The document discusses the importance of software testers having a three dimensional skill set including: 1) Quality and testing proficiency including understanding different testing techniques and approaches. 2) Domain awareness to effectively test applications in different domains like banking, healthcare, etc. 3) Technical proficiency in areas like programming, databases, cloud computing to thoroughly test applications and identify issues.

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Software Testing
Magnitude of three dimension skill set
- Amit Bhardwaj
Lead, Quality Engineering
Samin Tekmindz India (P) Ltd.
Abstract
The white paper enlighten the importance of three dimension skill set essential for software testing professionals.
Now a day’s testers have developed as major stakeholder in quality software delivery. They are anticipated to be
cross boarder workforce, technically sound as well as domain skilled. With the inception of Cloud computing,
tester’s involvement is growing gradually toward cloud focused testing.
This doesn’t mean a tester should be capable of hard core coding and core domain knowledge. Despite of core
testing skills, they are expected to have operational understanding on backend implementation such as client
server architecture, database, java scripts, AJAX, security requirements along with domain or verticals
(such as BFSI, Mobile, e-Commerce, ERP, FMCG etc ) understanding for effective analysis and testing.

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Introduction
Couple of year back, software testing was not even considered to be a part of software
development life cycle. (Perhaps, competition as well as the willingness wasn’t comprehensive like
these days).
Gradually since the inception of Waterfall modal, testing was established as integral part of
software development life cycle. Though, Introduction of testers was limited to post development
& coding stage only. Applications were getting started toward bit maturity from quality as well as
customer satisfaction prospect.
However, the misconception like tester need not to be technically sound was evident. It was
because tester’s role was restricted toward end of software development.
Later it was realized, introduction of testing in later stages was turning out to be a critical factor.
Various organizations got trouncing and forced to scrap the developed application & products
because whole product or application found to be inconsistence as far as initial requirements and
implementation is concern. Despite of this, until now testers were anticipated to be verifier of
system rather than a technically skilful resource who can participate in each SDLC stage.
This triggered obligation for innovative approaches of software development and subsequent SDLC
modals were introduced e.g. Spiral, Iterative/Incremental, Prototype and V-Model …etc.
Now industry has steadily realized advantage of having testing and testers in early stages.
Companies have started adoption of quality activities by introduction of testers in early stage.
Thorough requirement analysis, design (mock-ups, html pages) review, smoke/sanity & regression
tests last but not the least automation /performance activities are getting more pace and
gratitude.
Content
The need for proficient & technically sound testers continues to grow every year. Applications and
technologies are getting more and more complex and most of the developments than ever are
taking up prototyping, v-model & agile philosophies that push testing ever earlier in the
development stage.
This gives impression that testers are expected to have three dimensional skills set. Just to
rationalize their existence, recognition & function. Following are three categories of skills that
need to be considered as necessary for new age software testers.
1. Quality & Testing Proficiency
2. Domains Awareness
3. Technical Proficiency
Now, what should be considered to strengthen these skills and dimensions? I tried to blend up
facts & information acquired from testing conferences, assorted blogs and personal experience in
software testing field. Let us put some light on each skill in chorological order.
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1. Quality & Testing Proficiency
Software testing is an integral part of software development life cycle (SDLC). It is believed that
testing a piece of code effectively and efficiently is equally important, if not more, to writing it. To
maintain the equilibrium software testing life cycle (STLC) came into picture. It sometime emerges
to be a fictional approach while structured tested approach is not followed. More often it’s
considered as standard & systematic way of test approach like SDLC. It simple comprise of the
following stages:
Requirement Test TC Test Bed Test Reporting
Analysis Planning Designing Setup Execution & Closer
There are different types of testing methods or techniques used as part of the software testing
methodology. Below are enlisted a few of these.
White box testing Regression testing Smoke testing
Black box testing Usability testing Compatibility testing
Unit testing Performance testing System testing
Usability testing Integration testing Alpha & Beta testing
Performance testing Regression testing
Eventually the purpose of any kind of testing is to validate deviation between actual and expected
behaviour of application or software. What matters is the scope & occasion when kind of testing
efforts are performed.
The software testing techniques described above can be implemented in two ways - manually or
by automation.
Manual software testing is done by human software testers, who manually check the piece of code,
test and report bugs in it. Usually, test cases are written based on requirement documents which
afterwards executed on developed application.
Automated software testing the same process is performed using various tools such as Win
Runner, QTP, J-meter, Selenium, Load Runner, Test Director, etc. (Among few are Open Source
while rest are Licensed) Scenario identification, recording, scripting, parameterization & other
associated activities are performed using these tool. This needs to be noticed that automation
testing can only be triggered post manual testing or until application/software is not stable at an
extent.
