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Critical path test

Critical path test

Critical path test – the main type of test, during which the relevant elements and functions of the application are checked for proper operation with their standard use. In practice, most often at this level of testing the bulk of product requirements are checked. For example, choosing a font, typing, inserting pictures, etc.

Critical path testing is aimed at exploring the functionality used by typical users in typical daily activities. The idea is borrowed from project management and transformed in the context of testing into the following: there are most users who most often use a certain subset of the application functions. It is these functions that need to be checked as soon as we were convinced that the application “works in principle” (the smoke test was successful). If for some reason the application does not perform these functions or performs them incorrectly, many users will not be able to achieve many of their goals. The threshold value of the metric of successfully passing the “test of the critical path” is usually about 70–80–90%, depending on the essence of the project.

Critical path test can be both positive and negative:

A positive test of the critical path is a test of the software product functionality that the user faces daily.

A negative test of the critical path is a test of various options for non-standard use of the functionality used by the user every day.

ComponentSubcomponentCheck
Sign InEntering loginValidation of the entered data
Password
Sign In
AccountsList of added accountsSelection of accounts for publication
PublicationCreationText input, preview, add pictures
EditingAdding / removing material for publication
PlanningTiming of posting
PublishingPost publication
Post statusReview
DeletingRemove post from the timeline and from the social network (with appropriate settings)
ExitExit from the service

The critical path test is one of the most common types of functional testing in particular for web projects. The frequency of this test is primarily due to the need to periodically check the entire application in a short time. Plus, it allows you to identify the most quickly found defects and fix the application in a shorter time.

With this type of testing, all scenarios of the standard use of the application are covered, excluding negative scenarios. This type also characterizes testing by its depth.

This is the critical way by which we check the correctness of the frequently used functions, namely: the ability to enter the site, select accounts for publication, create and publish a post.