UNIT- 1

1. Illustrate the concept of software quality assurance.

Ans:
● Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is a systematic and disciplined approach
to ensuring the quality of software throughout its entire development life
cycle.
● Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is like having a recipe and a friend
overseeing the whole baking process to make sure the cake turns out just
right.
● Quality assurance elements:
1. Standards
Established criteria or guidelines that define how processes and
products should be executed or developed.
2. Review and audits
Helps uncover defects, ensures compliance, and enhances overall
quality.
3. Testing
Validates that the software meets specified requirements and
performs reliably.
4. Error/defect collection and analysis
Gathering information about mistakes or defects, followed by an
analysis to understand their root causes.
5. Change management
A structured approach to dealing with changes in processes, systems,
or projects
6. Education
Providing training and education to team members to enhance their
skills and understanding.
7. Vendor management
Managing relationships and interactions with external suppliers or
vendors.
8. Security management
Protecting software and systems from unauthorized access, attacks,
or data breaches.
9. Safety
Prioritizes user safety and minimizes risks associated with the
software.
 2. What is quality? Discuss various quality factors.
Ans:
● In general, quality refers to the degree of excellence or superiority of
something.
● It is a measure of how well a product, service, or process meets or exceeds
the expectations and requirements of its users or customers.
● Quality is not just about meeting a set of predefined standards but also
about continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
● Let's explore some quality factors across different domains:
1. Functionality
Refers to the ability of a product or system to perform its intended
functions or tasks.Eg: A word processing software's functionality
includes features like text editing, formatting, and spell-check.
2. Reliability
The consistency and reliability of a product's performance over time.
Eg: A reliable car starts every time without unexpected breakdowns
3. Performance
Measures how well a product or system accomplishes its tasks, often
in terms of speed, efficiency, or response time. Eg: The performance
of a website is assessed by how quickly it loads and responds to user
interactions.
4. Flexibility
The ability of a product or system to adapt to changes or
accommodate different user needs. Eg: A flexible software system
allows users to customize settings to suit their preferences.
5. Usability
The ease with which users can interact with and navigate a product
or system to achieve their goals. Eg: A mobile app with built-in
navigation and clear icons enhances usability.
6. Security
The protection of a product, system, or data from unauthorized
access, attacks, or damage. Eg: Implementing encryption and
authentication mechanisms in a software application enhances
security.
 3. What is quality assurance? Write down the purpose of the quality
assurance.
Ans:
● Quality assurance can be defined as "part of quality management focused
on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled."
● The primary purpose of quality assurance is to prevent defects and errors
in the development or production process, thereby enhancing the overall
quality of the final outcome.
● Purpose of Quality Assurance:
1. Prevent Mistakes: Find and fix problems early in the process to avoid
mistakes in the final product or service.
2. Improve Processes: Keep looking at how things are done and make
them better to work more efficiently and meet quality goals.
3. Ensure Consistency: Make sure things are done the same way every
time to get reliable and predictable results.
4. Manage Risks: Spot and handle possible problems to reduce their
impact on the quality of the final result.
5. Make Customers Happy: Make sure the final product or service is
what customers want, making them happy and likely to come back.
6. Follow Rules: Check if everything follows the rules and laws so that
there are no problems and everything is done in a fair way.
● In short, quality assurance is about making sure things are done right from
the start, avoiding problems, and making customers happy.

4. What is software review? List different types of it and explain.

Ans:
● A software review is a structured evaluation or examination of a software
product, system, or its components.
● It involves a systematic assessment conducted by individuals or a team to
ensure that the software meets its specified requirements
● The main aim is to find problems, check if things follow the rules, and give
suggestions to make it better.
● Here are different types of software reviews:
1. Walkthrough:
a. A casual, interactive review where the author guides
reviewers through the software artifact.
b. To familiarize team members with the content, identify
potential issues, and gather feedback in a collaborative
manner.
 2. Inspection:
a. A more formal and structured review where a team of peers
examines the software artifact in detail.
b. To detect defects, verify compliance with standards, and
ensure the quality of the software.
3. Technical Review:
a. A comprehensive review that involves technical experts and
stakeholders to assess the technical aspects of the software.
b. To evaluate design choices, assess technical feasibility, and
ensure that the software aligns with project goals.

5. Distinguish between Quality Assurance and Quality control

Ans:
Parameters Quality Assurance (QA) Quality Control (QC)

Objective It focuses on providing It focuses on fulfilling the

assurance that the quality quality requested.
requested will be achieved.

