QA. Testing. Quality Control.
I used to think they were basically the same thing.
They are not.
So, what is QA?
Quality Assurance (QA) is about improving the process used to build software so that quality is built in from the start.
QA asks:
“How can we prevent problems?”
It looks at the bigger picture — processes, requirements, development, testing, and how the team works.
Then, what is Testing?
Software testing is about checking the actual software to find problems and verify that it behaves as expected.
Testing asks:
“Does this actually work?”
For example:
A developer builds a login page.
A tester might check:
- Can a user log in with valid credentials?
- What happens with the wrong password?
- What if the email is empty?
- What if the password is empty?
- What happens after several failed attempts?
These checks can reveal defects before users do.
QA vs Testing
QA Testing Prevents quality problems Finds problems Process-focused Product-focused Starts early Happens throughout development Asks “How can we prevent defects?” Asks “Can we find defects?”They are different, but they work together.
What does a QA tester actually do?
A QA tester doesn’t simply click around looking for bugs.
They:
- Understand requirements
- Think about what could go wrong
- Design test cases
- Execute tests
- Report defects
- Retest fixes
- Perform regression testing
- Explore the software
- Communicate with developers and other team members
And perhaps most importantly:
They think like the user, and sometimes like the person trying to break the software.
What I’m learning
My biggest takeaway so far:
QA isn’t just about finding bugs. It’s about helping teams build better software.
That’s a much bigger responsibility than I initially thought.
Next:
I will learn how software actually gets built following SDLC, and where QA fits into the process.