Difference Between Software Testing and Quality Assurance

Difference Between Software Testing and Quality Assurance

In the fast-paced world of software development, ensuring a product's quality is paramount. However, within this realm lies a slight confusion of terminology: software testing vs. quality assurance (QA). While they work hand-in-hand, they're different. Let's break down crucial software testing and quality assurance concepts and their differentiation. 

According to LinkedIn, the global Software Testing market size was valued at USD 87425.55 million in 2024 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 21.71% during the forecast period, reaching USD 284155.08 million by 2027.6 Feb 2024.

According to LinkedIn, the Global Software Quality Assurance market size was valued at USD 1772.81 million in 2024 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.47% during the forecast period, reaching USD 3989.57 million by 2031."

So, Pursuing a career in Software Testing or Quality Assurance can benefit your career by offering high demand, growth opportunities, diverse job prospects, and competitive salaries, while obtaining certifications like ISTQB, CSQA, or CAST can enhance your job prospects in top companies by showcasing your expertise and commitment to professional development in the field.

What is Software testing?

Software testing evaluates a product to identify bugs, errors, or deviations from its intended functionality. It's a quality check to ensure the software performs as expected and delivers a positive user experience.

What is Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance (QA) is a process that ensures that a product or service meets specified quality standards. It involves systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project or product to ensure that it meets the desired quality criteria. QA aims to prevent defects and errors in the development process and to ensure that the final product meets customer expectations. It typically involves testing, inspection, and review to identify and address issues before releasing the product.

Difference Between Software tester and QA engineer

Software Testing:

Description: Involves executing software to identify defects and ensure it meets requirements.

Quality Assurance (QA):

Description: Focuses on creating and maintaining processes to prevent defects and ensure high-quality output.

Objective:

Software Testing: Identifying and resolving errors in software products.

Quality Assurance: Preventing errors from entering the software by setting quality standards.

Focus:

Software Testing: Error detection and system control after software development.

Quality Assurance: Ensures defects aren't introduced, and requirements are met from the beginning.

Activities:

Software Testing: Includes unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and regression testing.

Quality Assurance: Involves setting code standards, code reviews, and defining processes.

Outcome:

Software Testing: Identifying and resolving errors or defects in the software.

Quality Assurance: Preventing errors from entering the software and ensuring high-quality code is shipped.

Software Tester vs QA Engineer:

Responsibility:

Software Tester

A Software Tester is responsible for identifying defects in software products through testing and ensuring they meet quality standards.

QA Engineer

 Quality Assurance professionals focus on preventing defects by setting quality standards, optimizing processes, and ensuring high-quality output throughout the software development lifecycle.

Skills

Software Tester:

·  Technical: Master of test methods (functional, usability ,etc.) and automation tools to find bugs efficiently.

·  Soft Skills: Analytical thinker with a keen eye for detail who can communicate test findings.

QA Engineer:

1. Technical: Proficiency in test automation tools and scripting languages to create automated test scripts.

2. Soft Skills: Strong problem-solving skills to identify and troubleshoot issues in the software effectively.

Role in the Development Process

·  Software Testing Role: Software testing verifies software functionality, identifies bugs, and ensures quality standards are met during development.

·  Quality Assurance Role: Quality Assurance (QA) focuses on setting quality standards, testing software against requirements, and ensuring the end product meets user expectations and industry standards.

Collaboration with other teams 

·  Collaboration for Software Testing: Software testers collaborate with developers to understand requirements, report bugs, and ensure software meets quality standards before release.

·  Collaboration for Quality Assurance: Quality Assurance professionals collaborate with various teams to establish quality processes, conduct audits, and ensure adherence to quality standards throughout the software development lifecycle.

Now, we shall discuss types of software testing and Quality Assurance Testing in detail. 

Software Testing

The different types of software testing include:

1. Unit Testing: Focuses on verifying the correctness of individual code units, such as functions or classes.

2. Integration Testing: Ensures that different modules or services work together as intended.

3. System Testing: Validates the entire system to meet requirements.

4. Acceptance Testing: Confirms system acceptability by end users.

5. Non-Functional Testing:

Includes:

·  Performance Testing: Evaluates behavior under expected workloads.

·  Security Testing: Identifies vulnerabilities compromising security.

·  Usability Testing: Evaluates ease of use from a user perspective.

·  Compatibility Testing: Validates working across environments.

6. Other Software Testing Types: Such as Ad-hoc Testing, Back-end Testing, Regression Testing, Mobile App Testing, API Testing, and Automated Testing.

These testing types ensure software quality, functionality, and reliability throughout the development lifecycle.

Tools used by the Software tester:

1. Selenium

2. JIRA

3. Postman

4. Jenkins

5. LoadRunner

These are just a few examples of the many tools available to software testers. The choice of tools may vary depending on the project's specific requirements, the type of testing being performed, and the preferences of the testing team.

Types of Quality Assurance Testing

·  Smoke Testing is a straightforward evaluation to check if the code was built correctly. It is typically the first test performed on new software.

·  Functional Testing: Ensures that each outlined software requirement works as intended, testing features like submission forms and page layouts.

·  Integration Testing: Verifies that components integrate and function together correctly on a site, focusing on elements like fonts and images.

·  Regression Testing confirms that recent code changes do not negatively impact existing software features. It is typically a candidate for automation due to its repetitive nature.

·  Exploratory Testing: Involves exploring a site without specific goals, looking for visual bugs or coding errors by interacting with the site in various ways.

·  User Acceptance Testing: The final step before the client conducts software deployment to ensure the software meets requirements and expectations before going live.

Quality Assurance Testing tools

·  Selenium

·  Scandium

·  Appium

·  Test Complete

·  Katalon Studio

Software Testing and Quality Assurance Certification:

·  Quality Assurance (QA) Training Courses

·  Certified Software Tester (CSTE) Training

·  Software Development Life Cycle Training and Certification

Roles after completing Software Testing and Quality Assurance certification:

After completing Software Testing and Quality Assurance certification, the roles can vary depending on the specific certification and the individual's experience level. Here are some common roles associated with Software Testing and Quality Assurance:

·  QA Engineer

·  Test Analyst

·  QA Lead

·  QA Manager

·  Test Architect

Salary of a Software tester and Quality assurance

The average annual salary for a Quality Assurance Tester in the United States, as reported by Glassdoor, is $75,222. Additionally, QA Testers in the U.S. receive an average of $5,059 in extra cash compensation, ranging from $3,794 to $7,082. These salary figures are derived from 2096 anonymous submissions by QA Tester employees in the United States to Glassdoor.

Software tester:

According to Glassdoor, the Total Pay Estimate for a Software Tester in the United States is approximately $106,366 annually, with an average base salary of $84,114 annually. These figures reflect the median point of the salary ranges determined by our exclusive Total Pay Estimate model, compiled from user-reported salaries. An additional estimated $22,252 annually is provided in supplementary pay for this role.

In conclusion, Software testing focuses on identifying defects, while quality assurance (QA) aims to prevent them through process improvement. Both are crucial for delivering high-quality software. Certification in either field can enhance skills, credibility, and career prospects.