An overview of the different software testing levels

Unit testing:

In the early development process of the software, unit testing is carried out. The smallest part of the software which can be tested is referred to as the unit. In this type of software quality testing, each unit of the software is checked and the focus is to determine if the code development is correct.

Integration testing:

Integration testing is the next level of testing and here the focus is on checking if all the units can function properly in a group. The purpose of this testing is to check if there are any discrepancies in the interaction of the different units of the software. These tests are run by developers by making use of integrated and automated tools.

System testing:

In system testing the entire software is tested and here the security, performance of the software etc are tested. This test determines the quality standard of the software and it checks if the product is fulfilling the technical and functional criteria. This type of testing has to be conducted by technical professionals with in-depth knowledge. The testing has to be carried out in an environment that is close to the actual environment where the final product is going to be used.

UAT or the User Acceptance Testing:

UAT is also known as End-to-End testing and this is the last step of the software testing process. Here the testing is carried out to check if the testing is as per the requirements of the end user. In this testing, the overall quality of the software is tested and it is decided whether the product can be launched in the market. In this testing alpha and beta testing are done. This can be done by the product owner or by a small group of end users. Automated tools as well as QA manual testing are used for UAT.

Quality testing of the software is a highly specialized process and it has to be done perfectly. Only with proper quality testing, it is possible to know if there are any bugs in the system and the same has to be removed. The testing ensures that the product meets the end user's expectations.

In case the software development company does not have an in-house team of testers then there is no need to worry. There are some professional companies to whom one can outsource the quality testing requirement. Just make sure that you choose the right software testing company that has a good reputation.