uncover Hidden Bugs
3. Easy Tips and Test Coverage Techniques to Find Bugs
4. FAQs

Why Are Extensive Test Coverage Techniques Necessary in QA?

It's important to recognize that quality assurance (QA) plays a vital role in assessing product quality. It cannot guarantee a bug-free application. However, by implementing effective strategies, we can identify potential issues to drive necessary improvements.

To enhance test coverage in software testing, we must start by identifying and prioritizing risks based on their potential impact on the business. Finding Bugs can help to provide insights about problems in a software. Its important to make proper testing strategies to detect and resolve them. Making improvements in an iterative way also helps in enhancing overall performance.

Accepting the Challenge - Effective QA Strategies To Uncover Hidden Bugs

Following strategies will help you in enhancing the test coverage analysis in software testing.

Develop Metrics to Define Good Test Coverage

The key to improved test coverage is to balance the goals for test coverage with goals for releasing new features. Thus, you must be capable of keeping up with the competitive market needs.

Important components and functionalities needs to be identified properly before testing. Setting objectives with metrices that can be measured helps in achieving pre-defined business requirements.

Essential metrics for targeted test coverage-

• Customer retention and growth
• Data security of users
• Efficiency in releasing new features

Factors like the speed of new releases, end product quality, QA resources, and market dynamics, should be kept in mind. Furthermore, add more tests for complex and bigger gaps and devote extra attention by designing targeted testing techniques in manual testing.

Create Requirement Traceability Matrix or RTM

• Create an RTM or Requirement Traceability for the project. RTM is a detailed document for managing project while developing software.
• RTM document ensures that all the requirements of the project is tracked and fulfilled effectively during the entire development process.
• In short, RTM acts as a bridge between the project requirement and corresponding components in the design, development, testing, and the delivery stages.
• The key purpose of an RTM is to provide a structured and clear way to manage the project lifecycle.
• It acts as a blueprint to make sure that all the requirements are correctly mapped and their implementation is done correctly.
• RTM also acts as a handy document to keep track of any changes to the project requirements and helps in assessing the impact of the same in order to monitor project progress in an efficient way.

Outline User Scenarios and App Features

• Create detailed real-world user scenarios. These should cover different types of test cases.
• Typical user actions include inputs and outputs. The entire user workflow should also be considered.
• Another important area to cover is a user’s journey. This not only helps to cover maximum tests, but also to get a better understanding of potential bottlenecks or flaws.
• Edge cases should also be covered with the same. This makes for robust testing.
• Pay special attention to app specific features and functionalities while creating test cases and plans.
• User-first approach should be kept in mind while choosing scenarios.
• It is also important to keep the key people like stakeholders in the loop. This helps QA experts to take informed decisions.

Identify the Gaps in the Test Plan

• Always consider realistic user conditions to identify the gaps. You can identify gaps more precisely though possible user journeys.
• Prioritize testing efforts based on the criticality and frequency as per user’s engagement. Also, assess the number of important user paths and features that you are testing.
• Consistent implementation of testing techniques helps eliminate blind spots. This ensures that all components are thoroughly examined.
• Popular platforms to test for compatibility include Google Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge, and Safari. Evaluate whether you are testing on popular operating systems or browsers that suits your target user base.

Utilize No-Code Tools for Automation

Automation testing allows to create and run test scripts at a fast pace. The no-code automation tools are designed to simplify the testing process in a good way. They don’t require extensive knowledge of programming.

Below are some major benefits of no-code automation tools:

• The number of errors are reduced since the automation tools can perform long-running repetitive tasks. The results are also very accurate in such cases.
• The user-interface of no-code automation tools makes them easy to use. Pre-built functions makes testing very efficient especially for people who can’t code.
• By reducing maintenance efforts, testers can allocate more time to exploring complex scenarios and improving test coverage.
• No-code automation tools often provide built-in support for enhanced test coverage in software testing. It eliminates the need to manage browser-specific settings.
• Clear and well documented reports helps in the testing process to be conducted in a systematic way. Additionally, it also helps to make informed and correct decision. Better collaboration always leads to better results.

Add More Tests for Complex and Bigger Gaps

It is essential to consistently add more tests, especially for complex and larger gaps in your test coverage in software testing. Even after automating the test suite, continuous effort is crucial to ensure comprehensive coverage and uncover hidden bugs effectively.

These tests should make sure to cover user paths. The behavior of a new feature when added should be properly validated. It’s very much possible that a new feature may contain new bugs.

Maintaining a backlog of tests serves as a valuable resource for enhancing test coverage. Additionally, as software evolves, it is crucial to adapt and expand your test coverage techniques for new functionalities, edge cases, or user scenarios that may arise.

Easy Tips and Test Coverage Techniques to Find Bugs

QAble’s comprehensive test coverage analysis in software engineering guarantees that your software performs seamlessly across diverse configurations. We employ industry-leading techniques to maximize bug detection and provide thorough software testing services.

However, here are some easy tips and test coverage techniques our QA professionals integrate at QAble.

• Error Reporting and Tracking- Implementing a robust error reporting and tracking system allows testers to document and track bugs effectively. You can provide detailed information and reproduce steps to make it easier for developers to fix issues.
• Negative Testing- Instead of focusing solely on expected positive scenarios, negative testing explores how the software handles and responds to abnormal conditions.
• Error Handling and Exception Testing- Testers explore the application, its features, and various usage scenarios to uncover bugs in real time without actively learning about the software.
• Ad-Hoc Testing- Ad-hoc testing refers to informal, unplanned testing performed without specific test cases or predefined scripts.
• Security Testing- By simulating various attacks such as penetration testing or vulnerability scanning, you can uncover bugs related to authentication, authorization, data protection, input validation, or system vulnerabilities.

Also Read: No Bugs Allowed: How To Keep Your Quality Testing Flawless

By integrating easy tips and test coverage techniques, such as error reporting and tracking, negative testing, security testing, error handling and exception testing, and ad-hoc testing, you can achieve the best QA results.