How testing takes place. Tests in the software development process. Tools and infrastructure

This article provides an expanded list of questions (and answers) that a potential employer can ask software testers. The article is structured in a question-answer format, and, in particular, contains questions regarding test automation, certification ISTQB and CSTE and much more, which makes it possible to assess the level of preparation. We hope that after reading the article, you will be able to prepare for any interviews, or at least answer questions more confidently.

AT. What is dynamic testing?

O. This is testing by executing a code or program with different input values ​​and validating the results.

AT. What is GUI Testing?

O. GUI (Graphical User Interface) Testing: The interface of the software is tested to ensure it meets the requirements.

AT. What is formal testing?

O. Software verification, according to the test plan, test procedures and related documentation, taking into account the wishes of the client.

AT. What is risk-based testing?

O. The most important parts of the system are determined, then the order of their testing is established, then the actual testing follows.

AT. What is early testing?

O. Testing is done as early as possible to catch defects early in the SDLC. This allows faster detection and elimination of defects, saving costs.

AT. What is exhaustive testing?

O. Functionality testing, using invalid and valid input data and input conditions.

AT. What is defect accumulation?

O. Even a small module or functionality can contain a number of defects, so it is necessary to pay more attention to testing the functionality.

AT. What is the pesticide paradox?

O. If existing test cases fail to detect defects, it may be worth adding/revising the test cases so that more defects can be found.

AT. What is static testing?

O. Code verification manually without a program. In this process, problems are found in the code as it is reviewed and compared against requirements.

AT. What is positive testing?

O. Testing that is performed on an application to determine how well the system is performing. This approach is more commonly known as the "pass test".

AT. What is negative testing?

O. Testing negative scenarios in software: whether the system throws an error when it should or should not.

AT. What is end-to-end testing?

O. Testing the overall functionality of the system, including data integration in modules.

AT. What is Exploratory Testing?

O. This is a study of the application to get an idea of ​​its functionality, adding (or) changing existing test cases for better testing.

AT. What is Monkey Testing?

O. Testing an application without any plan, testing selective places to find some complex system failures, and then the defects that led to it.

AT. What is non-functional testing?

O. Validation of various non-functional aspects of the system, such as user interfaces, compatibility, performance, etc.

O. Checking how easy it is for end users to understand and manage the application.

O. It is checked how well all security conditions are implemented in the application.

O. Analysis of the effectiveness of various characteristics of the system - response time, overall performance in order to establish how quickly the system works under load.

AT. What is load testing?

O. Analysis of the functionality and performance of the application in different conditions.

AT. What stress-testing?

O. Checking the stability of the system in conditions of exceeding the limits of normal operation. Or reducing system resources and keeping the load at a certain level to check how applications behave.

AT. What is a process?

O. A process is a set of practices to achieve a specific goal; may include tools, methods, materials, and people.

AT. What is configuration management?

O. The process of finding, organizing and controlling changes in software development. Or a methodology for monitoring and managing a software development project.

O. Drafting:

• test plan
• Test scenarios
• test cases
• Execution of test cases
• Checking the results
• Reporting defects
• Defect tracking
• Closing Defects
• Test release

AT. How is CMMI stands for?

O. Capability Maturity Model Integration (Model of a maturity of development processes).

AT. What is program analysis?

O. Informal analysis of the source code of the program in order to identify defects and verify programming techniques.

O. Testing individual programs, modules or code elements.

AT. What is integration level testing?

O. Testing of relevant programs, modules (or) units of code.

AT. What is System Level Testing?

O. Testing of the entire computer system for all modules. This kind of testing can include functional and structural testing.

AT. What is alpha testing?

O. Testing the entire computer system before the User Testing (UAT) phase.

AT. What is UAT?

O. Testing of a computer system by a client to check if the system meets requirements.

AT. What is a test plan?

O. A document describing the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of the test, which defines the test items, individual pieces of functionality, test tasks, the people who will perform the specific tests, and any risks that require additional planning.

AT. What is a test script?

O. Identification of all possible test areas.

AT. What is ECP (Equivalence Class Partition)?

O. Method for generating test cases.

AT. What is a defect?