Technique It is the technique of It is the technique to verify

managing quality. quality.

Involved in It is involved during the It is not included during the

which phase? development phase. development phase.

Type of tool It is a managerial tool. It is a corrective tool.

Process/ It is process oriented. It is product oriented.

Product-oriented

Aim It aims to prevent defects in It aims to identify defects or

the system. bugs in the system.

Technique type It is a preventive technique. It is a corrective technique.

Measure type It is a proactive measure. It is a reactive measure.

Time It is a less time-consuming It is a more time-consuming

consumption activity. activity.

Example Verification Validation

 6. Explain in detail McCall’s Quality factor.
Ans:
● McCall's Quality Factors, developed by John McCall in the 1970s, is a model
that identifies eleven software quality factors.
● These factors provide a comprehensive framework for assessing and
evaluating the quality of software systems.
● The McCall's Quality Factors are often categorized into three main groups:
product revision, product transition, and product operation.
● Product Revision Factors:
The degree to which the software fulfills its specifications and meets user
needs without errors or defects.
● Product Transition Factors:
The software's ability to utilize system resources effectively, including
processing speed, memory usage, and response time.
● Product Operation Factors:
The ease with which the software can be modified, updated, or enhanced
to adapt to changing requirements or correct defects.
● Additional Factors:
The ease with which the software can be transferred or adapted to
different environments, platforms, or operating systems.
● By considering these factors, software developers and quality assurance
teams can systematically assess and improve the quality of a software
system throughout its lifecycle.

7. Difference between verification and validation:

Ans:
Verification Validation

It includes checking documents, It includes testing and validating the

design, codes and programs. actual product.

Verification is the static testing. Validation is dynamic testing.

It does not include the execution of the It includes the execution of the code.
code.

It checks whether the software It checks whether the software meets

conforms to specifications or not. the requirements and expectations of
a customer or not.

It can find the bugs in the early stage It can only find the bugs that could not
of the development. be found by the verification process.
The goal of verification is application The goal of validation is an actual
and software architecture and product.
specification.

Quality assurance team does Validation is executed on software

verification code with the help of the testing team.

It comes before validation. It comes after verification

Verification is for prevention of errors. Validation is for detection of errors.

Verification is about process, standard Validation is about the product.

and guideline.

8. What are the different phases of formal review

Ans:
● Formal Review generally takes place in a piecemeal approach that consists
of six different steps that are essential.
● Formal review generally obeys formal process.
● It is also one of the most important and essential techniques required in
static testing.
● Formal reviews follow a formal process. A typical formal review process
● consists of six main steps:

● Planning :
1. For specific review, the review process generally begins with ‘request
for review’ simply by author to moderator or inspection leader.
2. Moderator also performs entry checks and even considers exit
criteria.
● Kick-off :
1. An optional step in a review procedure is a kick-off meeting
 2. Getting everybody on the same page regarding documents under
review is the main goal and aim of this meeting.
● Preparation :
1. In the preparation phase, participants simply work individually on
documents under review with the help of related documents,
procedures, rules, and provided checklists.
● Review Meeting :
1. This phase generally involves three different phases i.e. logging,
discussion, and decision.
2. Different tasks are simply related to the document under review.
● Rework :
1. Based on the defects detected, the author will improve the document
under review step by step.
2. Not every defect that is found leads to rework
● Follow-Up :
1. The moderator is responsible for ensuring that satisfactory actions
have been taken on all (logged) defects, process improvement
suggestions and change requests

9. Write a short note on walkthrough and inspection.

Ans:
Walkthrough Inspection

It is formal. It is informal.

Initiated by the project team. Initiated by author.

A group of relevant persons from Usually team members of the same

different departments participate in project take part in the walkthrough.
the inspection.

Checklist is used to find faults. No checklist is used in the

walkthrough.

Formalized procedure in each step. No formalized procedure in the steps.

Inspection takes a longer time as the Shorter time is spent on walkthrough

list of items in the checklist is tracked as there is no formal checklist used to
to completion. evaluate program

Planned meeting with the fixed roles Unplanned

assigned to all the members involved
Recorder records the defects. Author makes a note of defects and
suggestions offered by teammates.

