Daily Tasks of a QA

 

The daily tasks of a Quality Assurance (QA) professional can vary depending on the project phase, the type of testing being performed, the team’s workflow, and the specific role of the QA (e.g., manual tester, automation tester, test lead, etc.). However, there are common tasks that most QA professionals engage in regularly to ensure software quality. Below is an overview of typical daily tasks.

1. Reviewing Requirements & Test Planning

  • Reading and Analyzing User Stories/Requirements: Many days begin by reviewing the user stories, functional specifications, and any new requirements that have been added to the project. This ensures that we fully understand the expected behaviour of the software and what needs to be tested.
  • Test Planning: For new features or updates, we may need to create or update test plans. This includes defining the scope of testing, creating test cases, and determining the necessary resources, environments, and tools for testing.

2. Writing and Reviewing Test Cases

  • Test Case Creation: We may spend time writing detailed test cases. These can be manual or automated tests that outline the steps to verify the software functionality.
  • Test Case Review: We often review our own test cases and test cases written by other team members to ensure they are comprehensive, accurate, and clear.

3. Test Execution

  • Manual Testing: Depending on the stage of development, we may be manually executing the test cases to verify that the software functions as expected. This may involve functional, integration, regression, or exploratory testing.
  • Automated Testing: For projects with automated tests, we run and monitor automated test scripts using tools like Selenium, Cypress, or others. This often involves setting up or modifying automated test scripts.
  • Exploratory Testing: Some days, we spend time doing exploratory testing, where we use our knowledge of the software to discover bugs and issues that were not explicitly covered by test cases.

4. Defect Identification & Reporting

  • Logging Defects: As testing is performed, we identify bugs, performance issues, or usability problems. These are documented in a defect tracking tool (e.g., Jira, Bugzilla, Mantis) with all the necessary details, including steps to reproduce, screenshots, and expected vs. actual results.
  • Defect Prioritization: We are often called upon to assess the severity and priority of defects, working with developers and product managers to ensure critical issues are addressed first.

5. Collaboration & Communication

  • Stand-up Meetings: We participate in daily stand-ups (or scrum meetings) where we provide updates on our progress, blockers, and any major issues found during testing.
  • Developer Collaboration: If issues arise, we works closely with developers to provide detailed bug reports, clarifications, and feedback. We may also discuss design or functionality questions to improve the testing process.
  • Stakeholder Communication: For larger projects, we may communicate test progress and results with project managers, product owners, and other stakeholders.

6. Test Environment Setup

  • Preparing Test Environments: We ensure that the test environments are set up correctly. This may include deploying the latest build of the application, configuring test databases, setting up test data, and ensuring that the necessary configurations are in place.
  • Continuous Integration/Continuous Testing: In CI/CD environments, we ensure that automated tests run smoothly with each new build deployed. This might involve monitoring the test execution pipeline, checking for failures, and troubleshooting issues related to the test environment.

7. Regression Testing

  • Executing Regression Tests: As new features or fixes are added to the software, we perform regression testing to ensure that the new changes don’t break existing functionality.
  • Automating Regression: If automated regression tests are in place, we run and review the results. We may also add new tests to the regression suite if needed.

8. Continuous Improvement & Process Optimization

  • Reviewing Test Results: As QA professionals, we often spend part of our day reviewing test results, analyzing why certain tests failed, and improving test cases or scripts to cover edge cases or overlooked scenarios.
  • Test Coverage Review: Ensuring that all functionality is covered by tests is a key part of our job. We may work with developers and product managers to identify areas that are not well-covered by tests.
  • Test Automation Enhancements: We might also spend time improving or optimizing test automation scripts to make them more efficient, maintainable, and robust.

9. Retesting & Re-validation

  • Retesting Defects: After a developer fixes a reported issue, we retest the defect to ensure it is resolved. This might also include testing any new code or features that have been added since the previous testing round.
  • Smoke/ Sanity Testing: After each new build or release, we run smoke or sanity tests to check that critical functionality works and the build is stable enough for further testing.

10. Test Documentation

  • Test Reporting: We QA professionals regularly create and update test reports to communicate the results of testing. These reports include the status of test cases (pass/fail), defects found, test coverage, and other key metrics.
  • Creating Test Artifacts: For some projects, documentation of test plans, test cases, and test results is an important part of the process. We may spend time organizing these artifacts and ensuring they are up to date.

11. Training & Knowledge Sharing

  • Mentoring Junior QAs: Senior QAs or leads may spend time mentoring and training junior testers or other team members to help them improve their testing skills and understanding of the product.
  • Learning New Tools & Techniques: The QA field is always evolving, so staying up-to-date with the latest testing tools, techniques, and best practices is a crucial part of the job. We may spend time researching new tools or attending internal workshops.

12. End-of-Day Wrap-up

  • Updating Test Cases and Documentation: As the day comes to a close, we may revisit our test cases and documentation to ensure that everything is up to date for the next testing cycle.
  • Final Defect Review: We ensure all defects are properly documented and prioritized for the next sprint or release cycle, communicating any blockers or critical issues to the appropriate stakeholders.
  • Team Collaboration: Before leaving for the day, we may attend a final meeting or touch base with developers to discuss any open issues, ensuring everyone is aligned for the next day's work.

While no two days are the same, the daily tasks of a QA professional typically include a mix of test planning, test execution, defect reporting, collaboration with developers and stakeholders, and process improvement. Whether working on manual tests, automating tests, or helping to streamline CI/CD pipelines, QA professionals play a critical role in ensuring the final product meets quality standards.

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