O. Any imperfection in the operation of the software. Or when the expected result does not match the actual operation of the application.

AT. What is criticality?

O. Defines the defect level from a functional point of view, i.e. how critical the defect is to the application.

AT. What is a priority?

O. Indicates the urgency of fixing the defect.

AT. What is retesting?

O. Retesting the application to see if the defects are fixed.

O. Verification of existing functional and non-functional areas after individual parts of the application have been changed or new functionality has been added.

AT. What is recovery testing?

O. The ability of the system to cope with some unexpected situations is checked.

AT. What is Globalization Testing?

O. The ability to run the application regardless of its geographical and cultural environment is being tested. The possibility of changing the language, date, format and currency is checked if the application is developed for users from several countries.

AT. What is localization testing?

O. Checking if the application is suitable for a particular local user group, cultural and geographical conditions.

AT. What is Installation Testing?

O. The ability to successfully install the software is checked, in accordance with the installation documentation.

AT. What is removal testing?

O. Checking the possibility of uninstalling the software.

AT. What is compatibility testing?

O. The compatibility of the application with other software and hardware is checked.

AT. What is a testing strategy?

O. This is the part of the test plan that describes how testing is done and what types of testing need to be done.

AT. What is a test case?

O. A test case is a set of specific steps by which the functionality of the system is tested.

AT. What is a business process validation test case?

O. This test case is written to test a certain condition or requirement.

AT. How is a good test determined?

O. A test case that has a high defect detection priority.

AT. What is use case testing?

O. Such testing determines whether the software has been designed according to the use case.

AT. What is the age of the defect?

O. The time between the discovery date and the defect closure date.

AT. What is a Showstopper Defect?

O. A defect that forces the testing process to stop.

O. This is the last stage of STLC. Management prepares test reports, explains project statistics based on available data.

AT. What is Bucket Testing?

O. Bucket Testing, or A/B testing. The most commonly studied effect of different design is a metric for websites. Two versions of the site run on one or more web pages to determine the difference in clicks.

AT. What are test start and end criteria?

O. Start Criteria - A process that must be present at the beginning of the system. It could be:

• SRS-software
• Use Case
• Test case
• Test plan

The completion criterion determines the readiness of the application for release. It could be:

• Test Report
• Metrics
• Test Analysis Report

AT. What is currency testing?

O. This is a complex user testing of simultaneous access to the application, to verify the impact on the code, module or database. Mainly detects deadlocks in the code.

O. Web application testing is done on a website to check loading, performance, security, functionality, interface, compatibility, and other usability related issues.

O. Element testing (or side testing) allows you to check the operation of individual modules of the source code.

AT. What is interface testing?

O. Interface testing checks the interaction of individual modules. Most commonly used to test the user interface of GUI applications.

AT. What is gamma testing?

O. Gamma testing is carried out when the software is ready for release, compliance with the requirements is checked.

A significant part of the production process relies on software testing. What it is and how such activities are carried out will be discussed in this article.

What is called testing?

This is understood as the process during which the software is executed in order to detect places of incorrect functioning of the code. Difficult input data sets are deliberately constructed to achieve the best result. The main goal of the verifier is to create optimal opportunities for failure. Although sometimes testing of the developed program can be simplified to the usual verification of functionality and performance of functions. This saves time, but is often accompanied by software unreliability, user dissatisfaction, and so on.

Efficiency

How well and quickly bugs are found has a significant impact on the cost and duration of developing software of the required quality. So, despite the fact that testers receive salaries several times less than programmers, the cost of their services usually reaches 30 - 40% of the cost of the entire project. This is due to the number of personnel, since looking for a mistake is an unusual and rather difficult process. But even if the software has passed a solid number of tests, there is no 100% guarantee that there will be no errors. We just don't know when they will show up. To incentivize testers to choose types of testing that are more likely to find an error, various means of motivation are used: both moral and material.

Approach to work

The optimal situation is when various mechanisms are implemented to ensure that there are no errors in the software from the very beginning. To do this, it is necessary to take care of competent architecture design, clear terms of reference, and it is also important not to make adjustments in connection when work on the project has already begun. In this case, the tester is faced with the task of finding and identifying a small number of errors that remain in the final result. This will save both time and money.