Moderator has a role that moderator Informal, so there is no moderator.

making sure that the discussions
proceed on the productive lines

10.Define: a) quality b) quality assurance c) quality control d) quality

management e) software quality assurance
Ans:
● Quality:
The degree to which a component, system or process meets specified
requirements or customer needs and expectations.
● Quality Assurance:
Quality assurance can be defined as "part of quality management focused
on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled."
● Quality Control:
Quality control can be defined as "part of quality management focused on
fulfilling quality requirements."
● Quality management:
The act of overseeing all activities and tasks that must be accomplished to
maintain a desired level of excellence is called Quality Management.
● Software quality assurance:
It is the set of activities which ensure processes, procedures as well as
standards are suitable for the project and implemented correctly.

11.Explain the nature of error in detail.

Ans:
● ( same as que.18 What is an error? Explain types of error.)

12.What is the need of testing?

Ans:
● Software testing is the process of checking software applications and
products for bugs and errors to ensure their performance.
● Testing will identify defects, reduce flaws, and increase the overall quality
of the system
● Everyone can make mistakes, so testing is necessary because it helps us
identify bugs or errors early, so that they can be fixed before the
application is delivered to the client.
● reasons why software testing is important:
 1. Product quality - Products always serve users, so it's very important
that they deliver the values they promise.
2. Security - there are a bunch of situations in which the information
and details of the users are stolen. Therefore, people look for
all-tested and reliable products.
3. Customer satisfaction - the first impression is really important, and if
you fail at it, users are going to find another product that will
accomplish all their requirements.
4. Cost effectiveness - including testing in your project can save money
in the long run.
● However, an important thing to remember is that testing reduces the
probability of undiscovered defects remaining in the software,
● The main benefit of testing is the identification and removal of errors.
● Furthermore, testing also helps developers and testers compare actual and
expected results in order to improve quality.

13.Explain Quality control in details

Ans:
● Quality control can be defined as "part of quality management focused on
fulfilling quality requirements."
● It involves activities such as inspection, testing, and monitoring to identify
and rectify any defects, errors, or deviations from the desired quality.
● Here's a detailed breakdown of quality control:
1. Objective:
Quality control's goal is to maintain consistency by identifying and
addressing deviations in products or services.
2. Process Integration:
It's integrated into production processes to catch defects at various
stages before final delivery.
3. Methods:
Techniques like inspection, testing, and analysis are used to identify
defects and ensure conformity to standards.
4. Documentation:
Detailed records are maintained about inspections, tests, and
corrective actions taken.
5. Benefits:
Quality control minimizes defects, ensures adherence to standards,
satisfies customers, and prevents costly rework.
 14.Explain SDLC Phases and their relationship.
Ans:
● The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a systematic process for
planning, creating, testing, deploying, and maintaining software.
● It consists of several distinct phases, each with its own set of activities,
goals, and deliverables.
● Let's break down the common phases of SDLC and their relationships:

1. Requirements Gathering and Analysis:

a. Gather information from stakeholders, analyze existing
systems, and define the scope of the project.
 b. Relationship: The output is a detailed requirements document
that serves as the foundation for the entire development
process.
2. Design:
a. System design involves defining the overall architecture, and
detailed design focuses on component-level design.
b. Relationship: Design documents serve as a reference for
developers during the implementation phase.
3. Implementation (Coding):
a. Developers write code, following coding standards and
guidelines.
b. Relationship: The output is the executable program or
software component that undergoes testing in the next phase.
4. Testing:
a. Testers execute test cases, and defects are reported, tracked,
and fixed.
b. Relationship: Testing ensures that the software meets specified
requirements and is ready for deployment.
5. Deployment:
a. Deploy the software in the production environment and
provide necessary training and documentation.
b. Relationship: The output is the deployed and operational
software available for users
6. Maintenance:
a. Fix bugs, make improvements, and adapt the software to
changes in the environment or user requirements.
b. Relationship: Maintenance ensures the longevity and
continued relevance of the software.

15.Explain any 5 desirable software qualities

Ans:
● Desirable software qualities, also known as software attributes or
characteristics.
● Here are five desirable software qualities:
1. Reliability:
a. Reliability refers to the ability of the software to perform
consistently and predictably under various conditions.
b. Reliability is crucial for critical systems where downtime or
errors can have significant consequences
2. Usability:
 a. Usability relates to how user-friendly and easy the software is
for end-users to interact with.
b. A highly usable software product enhances user satisfaction,
reduces the learning curve, and minimizes errors
3. Performance Efficiency:
a. Performance efficiency involves the software's ability to
execute tasks efficiently, considering factors like speed,
responsiveness, and resource utilization.
b. Performance issues, such as slow response times or
resource-intensive operations, can negatively impact user
experience.
4. Security:
a. Security is the protection of the software and its data from
unauthorized access, attacks, and damage
b. This includes measures such as encryption, access controls,
and secure coding practices.

