Does Domain Expertise Really Matter in Software Testing?

When doing software quality assurance and testing, the amount of required domain expertise is always a hot topic of debate. Although testers without expert knowledge can perform standard tests like GUI testing and regression testing on any kind of application, their ability to perform more specialized tests particular to the domain will be impeded.

However, the need for domain expertise is also often overestimated by hiring managers in job descriptions, since many testers only begin to acquire domain knowledge by starting from the bottom and learning from their more experienced colleagues. So how much does domain expertise really matter for software testers?

Which Domains Require Expertise in Software Testing?

It's often said that software testers should "think like the user" when performing quality assurance and bug tests, and thinking like the user is more challenging when testers lack the experience and understanding that the application's users will have. Indeed, a number of domains undoubtedly do require software testing and QA workers to have specialized expertise in the field in order to analyze their software successfully. These include professional industries like banking and financial services, healthcare, insurance, science and engineering and retail. What unites these complex fields are several traits: a need for in-depth background knowledge, a high proportion of knowledge workers using the application, the use of several different programming languages and technologies and the potential for outsized negative repercussions if bugs or errors occur.

For example, a financial application might be used by high-expertise individuals such as stock traders, investment bankers, or hedge fund managers who are relying on the software to perform according to expectations. The application might need to support thousands of users using the software concurrently, execute thousands of high-frequency trading transactions in an extremely short period of time or perform complicated real-time analysis of economic trends. Finally, the application might be supported by multiple layers of infrastructure, such as Web servers, databases and high-speed mainframes. All of these qualities point to the need for testers and QA workers who have experience and knowledge in the relevant domain.

It's hard to deny that software testers with specialized domain expertise are better testers on average and are more valuable to an organization. Expert testers can speak out to make sure that the project is going in the right direction during development and can take on a larger role in the project, interfacing with executives and coworkers from other departments.

Final Thoughts

With all that said, it's important to note that domain expertise is only one of several factors that go into doing good software testing and QA. Raw technical skill, and the ability to ask good questions and think like the user, are still essential qualities for any testers who want to succeed at their jobs.

However, software testers must still honestly evaluate themselves at regular intervals, checking whether they have enough domain knowledge to do their jobs successfully. In addition, they should know that the expertise necessary to do testing well in a particular field comes and goes and changes over time, and they need to refresh their knowledge or acquire more if they find that it's beginning to fade. Testers who feel that they need to freshen up their domain knowledge should look into options for training and education, or work on a test plan in conjunction with software developers and other knowledge workers at their company so that they know that they're testing the right features.

About the author

Sarabjit is a founder of SQA WORX Solutions Private Limited.  He has been associated with software QA projects for more than 20 years, and now leads his team of engineers as they take up onshore and remote test projects. His methodical approach to testing and unflinching focus on delivering quality have helped create long term association with his clients. He can be cool and calm even under pressure. He says that he owes this to training newbie QAs and being a hands-on father to his two kids at home!