What is a test?

This is an important aspect of the verifier's activity, which is necessary for the successful identification of flaws in the program code. They are necessary in order to control the correctness of the application. What is included in the test? It consists of their initial data and values, which should be obtained as result (or intermediate). In order to more successfully identify problems and inconsistencies, tests should be written after the algorithm has been developed, but programming has not begun. Moreover, it is desirable to use several approaches when calculating the necessary data. In this case, the probability of finding an error increases due to the fact that you can examine the code from a different point of view. Comprehensive tests should provide verification of the external effects of the finished software product, as well as its operation algorithms. Of particular interest are the limiting and degenerate cases. Thus, in the practice of activities with errors, it is often possible to find that the cycle works one time less or more than it was planned. Also important is the testing of the computer, thanks to which you can check the compliance with the desired result on various machines. This is necessary in order to make sure that the software can run on all computers. In addition, testing the computer on which the development will be performed is important when creating multi-platform developments.

The art of finding bugs

Programs are often aimed at working with a huge amount of data. Does it really need to be created completely? No. The practice of "miniaturization" of the program has become widespread. In this case, there is a reasonable reduction in the amount of data compared to what should be used. Let's look at an example: there is a program that creates a 50x50 matrix. In other words, you must manually enter 2500 thousand values. This is certainly possible, but it will take a very long time. But to check the performance, the software product receives a matrix whose dimension is 5x5. To do this, you will need to enter 25 values ​​already. If in this case normal, error-free operation is observed, then this means that everything is in order. Although here, too, there are pitfalls, which lie in the fact that during miniaturization, a situation occurs, as a result of which changes become implicit and temporarily disappear. It is also very rare, but it still happens that new errors appear.

Pursued goals

Software testing is not an easy task due to the fact that this process cannot be fully formalized. Large programs almost never have the necessary precise reference. Therefore, a number of indirect data are used as a guide, which, however, cannot fully reflect the characteristics and functions of software developments that are being debugged. Moreover, they must be selected in such a way that the correct result is calculated even before the software product is tested. If this is not done in advance, then there is a temptation to consider everything approximately, and if the machine result falls into the intended range, then an erroneous decision will be made that everything is correct.

Verification in various conditions

As a rule, testing of programs takes place in the volumes that are necessary for a minimum verification of functionality within a limited range. The activity is carried out with a change in the parameters, as well as the conditions of their work. The testing process can be divided into three stages:

• Check under normal conditions. In this case, the main functionality of the developed software is tested. The result obtained should be as expected.
• Checking in emergency conditions. In these cases, it implies the receipt of boundary data, which can adversely affect the performance of the created software. An example is the work with extremely large or small numbers, or in general, the complete absence of information received.
• Exception check. It involves the use of data that lies beyond the processing. In such situations, it is very bad when the software perceives them as suitable for calculation and produces a plausible result. Care must be taken to reject any data that cannot be correctly processed in such cases. It is also necessary to provide information to the user about this.

Software testing: types

It is very difficult to create software without errors. This takes a significant amount of time. To get a good product, two types of testing are often used: "Alpha" and "Beta". What are they? When talking about alpha testing, then it means a check that the development staff itself conducts in “laboratory” conditions. This is the last stage of verification before the program is distributed to end users. Therefore, developers are trying to turn around to the maximum. For ease of operation, data can be logged to create a history of problems and fixes. Beta testing refers to the delivery of software to a limited number of users so that they can operate the program and identify missed bugs. A feature in this case is that often the software is used for purposes other than its intended purpose. Due to this, malfunctions will be detected where nothing was previously noticed. This is quite normal and you don't need to worry about it.

Completion of testing

If the previous stages were successfully completed, then it remains to conduct an acceptance test. In this case, it becomes a mere formality. During this check, it is confirmed that no additional problems are found and the software can be released to the market. The more important the final result will be, the more carefully the check should be carried out. It is necessary to ensure that all stages are completed successfully. This is what the whole testing process looks like. Now let's get into the technical details and talk about useful tools like test programs. What are they and in what cases are they used?

