The Peculiarities of Equivalence Class Testing

February 18 15:28 2016 by Nataliia Vasylyna Print This Article

The specialists from software testing company may execute equivalence class testing without even being aware of that. Usually, this checking type is performed intuitively, not as a formal method of software checking.

Equivalence class testing is conducted when the product requires a lot of data inputs. A tester should check both valid and invalid input combinations within every available range. Besides that, the specialists should check and compare the received outputs. Equivalence class method can be applied during different software testing types.

When Can Equivalence Class Technique Be Applied?

This method is widely used during unit testing (the checking of separated elements of the system under testing).
The appliance of equivalence class technique simplifies integration testing (the process of combining units into subsystems).
This practice accelerates system testing which may include the checking of functionality, security, load capacity, etc.
Acceptance testing will be more resultative with the help of equivalence class method.

Such a technique is based on the assumption that the result of the input combination within one particular range is the same for the other inputs of this particular range. It simplifies and hastens the checking process without detriment to the product quality. It is a real godsend to testers.

The main advantage of this technique is the reduction of test case number that should be created and executed. It saves time for checking other aspects of the product under testing. Moreover, it is rather simple technique which does not require specific skills and theoretical knowledge.