{"id":2227,"date":"2025-01-18T12:27:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-18T12:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodcore.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2227"},"modified":"2025-03-10T08:09:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T08:09:29","slug":"software-testing-life-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodcore.co.uk\/blog\/software-testing-life-cycle\/","title":{"rendered":"Software Testing Life Cycle \u2013 A Complete Guide For 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Testing is a fundamental part of any production process. No matter what the product is, it is always tested for quality and defects before it reaches the customers so that they receive a fully functioning quality product. The same applies to products developed by <\/span>software companies<\/span><\/a> as well. In the world of software, the testing process is formally called the <\/span>Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC).<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, in a car manufacturing facility, the production process consists of numerous steps including engineering, assembly, paint job, interior installations, etc. But before a car is shipped to a showroom to be sold to customers, it always passes through a rigorous testing procedure. This ensures that the final product meets the required quality and safety standards.<\/p>\n

Now think if the business is a software development firm and the product being produced is a customised piece of software. The same concept of quality assurance applies here as well! A software product is always tested and goes through a software testing life cycle before it is deployed to be used by the clients or end-users.<\/p>\n

So if you are wondering how exactly is a software product tested, you need to understand what a software testing life cycle is and what steps are part of a successful software testing process.<\/p>\n

What is Software Testing Life Cycle?<\/h2>\n

Software testing life cycle is a multi-step testing procedure that is carried out to certify a software product. It defines a series of phases that are performed by software engineers to test that the software is free of bugs and faults.<\/p>\n

What are the different phases of Software Testing Life Cycle?<\/span><\/h2>\n

With the advancement of software technology, the testing process has also become more complex. Today a software product, whether it is a full-scale product or a <\/span>Minimum Viable Product (MVP)<\/span><\/a>, goes through multiple STLC phases before it is deployed and used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Various types of tests are conducted to identify not just the bugs but any minor glitches so that the clients are completely satisfied with the performance and quality of your products.<\/span><\/p>\n

STLC models usually consist of 6 phases of testing beginning from requirement analysis to test cycle closure. The software testing life cycle phases take place in the following order:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Requirement Analysis<\/li>\n
  2. Test Planning<\/li>\n
  3. Test case development<\/li>\n
  4. Test Environment setup<\/li>\n
  5. Test Execution<\/li>\n
  6. Test Cycle closure<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"software
    6 Phases of the Software Testing Life Cycle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    All software testing phases are important because they make sure that testing is carried out in a systematic manner and is documented to avoid any gaps. All STLC phases basically include a list of activities that need to be performed and has a set entry and exit criteria.<\/p>\n

    What is the Entry and Exit Criteria?<\/h3>\n

    Entry Criteria:<\/strong> These are all the prerequisites that need to be completed before the phase of the testing life cycle can be initiated.<\/p>\n

    Exit Criteria:<\/strong> These are the requirements that need to be met before each of the software testing life cycle phases can be concluded.<\/p>\n

    In the sections that follow we will take a closer look at what the entry and exit criteria for each phase of STLC testing are, and what activities are performed within it.<\/p>\n

    Requirement Analysis<\/h3>\n

    As the name suggests, a requirement analysis phase involves gathering information about the software requirements, and the purpose of why the software is being tested. It is very important to be familiar with the requirements of the software product, not only in terms of its functionalities, specifications, and design but also about other important requirements like <\/span>data privacy compliance<\/span><\/a>. Reviewing these requirements allows the Quality Assurance (QA) team to know exactly what needs to be tested.<\/span><\/p>\n

    This is the first step of a Software Development Life Cycle as well. The documents prepared at that stage, such as Functional Specification Document, Software Requirement Specification Document, and Application Design Document usually serve as a requisite for this phase.<\/p>\n

    Using these documents, the QA team reviews all the requirements and they consult project managers, clients, subject matter experts and other relevant people regarding any questions and queries they might have. This step ensures that they have sound knowledge about the product that needs to be tested.<\/p>\n

    Using the information gathered they should define the focus and priorities of the testing process. The test environment details should also be evaluated at this stage. Moreover, it should also be defined if automated testing will be required or not. Automated testing is a process where a software product is tested using automation tools that run predefined test cases. It needs to be decided in this phase of the software testing lifecycle whether testing will be carried out manually or using such automation.<\/p>\n

    Entry criteria\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

    To begin requirement analysis, you need to have the following documents available:<\/span><\/p>\n