Automated testing

Previously, it was believed that the dynamic analysis of the developed software is too heavy an approach that is inefficient to use to detect defects. But due to the increase in the complexity and volume of programs, the opposite view has emerged. Automated testing is used where availability and security are the top priorities. And they should be for any input. Examples of programs for which such testing is appropriate include the following: network protocols, web server, sandboxing. We will next look at a few samples that can be used for such activities. If you are interested in free testing programs, then among them it is quite difficult to find high-quality ones. But there are hacked "pirated" versions of well-established projects, so you can turn to their services.

Avalanche

This tool helps to detect defects by testing programs in dynamic analysis mode. It collects data and analyzes the execution path of the developed object. The tester is provided with a set of input data that causes an error or bypasses a set of existing restrictions. Due to the presence of a good verification algorithm, a large number of possible situations are developed. The program receives various sets of input data that allow you to simulate a significant number of situations and create conditions where a failure is most likely to occur. An important advantage of the program is the use of a heuristic metric. If there is a problem, then an application error is found with a high probability. But this program has limitations like checking only one labeled input socket or file. When performing an operation such as testing programs, it will contain detailed information about the presence of problems with null pointers, infinite loops, incorrect addresses, or malfunctions due to the use of libraries. Of course, this is not a complete list of detected errors, but only their common examples. Unfortunately, the developers will have to fix the shortcomings - automatic tools are not suitable for these purposes.

KLEE

This is a good memory testing program. It can intercept about 50 system calls and a large number of virtual processes, thus executing in parallel and separately. But in general, the program does not look for individual suspicious places, but processes the maximum possible amount of code and analyzes the data transfer paths used. Because of this, the testing time of the program depends on the size of the object. When checking, the bet is made on symbolic processes. They are one of the possible ways to perform tasks in the program being tested. Thanks to parallel work, you can analyze a large number of options for the work of the application under study. For each path, after the end of its testing, the sets of input data from which the test began are saved. It should be noted that testing programs using KLEE helps to identify a large number of deviations that should not be. It can find problems even in applications that have been in development for decades.

Usability testing helps to increase the conversion of a site or an online store, find hidden intents and wishes of users, and make a decision on the development of additional functionality. This is not the only method of site research. Make a decision about the choice of method, based on the tasks. If needed

find flaws in the interface or check the convenience of user scenarios, test the usability of the site. When you want to compare the conversion of two landing options, it is better to do an A/B test.

The goals of testing are different for each company: someone is testing a prototype or concept, someone is testing hypotheses, someone is exploring user scenarios, so the methods and metrics are different. But the rules for conducting, the stages of preparation and the set of accompanying documentation are similar. Prepared detailed instructions on how to conduct usability testing of the site.

Where to begin

Targets and goals. Set the main goal of testing, which will determine the further direction: tasks, tasks, methods and choice of respondents. Based on the goal, formulate a problem or task. This may be a test of the developed product or a search for flaws after a redesign. For example, the company changed the design of the order form, after which the conversion decreased. With the help of testing, researchers will understand why this happened and what to do.

Hypotheses. Make a hypothesis that the study will confirm or disprove. Let's say that when booking a hotel, users order an airport transfer in a separate message without using a special order form. In this case, a variant of the hypothesis may be: “users do not understand that this is a form for ordering a transfer, or consider it cumbersome to fill out.”

Scenarios. Separately test user behavior scenarios - how people interact with the site. Each page has its own script. To create it, answer four questions:

1. Where did the user come from?
2. What should he see on this page?
3. For what purpose did he come to the page?
4. How should the visit end?

The user script doesn't have to be long and complicated. Sometimes the shorter the interaction, the better the conversion. For example, for a business that delivers cartridges, chargers, lenses, speed is important, so it is desirable that the user immediately understands that the delivery service suits him.

When different groups of visitors come to the site, develop their own behavior scenarios for each group. Let's say a wholesale and retail site has three groups of customers: large wholesalers, small wholesalers, and retail buyers. Create separate sections for each group and write scenarios based on the answers to the sample questions.

What can be measured

Quantitative Research always specific and focused, aimed at obtaining numerical indicators. This could be the time taken to complete an activity on the site, or the percentage of respondents who completed a task. Yes/no results can also be represented as numbers. For example, bring them into a binary system: yes - 1 point, no - 0 points.

