Software Quality Assurance Practice Exam

Which testing approach ensures that functionality meets the established objectives?

1. Verification testing

2. Negative testing

3. Validation testing

4. Performance testing

The correct answer is: Validation testing

The chosen answer, validation testing, is the approach that ensures that functionality meets the established objectives. Validation testing focuses on evaluating the final product to confirm that it fulfills the intended use and aligns with the requirements as specified at the outset of the development process. This involves testing the software in real-world scenarios to verify that it meets user needs and operates under expected conditions. It looks at the end result, determining if the system does what it is supposed to do. In contrast, verification testing examines intermediate deliverables to ensure that they meet specific requirements and standards during different stages of development. While important, verification does not directly assess if those deliverables ultimately meet user needs. Negative testing targets the potential failure cases, examining how the system behaves under error conditions rather than confirming proper functionality. It ensures that the software does not crash or malfunction when unexpected inputs are provided, but it does not evaluate whether the core objectives of the software have been achieved. Performance testing evaluates how well the software performs under various conditions in terms of responsiveness, stability, speed, and scalability. This focuses on quantitative metrics rather than confirming that the software meets its intended functional objectives. This distinction underscores why validation testing is the most suitable approach for ensuring that the software not only operates correctly but also delivers value