What is a Real Life Test?
As a software tester, you naturally want to know all the different types of software tests. This is the only way you can do your job properly and be sure that you are using the right software test for what you want to find out. You have to choose such a test carefully and perform it thoroughly to get a solid result. You can think of it as wanting your toolbox of testing techniques well stocked. An important type of software test is the Real Life Test. In fact, this test is used to test the practical usability of software. It is, of course, of great importance. In this blog, we'll tell you more about this test design technique.
What is a Real Life Test?
The TMap test design technique Real Life Test (RLT) is a software test in which you simulate the realistic use of the system in a statistically sound way. You base this on the practical usability of the software or application. So you don't simulate separate situations, but try to mimic actual use as much as possible.
When should you use this test?
This type of testing is best used when you want to test software on the following points:
- Effectiveness;
- Connectivity;
- Continuity;
- Performance.
The main purpose of the RLT test is to find out whether the software is usable in practice. This could be for consumer products or business products. For example, a word processing program should be tested for practical usability. This test should then be performed in a similar situation as it will be used in everyday life. For example, the word processing program should at least be able to type text, detect and correct any errors in the text, delete text and copy and paste. But it should also be able to adjust the font and font size.
When should you not use this test?
The Real Life Test is not intended to test the behavior of the system in individual situations. It is really about the software as a whole and how the software performs in situations that are going to occur in everyday life. So if you only want to know how the software works in a specific situation, this is not the appropriate test.
What does it take for the test to succeed?
- First of all, you need to have a good understanding of the goals and requirements of the system being tested. This includes understanding how a user would use the software in real life.
- Next, you need to simulate the actual use of the system in a statistically sound way. This means testing different scenarios and collecting data to analyze the effectiveness, connectivity, continuity and performance of the system under test.
- Finally, you must have good reporting skills to properly communicate your findings to stakeholders and developers. After all, you want to report every step in the testing process so you can always recall how the steps went. You can do this by using a test environment such as the DTAP model.
Specific tips for the Real Life Test
- Think about how the software will be used in practice and test the software in those situations;
- Collect statistical data to analyze the effectiveness, connectivity, continuity and performance of the system;
- Have a clear understanding of the goals and requirements of the system;
- Keep good documentation and communicate your findings effectively.
Real Life Test: measure practical usability
The Real Life Test is a valuable tool in the software tester's toolbox. It helps ensure that the software under test is practically usable in real situations. So if the practical usability of a system is important, use the Real Life Test as your testing strategy. Good luck with testing!
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