Often in testing, the Jacob Nielsen method is used, which translates the results into a percentage and calculates the percentage of success. We recommend simplifying the rating scale and operating with three options:

• performed independently - 100%;
• we will do it with the help of a moderator - 50%;
• failed - 0%.

To determine how often users encounter problems, calculate their frequency. To do this, count the number of respondents who could not complete the task due to the same problem. Give test participants the same tasks, then the frequency indicator will be reliable.

Qualitative Research choose to get a lot of different comments, understand the mindset of users, find hidden problems. Testing is based on open and flexible questions. To do this, an interview is conducted, which shows the degree of satisfaction of the respondents. There are many methods and questionnaires for conducting qualitative research.

For example, the Kano model, which was developed by a Japanese scientist. With its help, find out not only the satisfaction with the current version of the site, but also the expectations of users. All respondents' answers are converted into points and ranked on a scale of expectations from "I like it" and "I expect it" to "I don't like it and I can't accept it." As a result, the researchers build a graph that shows what exactly the audience thinks:

• taken for granted;
• competitive advantage of the site;
• features that delight them;
• unimportant.

Based on the results of qualitative research, it is necessary to correctly interpret the results obtained. Perhaps the respondents will give many interesting proposals, but evaluate them in terms of technical implementation and development costs. In any case, try to understand exactly what need their proposal covers. This is necessary to find a way to improve the usability of the site that is suitable for your company.

Which method to choose

Observation- the simplest method: the respondent works as usual, the moderator watches and analyzes his actions. At the end, the respondent fills out a questionnaire and shares his impressions about the site. The method is good because the user interacts with the site naturally, he is not pressured by the surrounding circumstances.

But there is also a drawback: the respondent fills out the questionnaire after completing the test, so he may not remember exactly why he did it one way or another. This would then lead to a misinterpretation of the respondent's actions.

Thinking out loud. This popular method was proposed by Jakob Nielsen. Its essence lies in the fact that the user pronounces all his actions aloud. However, with such behavior, the respondents begin to take a more thoughtful approach to completing tasks, and part of the naturalness is lost.

Dialogue with the moderator. The method is most suitable for conducting qualitative research on prototypes and concepts. During testing, respondents actively communicate with the moderator, ask him questions and immediately give feedback.

shadow method. Three participants work simultaneously: a respondent, a moderator and an expert. The respondent freely and independently performs tasks, the moderator fixes, the expert comments on the respondent's actions.

Retrospective. It is a method that combines observation and "thinking out loud". First, the respondent performs tasks, then watches a video recording of his actions and comments on them. The main disadvantage is a significant increase in testing time.

How to test

Personal contact. Let the moderator establish friendly contact with the respondents. Talk about testing and its goals, point out to the participant that his answers will help the company make the product better. Conduct a brief briefing, in which explain the essence of the tasks, voice the testing procedure.

Documentation. Sign the necessary documents with the respondent: an agreement on the processing of personal data and a non-disclosure agreement for test results, if necessary. When children participate in testing, sign a document with parents confirming their consent to participate in the study.

trial testing necessary when the product is complex or the tasks may cause difficulties for respondents. This way they will become familiar with the site and understand the requirements. When you have a large and lengthy study, do a trial test before the main one. So you will find shortcomings in the preparation and eliminate them.

Remember

The user's interaction with the usability of each site must be efficient, productive and satisfying. Strive to meet user expectations. To do this, test prototypes, current or new site design. Conduct testing when problems arise or to improve current performance.

The material was prepared by Svetlana Sirvida-Llorente.

As you know, there are no static states in business. The company must constantly develop to meet the current market situation, the needs of customers and owners. Having stopped the development, the project immediately begins to degrade. For example, you cannot create an online store, add 200 products to the site and make a monthly profit of 100 thousand rubles. In order for the profitability of the project to at least not fall, the entrepreneur needs to constantly expand the assortment, increase the reach of the audience through advertising and publishing useful content, improve the site's behavioral metrics and conversion rate.

