11 Essential Software Testing Terms Every Tester Should Know
Whether you’re new to software development or looking to level up your quality assurance (QA) skills, understanding Software Testing Terms is a vital first step. These terms form the foundation of clear communication, accurate planning, and successful test execution across the entire software development lifecycle.
In any development process, misunderstandings between testers, developers, and stakeholders can lead to costly delays, buggy releases, and frustrated users.
By learning the core vocabulary of software testing, you’ll gain the clarity and confidence needed to contribute meaningfully to your team, identify issues early, and ensure high-quality releases.
This list of essential Software Testing Terms is designed for aspiring testers, developers, product managers, and anyone involved in building or shipping software. Whether you’re writing your first test case or working to improve test coverage across complex systems, these concepts will help you speak the language of quality with precision.
Software Testing Terms
Test Case
A set of conditions or steps used to verify that a specific feature or function of a software application works as intended.
Bug (Defect)
An error, flaw, or fault in a software program that causes it to behave unexpectedly or produce incorrect results.
Test Plan
A document outlining the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of testing activities for a project.
Regression Testing
Testing was performed to confirm that new changes haven’t broken existing functionality.
Unit Testing
A type of testing where individual components or functions of software are tested in isolation.
Integration Testing
Testing the interaction between integrated modules to ensure they work together correctly.
System Testing
End-to-end testing of the complete, integrated system to verify it meets specified requirements.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Testing is performed by the end users to validate whether the software meets business needs and is ready for deployment.
Test Automation
The use of software tools to execute tests automatically improves efficiency and repeatability.
Test Coverage
A measure of how much of the application’s code or functionality is tested by the test cases.
Software Tester
A Specialist who is not here to make us happy — they’re here to show us the truth about the software. Their role is grounded in objectivity, critical thinking, and a commitment to quality over comfort.
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