The 7 testing principles (ISTQB)
ISTQB summarizes seven principles that every QA professional should internalize. They are the foundation of the professional judgment to decide what, how much and how to test.
| # | Principle | Key idea |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Testing shows the presence of defects | It cannot prove there are none |
| 2 | Exhaustive testing is impossible | Prioritize with techniques and risk |
| 3 | Early testing saves time and money | Shift-left: test as early as possible |
| 4 | Defects cluster together | A few areas hold most defects |
| 5 | The pesticide paradox | Repeating the same tests stops finding defects |
| 6 | Testing is context dependent | A game is not tested like a medical system |
| 7 | Absence-of-errors fallacy | Defect-free but useless software is still a failure |
Principle 5 (pesticide paradox) explains why test cases must be reviewed and refreshed periodically.
QuestionToca para voltear
What does testing principle 1 state?
Always repeating the same test cases stops finding new defects. Which principle describes this?