Typically testing efforts can be encapsulated using following approaches:
 RBT – Requirement Based Testing usually based on written requirement documentations.
 SBT – Scenario Based Testing usually based on thorough understanding of associated
domain and subject area.
Last but not the least testing activities must be planned in effective manner and organizations
should adopt structured approach toward software testing vertical.
Apart of usual testing skills:
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 Testing Professionals have to be good in documentation, verbal as well as written
communication.
 They should be diplomatic, articulated & polite.
 They should be able to think beyond the usual way.
 They should be able to put themselves in customer shoes while testing an application.
 They should be able to analyze risk associated with respective applications.
2. Domains Awareness
This skill enable tester to put him in customer shoes. Until unless testers are not aware about
domain they are working into, they cannot deliver quality output. It turns out to be critical when
you are working for product based organization.
As explained earlier, testers are not anticipated to be specialist like subject matter expert instead
they should have operational knowledge of anticipated domains. Otherwise it would be impossible
to test the scenarios associated with domains which can only be uncovered using thorough domain
understanding. Like in case of banking or financial applications, basic & intermediate accounting &
operational knowledge should be acquired to verify obscure scenarios related to transactions and
other related business rules. This also facilitate for raising improvement & suggestion (apart from
defects) to make productive & essential improvement within the software or application.
Similarly all other domains should be understood appropriately for effective testing. Following are
few key domains which are driving IT sector most:
ERP Mobile & Telecom BFSI
FMCG/Manufacturing Ecommerce Healthcare & Aviation
3. Technical Proficiency
These days’ testers are playing a vital role in software development. At present, they are not
restricted to perform testing in end of the development life cycle and find out defects rather than
they are deployed in each phase of SDLC as customer advocate and this can be firmly understood
by V-Model approach where diverse testing activities take place simultaneously with requirement,
design, coding & customer release.
It’s extremely significant to keep updated from technical point of view. It ultimately turns out to be
helpful to dig out the root cause of defects and to pass the comprehensive information to
developer while reporting issues. This also facilitate for raising improvement & suggestion (apart
from defects) to make productive & essential improvement within the software or application.
Following are couple of technical terminologies which must be well understood by tester:
Scripting Knowledge (VB Script, Pearl etc) HTTP & HTTPS Linux & Mac OS Operational Skill
HTML, DHTML, XML Static & Dynamic web pages Network Protocols (Relevant)
JavaScript & AJAX Database Queries. Cloud Computing
Client Server Architecture SDLC approach e.g. Agile Quality Standards – ISO & CMMi
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Conclusion
This endeavour is to present a comprehensive analysis on software testing importance and skill set
necessary to accomplish this high priority activity in effective and prompt way.
This paper is the mere attempt to entitle the affixed facts leveraging software testing activities. It
also highlights importance of associated skills set for effective testing activities. Eventually, strong
requirement of structured testing approach within organizations.
This fraction of document realized based on various input including discussions with speakers from
testing conferences, online bloggers and personal experiences gained over the period spent in
software testing field. Hoping this writ-up would help those who are planning to adopt software
testing as career path and also to those who are new to this field. They should consider these facts
and prepare themselves accordance to latest trend and technology.
Moreover, continual learning and up gradation of skills based on new initiatives and technologies
should keep going on. Information summarize in this document, is not limited to written facts only.
It is recommended to dig out this topic and go through the detailed information associated to
particular section or area.
References
No part of this paper has been directly referred from any copyright martial. The following links
have been used to get basic understanding of testing amicability for past and current software
development activities.
Item Description
STC 2009 http://www.qaiglobalservices.com/minisites/stc-2009/index.htm
Cloud Testing- Issues,
http://seij.dce.edu/Paper%201.pdf
Challenges, Needs and Practice
Biography of the author
Amit Bhardwaj, Lead, Quality Engineering – Samin TekMindz India (P) Limited, has over 7
years of professional experience in software Quality Assurance and testing.
As a quality & testing professional, he is accountable for the responsibilities of QA test cycle
maintenance, requirement & release management, creating Metrics and asset (tools and
processes). He holds a Masters degree in Computer Science from UP Technical University. He has extensive
experience in functional automation, performance and QA testing of various domains products; also he has
been involved in high level QA activities since the inception of testing career.
Apart from this he is a profound intellectual toward software testing concepts, new initiatives, process setup
etc. He has presented /submitted white paper “Estimator Metrics: Assessment of QA time & Resource”
at international conference STC 2009 held at Bangalore.
Earlier in year 2007, he was selected in the final of Accenture software testing challenge 2007, where he
delivered presentation on the solution comprising Test Plan, Strategies & Test Estimation for the case study
provided. He can be contacted at amit.bhardwaj@tekmindz.com
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