Tag: Training

  • A Better Way – Case Study 1 – Thinking Outside the Box

    A Better Way – Case Study 1 – Thinking Outside the Box

    In our last several blogs we have discussed ‘A Better Way to Test”.

    The issue is to apply this to actual situations. We have 5 Case Studies we plan to use over the next several weeks to address this. The first one revolves around a junior QA, a very successful (small) company and a need to test effectively and quickly for a large final client. The issue that came up was the ability to “Think outside the box”.

    We received a call from the President of the company indicating that the new junior QA was having trouble considering things “Outside the box”. They were good with what was presented in the Use Cases or User Stories. Most people can generate testcases based on what is provided and the happy path from the Use Cases and User Stories. Experienced testers will apply other techniques and may specifically try Exploratory testing. However, you cannot explore or test what you don’t know or don’t think of at the time.

    Rather than dictating “Outside the box” which is a contradiction in itself, we decided to go with more of a checklist approach listing some of the areas that would be considered to be non-Happy Path and see if it could lead to further extensions. We did not dictate everything but started with more of a charter and guidance list to see what would come of it. The process had two advantages:

    1. We would have some coverage of everything “inside” and “outside” the box.
    2. We could use the results to evaluate the suitability of the junior QA for further roles and projects.

    The President came up with the basic list and ran it from there.

    If you want to discuss this further contact us.

    Take a look at some of the seminars that we offer that address this situation and see if they apply to you. Testing can be better.
    Contact us for further information.

  • Upcoming events in February

     

    NVP Software Solutions will be participating in the following software testing and quality assurance events happening this February in Ontario, Canada. The events are located in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and London in the coming two weeks. Check out the relevant websites for more information and to register. This is a great opportunity to connect with other software testing and quality assurance professionals. We hope to see you there! (more…)

  • 2018 Training Courses

    Enrolment for 2018 courses on the following topics is still open:

    1. Test Leadership – Toronto – April and October 2018
    2. Manager’s Test Planning – Toronto – February, April and October 2018
    3. Effective Software Testing – Toronto – February, April and October 2018
    4. Effective Software Testing – Online – April and September 2018
    5. Boot Camp for Testers- – Toronto – February, May and October 2018
    6. CSTE Certification Training – Online – April and September 2018
    7. CSQA Certification Training – Online- April and September 2018
    8. CAST Certification Training – Online February and September 2018
    9. Certifed ScrumMaster (R) (CSM) – Toronto – February through June 2018
    10. Certifed Scrum Product Owner (R) (CSPO) – Toronto – February through June 2018
    11. Other courses on request

    Courses are continuing throughout 2018.

    Take your opportunity to get training created by experts in the field. Make 2018 your best Quality Assurance year by being prepared and ready for whatever might come your way in terms of Software Testing or Quality Assurance.

    Quality Assurance is not just a solution to a technical software problem. It is a consideration for the entire business. Software Quality Assurance failures impact the entire business and can lead to large problems if not addressed.

    Training testers using NVP supplied courses provides testers with the techniques, tools, and knowledge to select the best method for testing – not the one that has been used for the last 15 years that’s falling short!

    When you work with an experienced software testing trainer you benefit by:

    • Creating more valuable employees that pays back more than investments
      in any test tool!
    • Getting real value from testing
    • Enhancing speed, accuracy and results from your testing processes
    • Seeing larger profits

    Quality assurance training is a great way to help ensure your systems are working for you while supporting and contributing to the growth of your company.

    Let us know if we can help!

  • Struggling with Software Testing?

    Businesses, organizations and corporations purchase software in hopes of bettering existing processes, but sometimes the data is suspect and manual processes have to be put in place to fix errors caused by the new software tools. If software was implemented to help you operate more efficiently and grow as an organization, why is your new software slowing you down? Perhaps it’s time to look to your software testing team! (more…)

  • The Results of Software Tester Training

    Software tester training seems to be something that needs a lot more attention, given how many conversations we’ve had on this topic. A few weeks ago we talked about How We Train Software Testers? We get a surprising number of questions about software tester training and plans, and we now want to touch on the results of software tester training. (more…)

  • How Do We Train Software Testers?

    Software tester training is something that appears to require a lot more attention, given the number of conversations we have on a regular basis. We get a surprising number of questions about software tester training and plans, so we’ve dedicated our next blog series on how to train software testers. (more…)

  • Why Test Training

    Test training is something that should be a ‘given’ and not something that a blog series should be devoted to. However, we get a surprising number of questions about test training and plans, that we thought we’d address a few of them here. So why train testers? You may recall that we defined three broad categories a couple of weeks ago in the blog. (more…)

  • Test Training

    Training seems like an obvious topic and not one to which a blog or two could be usefully devoted. However we get a surprising number of questions about training and plan to address a few of them here. The first one is what type of training is offered. We define three broad categories here:

    1. Training related to testing.
    2. Training related to a particular Test Tool.
    3. Application related Training.

    You only have to read the job advertisements to see the expectations related to open positions. You may see a long list of test tools with which the applicant is to be proficient. You will most likely see some reference to a Test Methodology or SDLC. Most job advertisements finish off with some soft skills.

    So how do our three categories relate to day-to-day work?

    Taking them in reverse order:

    Application related Training

    Clearly the more the person knows about the application for which the system was built, the easier it is to understand the risks, define the scope of testing and explain the results to the business. It is also easier to understand the business requirements and expectations.

    Training related to a particular Test Tool

    This type of training is usually supplied by a vendor and can range from an overview of the test tool allowing one to to use it without in-depth knowledge all the way to becoming a technical expert. The only comment is that every tool has been superceded by something else eventually so every tool or technical process will eventually become redundant.

    Training related to testing

    This type of training covers the rest of the requirements. It teaches about SDLC, Communication, Risk, Planning, and Testing to name only a few items.

    Discussion Questions

    1. Do you participate in Training for Testing?
    2. Was it beneficial to the project?
    3. What would you have done differently based on what you know now?

    Next Week: Sources of Information