One of the tools for developing web projects is A/B testing. This method allows you to measure audience preferences and influence key site performance indicators, including conversions, time spent on the page, average order value, bounce rate, and other metrics. In this article, you will learn how to properly conduct A/B testing.

What is A/B Testing

A/B testing is a marketing technique used to measure and manage the performance of a web page. This method is also called split testing (from the English split testing - separate testing).

A/B testing allows you to evaluate the quantitative performance of two versions of a web page, as well as compare them with each other. Split testing also helps evaluate the effectiveness of page changes, such as adding new design elements or calls to action. The practical meaning of using this method is to find and implement page components that increase its effectiveness. Pay attention again, A / B testing is an applied marketing method with which you can influence the conversion, stimulate sales and increase the profitability of a web project.

Split testing starts with evaluating the metrics of an existing web page (A, control page) and looking for ways to improve it. For example, you have created an online store. Imagine this store's landing page with a 2% conversion rate. The marketer wants to increase this figure to 4%, so he plans changes that will help solve this problem.

Let's say a specialist thinks that changing the color of a conversion button from neutral blue to aggressive red will make it more visible. To see if this results in more sales and more conversions, the marketer creates an improved version of the web page (B, new page).

With the help of split testing tools, the expert randomly splits the traffic between pages A and B into two approximately equal parts. Relatively speaking, half of the visitors land on page A, and the other half on page B. At the same time, the marketer keeps traffic sources in mind. To ensure the validity and objectivity of testing, it is necessary to direct to pages A and B 50% of the visitors who came to the site from social networks, natural search, contextual advertising, etc.

After collecting enough information, the marketer evaluates the test results. As stated above, Page A's conversion rate is 2%. If it was 2.5% on Page B, then changing the conversion button from blue to red really increased the effectiveness of the landing. However, the conversion rate did not reach the desired 4%. Therefore, the marketer is further looking for ways to improve the page through A / B testing. In this case, the page with the red conversion button will act as a control page.

What to test

As noted above, split testing is an applied method that allows you to influence various website metrics. Therefore, the choice of the object of testing depends on the goals and objectives that the marketer sets for himself.

For example, if the bounce rate of a landing page is 99%, and most visitors leave the landing page within 2-3 seconds after landing, it is worth considering changing the visual components of the page. With the help of an A/B test, a marketer can find the best page layout option, choose an attractive color scheme and images, and use a readable font. And if the marketer is faced with the task of increasing the number of subscriptions, he can try to change the corresponding conversion form. A split test will help a specialist choose the optimal button color, the best text option, the number of fields in the subscription form, or its location.

Most often, marketers test the following elements of web pages:

• The text and appearance of the conversion buttons, as well as their location.
• Title and description of the product.
• Dimensions, appearance and location of conversion forms.
• Page layout and design.
• The price of the product and other elements of the business proposal.
• Product images and other illustrations.
• The amount of text on a page.

What split testing tools to use

To perform A/B testing, a marketer needs to use one of the specialized services. The most popular of these is Google's Content Experiments, available to users of the Analytics system. Until mid-2012, this tool was called Google Website Optimizer. With it, you can test various page elements, including headings, fonts, conversion buttons and forms, images, and more. The Content Experiments service remains free, which is one of its main advantages. Its disadvantages include the need to work with HTML code.

You can also use the following Russian and foreign tools for split testing:

• Optimizely is the most popular paid A/B testing service on the internet. The cost of using it ranges from $19 to $399 depending on the type of subscription. The advantages of this service include the ability to create experiments in a visual interface, which saves the marketer from having to work with the HTML code of the pages being tested.
• RealRoi.ru is another domestic service that allows you to conduct A / B testing. Among the main advantages, one can single out that it is free and very easy to use. You can see how it works in detail in the following video:
• Visual Website Optimizer is a paid service that allows you to test various elements of a page. To use this tool, a marketer needs to be familiar with HTML code. Subscription prices range from $49 to $249.
• Unbounce is a service designed to create and optimize landing pages. In particular, it allows you to perform A / B testing. The cost of using it is from 50 to 500 dollars per month. Domestic analogue - LPGenerator. This service allows you to test only the pages created with it.

