Top 5 Common Mistakes of Test Automation & Their Solutions
With increasing adoption of test automation, enterprises are heavily depending on it to test systems and application on a daily basis. However, not many enterprises and test automation engineers are able to reap the benefits of test automation. After talking to several test automation experts and consultants, we have identified several mistakes that testers make repeatedly, which is the reason behind test automation failure and decreasing ROI.
Here is a list of the 5 most common mistakes of test automation and their solutions:
1. Use Record & Playback for Scripts
Many testers depend on record and back for creating test scripts. However, the record feature should be viewed as a way to generate a skeletal script and should rarely be viewed as the final step in script creation. The fact is that an effective automation testing requires you to customize the generated script.
Solution:
Script Customization involves data parameterization, adding checkpoints for validation. It could also involve modularizing the script to allow several testers to work on it at one time.
2. Non-Usage of Validation
Another mistake that enterprises and test engineers make is that they use test scripts without any validation. In cases where test scripts require validation of some action for e.g. testing of a website that has a login page. In this case, you need to validate whether the login has succeeded or not.
Solution:
Script validation can be done by using checkpoints. Checkpoints help detect web objects, page parameters or perhaps some text on the page. Checkpoints should be placed at as many points as possible.
3. Consider Visible Validation Only
Testers also fail to consider validations other than visible objects while testing applications. Validations should not be restricted to visible elements such as page text, button, etc.
Solution:
It's important to keep validations that show that the process has been completed. If you are using an order entry system to place an order, you might want to query the database to ensure that the order was in fact saved successfully into the database.
4. Replace Manual Testing with Automation Testing
Automation is a great way to augment your testing efforts. However, test engineers and enterprises often consider it as a replacement of manual testing which is why they cannot achieve effective testing and coverage. Ideally, automated testing should be used as a way to improve manual testing.
Solution:
Create a checklist of features which can be automated for testing. For e.g. You may test a web page that has incoherent fonts. Automate only the part of a script that checks for the errors in the fonts.
5. Use of Inappropriate Test Cases
Test engineers also commit mistakes while preparing test cases which result in inappropriate test cases. These test cases, hence do not represent an application flow and functions.
Solution:
Create small sample test cases condensed into one single test suite that represents the entire functional flow of the application.
Perhaps every tester or QA enterprises would be committing one or all of the above mistakes at some or the other point of time. Following the solutions for each of these mistakes can be a way to augment test automation efforts and increase the overall ROI.
If you are looking for any assistance in test automation, feel free to contact us. Alternately, we encourage you to try a 30-day free trial of TestingWhiz.