Risk-based Testing Workshop

2 days

One of the most common complaints from software testers is the lack of time for testing. Actually, if you had all the time in the world, you still wouldn’t have the time to completely test most software due to the possible combination of conditions. So the issue becomes how do you know what are the most important things to test?

This workshop is an experiential journey in learning how to apply a sound understanding of risk in the planning and performance of software tests. You will learn proven and practical ways to assess risk from the project, technical and business perspectives. You will also learn how to apply the various levels of risk in test planning and performance. Finally, you will learn how risks can be missed and misinterpreted.

Return on Investment

•    Learn how to get the most of your testing time by prioritizing your testing efforts
•    Understand how to deal with risks that materialize by having contingency plans
•    Learn how to better identify risks by viewing them from multiple perspectives
•    Learn how to test better by focusing where the problems are

Who Should Attend

•    Software testers
•    Software test managers
•    Software QA professionals and managers
•    Project managers
•    Developers
•    End-users of software

Topics

Module 1 – Introduction (1 hr.)

•    The problem – Too little time, too much to test
•    The nature of risk
•    Three views of risk
•    Common software risks
•    Who owns risk assessment?
•    When should risks be assessed?
•    Experience – Introduction to the case study

Module 2 – A Project View of Risk (2 hrs.)

•    Common project risks
•    Methods of assessing project risks
•    The project risk watch list
•    The IEEE perspective of risk
•    Creating a risk management plan
•    An attribute-based project risk assessment
•    Identifying critical success factors for a project
•    A process for assessing project risk
•    How project risk can help in test planning and performance
•    Experience – Perform a project-based risk assessment

Module 3 – The Product View of Risk (2 hrs.)

•    What is product risk?
•    Assessing product risk
•    A process for assessing product risk
•    Experience – Identifying the risk in an application

Module 4 – The Business View of Risk (1 hr.)

•    What is business risk?
•    Assessing business risk
•    Experience – Identifying the business risk

Module 5 – Risk-based Test Planning (2 hrs.)

•    The role of risk in defining a test strategy
•    Documenting risks and contingencies in the test plan
•    Designing tests based on risks
•    Experience – Designing tests based on risk

Module 6 – Practical Methods for Test Estimation (1.5 hrs.)

•    Why test estimation is flawed
•    Seven major ways test estimation is performed
•    How to measure and get better at test estimation
•    Case study and exercises

Module 7 – Risk-based Test Performance (1 hr.)

•    How risk impacts the performance of a test
•    Defect triage using risk
•    Experience – Performing defect triage

Module 8 – Expressing Test Results in a Risk-based Way (1 hr.)

•    The role of risk in test reporting
•    Reporting risks in constructive ways
•    Experience – Reporting the results of testing based on risk

Module 9 – The Risks of Risk-based Testing (1 hr.)

•    12 ways it’s possible to be fooled by risk
•    How to build reserves into the test plan
•    How to create a contingency plan

Module 10 – Summary (.25 hr.)

•    Top ten workshop points
•    Final questions and answers