How to A/B Test with Content Experiments

The Google Analytics Experiments service allows you to simultaneously test the effectiveness of five variations of a page. Using it, marketers can perform A/B/N testing, which differs from standard A/B experiments by the ability to monitor the performance of several new pages, each of which can have several new elements.

The marketer has the ability to independently determine the proportion of traffic involved in testing. The minimum duration of the test is two weeks, the maximum is limited to three months. The specialist can receive data on the test results by e-mail.

To split test with Content Experiments, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Analytics account, select the site you want to test the performance of. After that, select the "Behavior - Experiments" menu.

1. Enter the URL of the page you will be testing in the appropriate form and click the "Start Experiment" button.

1. Choose a name and purpose for testing. Determine the percentage of traffic participating in the experiment. Decide if you want to receive email notifications of test progress. Click the "Next" button after selecting the required options.

1. Select the variations of the page to be tested. Add them to the appropriate forms and click next.

1. Create an experiment code. If you don't know how to embed it on the page, select the "Send Code to Webmaster" option. If you don't break a sweat at the mention of HTML code, select the "Insert Code Manually" option.

Choose "Insert code manually" if you know how to handle HTML code

1. Copy the code marked in the previous illustration and paste it into the source code of the control page. The code must be inserted directly after the tag . After completing this action, click the "Save Changes" button.

1. Check for the test code on the control page and click the "Start Experiment" button. Note that the code only needs to be added to the control page.

You will be able to evaluate the first test results in a few days after the start of the experiment. To keep track of test results, select the appropriate experiment from the list and go to the reports page.

Ideas that should definitely be tested with split testing

As noted above, A/B testing helps increase the effectiveness of web pages. For this marketing method to bring results, the marketer must generate ideas that can positively influence certain site metrics. You can’t just take any changes from the ceiling, implement them and test the effectiveness. For example, site metrics are unlikely to change if you simply decide to change the page background from blue to light green.

A marketer needs to see ways to improve pages and understand why they should work. Split testing simply helps to test the specialist's assumptions. However, every marketer sometimes finds himself in a situation where all ideas have been tested, but the desired result has not been achieved. If you find yourself in this situation, try implementing the following changes and see if they work:

• Remove extra fields from the conversion form. Perhaps your potential subscribers do not want to disclose their passport details.
• Add the words “free” or free to the conversion page. Of course, the audience knows that subscription to the newsletter is free. But sometimes the word free works real miracles, because free vinegar is sweet.
• Post a video to your landing page. This usually has a positive effect on a number of metrics, including bounce rate, conversion rate, and time on page.
• Increase the period during which users can test your product for free. This is a simple and effective way to increase conversions for companies selling software and web services.
• Experiment with the color of the conversion buttons. In some cases, aggressive red buttons work well. However, sometimes they annoy users. Use an A/B test to find the most effective button color for your website.
• Promise bonuses to the first 10 or 100 buyers (subscribers). Do not rush to remove this promise even after the end of the promotion. Many users do not expect to be among the lucky ones, but still subconsciously react to a profitable offer.

How and why to test different variations of pages

Split testing allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of changes to web pages. This marketing method has applied value. It allows you to almost constantly improve pages by improving various metrics.

To test this or that change, you need to create a new version of the page and save the old one. Both options must have different URLs. After that, you should use one of the services for conducting split tests, for example, Content Experiments. Evaluation of test results can be carried out at least two weeks after the start of the experiment.

Do you think it's worth doing A/B testing? In what cases does this marketing method remain a waste of time?

Today, many companies and training centers are turning their attention to online testing, having felt all the benefits that this tool for testing knowledge and skills brings. Therefore, more and more questions arise about how such testing is carried out, what requirements are imposed on the software and how to control the objectivity of the results. We will consider all relevant issues in this article.

What is online testing?

We all remember student times when we entered the classroom with trembling hands and answered the teacher's questions during the exam. People experience similar emotions during the interview, trying to show their best side and demonstrate their knowledge. It is easy to see that both procedures have much in common and usually require the personal presence of the participants.

But what if the students or job applicants are in other cities? Paying for relocation to job seekers is an expensive undertaking. This is also true for people studying remotely in training centers. It is to solve these problems that an online testing system is needed - a way to examine and determine a person's skills via the Internet. All you need is a computer and internet access.