5. Maintainability:
a. Maintainability refers to the ease with which the software can
be modified, updated, or repaired.
b. Maintainable software allows for efficient bug fixes, feature
enhancements, and adaptation to new requirements without
causing unnecessary disruptions.
● Balancing these qualities is essential to meet user expectations,
organizational goals, and industry standards.

16.Explain in brief the concept of software reviews, inspection and

walkthrough
Ans:
● Software Reviews:
1. Software reviews involve a systematic examination of software
artifacts by a team of individuals to identify defects, improve quality,
and ensure adherence to standards.
2. They discuss potential issues, verify compliance with coding
standards or design principles, and suggest improvements.
3. Reviews promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and early
detection of defects.
● Inspections:
 1. Software inspections are a formal type of review that follows a
well-defined process with a focus on defect identification.
2. Inspections involve detailed examination of each line of code or each
element of a document.
3. Participants follow a checklist and a defined set of rules. Inspections
are often led by a moderator who ensures the process is followed.
4. Inspections are highly effective in identifying defects early in the
development process.
● Walkthroughs:
1. Walkthroughs are informal and interactive sessions where a
software developer or author guides other team members through a
software artifact, explaining its details and seeking feedback.
2. During a walkthrough, the presenter explains the purpose, design, or
code to the participants.
3. Walkthroughs facilitate knowledge transfer, help team members
understand the rationale behind design decisions or code
implementation, and provide an opportunity for immediate
feedback.

17.Explain in brief V- Model with diagram.

Ans:
● The V-model is a type of SDLC model where the process executes in a
sequential manner in V-shape.
● It is also known as the Verification and Validation model.
● The V-Model is a software development life cycle (SDLC) model that
provides a systematic and visual representation of the software
development process.
● Requirement Gathering and Analysis:
a. Understand and document the needs and expectations of
stakeholders.
b. Engage with stakeholders to collect and clarify requirements.
c. Prioritize and document functional and non-functional
requirements.
● Design:
a. Create a blueprint for the software based on the gathered
requirements.
b. Create detailed design documents for individual modules or
components.
c. Consider factors such as scalability, security, and usability during the
design phase.
● Implementation (Coding):
a. Transform design specifications into actual code.
b. Write code following coding standards and design principles.
c. Conduct code reviews to ensure quality and adherence to coding
standards.
● Testing:
a. Identify and fix defects in the software to ensure it meets
requirements.
b. Develop test cases based on requirements and design.
c. Execute various types of testing (unit testing, integration testing,
system testing, etc.).
d. Fix and re-test defects, aiming for high software quality.
● Deployment:
a. Release the software to users.
b. Deploy the software in the production environment.
c. Provide user training and documentation.
d. Monitor and address any issues that arise during initial use.
● Maintenance:
a. Address issues, update features, and enhance the software
post-deployment.
b. Fix bugs and address issues reported by users.
c. Implement updates or new features based on user feedback or
changing requirements.
d. Ensure that the software remains compatible with evolving
technologies.
 18. What is an error? Explain types of error.
Ans:
● An error is a mistake that a software developer makes when writing code.
● Error leads to defects.
● Errors are generated due to wrong logic, syntax, or loop that can impact
the end-user experience.
● It raises due to several reasons like design issues, coding issues, or system
specification issues and leads to issues in the application.

● Types of errors in software testing:

1. Syntax Errors:
a. Syntax errors are errors in the structure or grammar of the
code.
b. They occur when the code violates the rules of the
programming language.
c. Example: Forgetting to close a parenthesis, using incorrect
variable names, or omitting a semicolon at the end of a
statement.
2. Logical or Semantic Errors:
a. Logical or semantic errors are errors in the logic or meaning
of the code.
b. They occur when the code produces unintended results due to
flawed logic.
c. Example: Using the wrong formula in a calculation,
implementing an incorrect algorithm, or misunderstanding
the requirements.
3. Runtime Errors:
a. Runtime errors occur while the program is running.
b. They are often the result of unexpected conditions or input
during execution.
c. Example: Division by zero, accessing an element beyond the
bounds of an array, or trying to open a file that does not exist.