How do you evaluate your QA work?

1 Define your QA goals

Before you start any QA work, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure your success. Your QA goals should be aligned with the project requirements, the stakeholder expectations, and the quality standards of your organization or industry. You should also define your scope, timeline, budget, and resources for your QA work. Having well-defined QA goals will help you plan your work, prioritize your tasks, and track your progress.

2 Follow your QA process

Your QA process is the set of steps and activities that you follow to perform your QA work. It may include planning, designing, executing, reporting, and reviewing your tests, as well as communicating with your team and stakeholders. Your QA process should be consistent, systematic, and documented, so that you can ensure that you cover all the relevant aspects of quality and avoid any gaps or errors. You should also follow the best practices and standards of your organization or industry, such as using appropriate tools, techniques, and methodologies.

3 Check your QA results

Your QA results are the outcomes and outputs of your QA work, such as test cases, test data, test scripts, test reports, bug reports, and feedback. You should check your QA results for accuracy, completeness, relevance, and validity, as well as for any issues or defects that may affect the quality of the software or the user experience. You should also compare your QA results with your QA goals and expectations, and analyze any deviations or discrepancies. You should also document and share your QA results with your team and stakeholders, and solicit their feedback and suggestions.

4 Learn from your QA feedback

Your QA feedback is the input and response that you receive from your team, stakeholders, or users regarding your QA work. It may include comments, suggestions, questions, complaints, or compliments. You should learn from your QA feedback by listening, understanding, and acknowledging it, as well as by implementing any changes or improvements that are needed or requested. You should also use your QA feedback as a source of motivation, recognition, and appreciation for your QA work.

5 Assess your QA performance

Your QA performance is the evaluation and measurement of your QA work in terms of quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction. You should assess your QA performance by using quantitative and qualitative indicators and metrics, such as test coverage, defect density, defect resolution time, test execution time, test automation rate, customer satisfaction, and stakeholder satisfaction. You should also benchmark your QA performance against your own goals and expectations, as well as against the industry standards and best practices.

6 Improve your QA skills

Your QA skills are the abilities and competencies that you have or need to perform your QA work. They may include technical, analytical, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. You should improve your QA skills by identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and by seeking opportunities for learning and development. You can improve your QA skills by taking courses, reading books, attending workshops, joining communities, participating in projects, or seeking mentorship or coaching.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?