test axioms

Testing is in a mess

Posted Mon, 18/07/2011 - 14:49 by Paul Gerrard

Got your attention?

I'm triggered into posting what follows because Rob Lambert has published an 'ebook' The Problems of Testing.

My first Prezi - Axioms of Testing

Posted Wed, 13/10/2010 - 08:06 by Paul Gerrard

It seems like Prezi is all the rage. As a frequent presenter, I thought I'd have a play. So I took some of the early text from the Tester's Pocketbook and created my first Prezi. Not half bad. I'm not sure it's a revolution, but sometimes, anything is better than Powerpoint.

The Axioms of Testing - Introducton on Prezi

The Testing Uncertainty Principle

Posted Fri, 12/03/2010 - 20:19 by Paul Gerrard

On Thursday's SIGIST meeting, it was great to have such a positive reaction to my workshop and closing talk.

The Fallibility axiom (p41) tells us our sources of knowledge are undependable. The tester is a human being and prone to error. The system is being tested because we are uncertain of its behaviour or reliability. As a consequence, the plan for any test worth running cannot be relied upon to be accurate before we follow it.

Advancing Testing Using Axioms

Posted Fri, 29/01/2010 - 13:45 by Paul Gerrard

Last week I presented a talk called "Advancing Testing Using Axioms" at the First IIR Testing Forum in Helsinki, Finland.

Test Axioms have been formulated as a context-neutral set of rules for testing systems. Because they represent the critical thinking processes required to test any system, there are clear opportunities to advance the practice of testing using them.

The talk introduces "The First Equation of Testing" and discusses opportunities to use the Axioms to support test strategy development, test assessment and improvement and suggests that a tester skills framework could be an interesting by-product of the Axioms. Finally, "The Quantum Theory of Testing" is introduced.

Go to the web page for this talk.

Advancing Testing Using Axioms

Test Axioms have been formulated as a context-neutral set of rules for testing systems. Because they represent the critical thinking processes required to test any system, there are clear opportunities to advance the practice of testing using them. The presentation covers the following:

  • The First Equation of Testing is introduced.
  • The Axioms enumerate the key areas of test strategy and provide a checklist of concerns to be addressed in any test approach.
  • Any company can use the Axioms as the basis of context-neutral testing assessment and to identify areas requiring improvement without using artificial maturity levels.
  • Axioms define sixteen skills areas required by testers, and could form the basis of a tester development framework and a certification regime that has meaning to practitioners.
  • Finally, Paul proposes a way at looking at the value of tests provisionally called, "The Quantum Theory of Testing".

This talk was presented at the First IIR Testing Forum in Finland on January 22nd 2010.

Registered users can download the presentation from the link below. If you aren't registered, you can register here.

Test Axioms as Thinking Tools

Is it possible to define a set of axioms that provide a framework for software testing that all the variations of test approach currently being advocated align with or obey? In this respect, an axiom would be an uncontested principle; something self-evidently and so obviously true and not requiring proof. What would such test axioms look like?

The Tester's Pocketbook - Published at last

Posted Wed, 21/10/2009 - 12:04 by Paul Gerrard

I'm relieved, excited and delighted to tell you that The Tester's Pocketbook has been published and is available. (It is a pocketbook, with 104 pages and c. 19k words).

The book summarises the thinking on Test Axioms and the axiom definitions are hosted (and will be maintained in future) on the Test Axioms website.

Thanks to all my reviewers and people who supported me.

Resources

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Business Story Pocketbook

The Business Story Method is supported by and largely documented in a book called "The Business Story Pocketbook" which is available for FREE DOWNLOAD or can be purchased from Gerrard Consulting (or other good booksellers).

The Business Story Pocketbook


Download or Buy the Business Story Pocketbook

Testing Axioms and Pocketbook

The Testing Axioms identify the critical thinking processes for testing. As a set of context-neutral rules they also provide a universal testing framework.

The Test Axioms are defined in The Tester's Pocketbook. You can see the axioms online here: testaxioms.com.

The Tester's Pocketbook


Buy The Tester's Pocketbook here

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