The sign-in page on day one
On the first day of term, 800 students try to join the school Wi-Fi at 8:50. The sign-in page crashes.
The page worked in every earlier test. Nobody tested what happens when everyone arrives at once.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can choose a test method for what I need to check and say when it fits.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Boundary testing | testing values at the edges of what is allowed |
| Performance testing | checking how quickly the system responds |
| Load testing | checking it copes with the busiest day you expect |
| Stress testing | pushing it past its limit to see how it breaks |
| Usability testing | real users try tasks to see how easy it is |
| Regression testing | running old tests again after a change |
| Closed box testing | testing with no view of the inside |
| Open box testing | testing with a view of the inside |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Boundary testing
Boundary testing tries values at the edges. If a sign-in allows a password of 8 to 20 letters, test 7, 8, 20 and 21.
Faults gather at the edges, so it finds a lot for little work. But it only covers the limits, not everything between.
Performance, load and stress testing
Performance testing checks speed. How long does the page take to load for one person?
Load testing adds the number of users you expect on the busiest day. Does it still work?
Stress testing goes past that, to find the point where it breaks and how it fails. These tests need special tools, and they can slow a live system, so run them on a copy.
Check the first two
Have a go
Check the first two
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.