What is QA when it comes to software testing?

In the field of software development or software testing, Quality Assurance (QA) refers to a set of evaluation activities at different stages of the development process to ensure that the final product is of high quality.

The concept of quality lends itself to multiple interpretations, but it always implies that the software meets the customer’s needs.

A good QA plan within software testing cannot ignore the importance of standards. By this we mean written rules about product objectives, design methodologies to be followed and conventions necessary to guide the programmers’ task, a good QA testing process assures that.

The QA plan goes through the development process from the conception of the idea to the implementation of the software. In the early stages, it verifies that the objectives are well stated and the requirements are accurate.

While, in the design and coding phases, it monitors compliance with the set standards. Finally, assures that the software in operation meets the requirements and that the delivery to the client is done in the right conditions.

QA is based on a set of quality tests including:

• Unit testing: each module is tested to ensure that it works well separately.
• Stress test: the application’s resistance is tested by sending it an excessive amount of requests, looking to understand how it collapses.
• Integration test: modules tested independently during unit testing are coupled and tested together.
• Functional test: the software is tested to ensure that every feature and functionality works as expected.
• Acceptance testing: the user and/or client verifies that the product meets his expectations.

QA testing is not only beneficial for the end user, who will receive a quality product, but also for the development team, which, by establishing a permanent control over the process, will largely avoid the costs of having to correct errors in advanced stages of the project.