Usually, online testing is used in various forms - these can be questionnaires, language and numerical tests, abstract-logical tasks. Sometimes you need to give oral answers to the questions of the program. Methods are always different and they depend on the goals that the organization sets.

Online testing for training centers

Testing in training centers is a tool that makes it possible to objectively assess the knowledge and skills of a large number of students with minimal time and financial resources. Online tests are always positively perceived and can be carried out in a general manner or on an individual schedule, as a kind of independent work of students.

This tool, built on the basis of a distance learning system (LMS), has gained great popularity, because it allows you to significantly expand the audience and customize tests for the individual needs of each training center. Gone are the days of paperwork associated with testing students.

Information technologies provide today a wide range of methods and techniques for organizing computer-based knowledge testing. Online testing can be organized very quickly, just when it is most relevant and in demand. And a specialist will be able to do this on his own, with minimal experience in owning a PC. These reasons have led to the popularity of the remote method of testing knowledge in private training centers and public universities.

Online Assessment for HR departments

Currently, professional testing is used as the first stage of selection not only in many large companies, but also in small firms. Applicants must complete automated online tests to determine the behavior, motivation, abilities and knowledge of candidates.

This form of verification can also be used in the process of corporate staff training as a way to monitor progress. Thanks to this system, the real qualities of employees, their psychological and professional characteristics, compliance with the requirements of job positions, as well as identifying the potential of specialists are checked.

The main advantage of such testing can be called the convenience of organization and cost-effectiveness. Do not forget about objectivity, because everyone is equal before the computer. The applicant for the position or employee will be able to freely focus on the answers, showing the true level of knowledge. However, it is worth noting that such a test cannot completely replace personal communication and give an absolutely accurate idea of ​​the skills of the subjects.

Organization of online testing

To conduct an examination on the basis of a company or a training center, it is necessary to deploy the corresponding module in the distance learning system. Most often, commercial extensions (modules) for LMS Moodle are used - this system is free and installation on the server takes no more than 10 minutes. There are also ready-made online services for testing knowledge, but you cannot give a full guarantee of the objectivity of systems that you do not administer.

It is important that the basic functions (creating, conducting, checking tests) are implemented in the module with high quality. Before starting work, the user must fill out the registration form, get his individual number. One of the main requirements for the organization of testing is the developed system for evaluating the results. Usually, one point is given for a correct answer, zero for an incorrect one. But there are also more complex scoring algorithms that are used in psychological and other highly specialized tests.

How to evaluate the Online Assessment module?

When choosing a solution for online testing, first of all, you need to pay attention to its functionality and ease of use. Therefore, the following requirements are usually imposed on modules:

• Access to testing and administration through a regular web browser.
• Ability to add files of any format with a link to them from articles.
• A high-quality reporting system based on test results with the output of diagrams.
• Ability to create psychological tests.
• Support for ipv6 standard.
• Customizable grading system for each test (scores, percentages).
• Use of media content in test questions.
• The presence of different types of questions: multiple choice, single choice, arbitrary input.
• Automatic test verification.
• Convenient and Russified interface.

Results control

With a remote form of testing and examination, the key problem is control over the reliability of the results. That is why special measures are taken to minimize the possibility of fraud and ensure the objectivity of testing:

• Access to educational resources is carried out only by individual passwords or identifiers.
• Ciphers and encodings are used to protect tests from unauthorized access from outside.
• Test programs are run by administrators only with a password.
• Use of additional technical means (webcams).
• Time limit for response, use of random mixing of answer options.
• The use of statistical protection during testing is the evaluation of these protocols with special algorithms that allow you to detect forgery.

These and other methods are designed to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the testing carried out and have already proven their effectiveness. But of course, the main guarantee is the professionalism and well-coordinated work of responsible employees during the examination.

As you can see, the online testing system has become widespread and has long been implemented by many companies, not only because it is an extremely profitable, economical solution, but also because it allows you to quickly organize knowledge testing, getting the most objective result.

I believe that with the help of high-quality content, you can overtake competitors, win the trust of the reader and turn him into a grateful client.