During our testing careers, many of us are given the "opportunity" to test a system with which we have no experience-where the domain, the technology, or both are completely new to us. Rather than saying "Sorry, I can't do this job", perhaps you should embrace the opportunity, accept the challenge, and dive in! David Hayman shares the story of his journey testing a system that was new to him-establishing what he knew, what he thought he knew, what he didn't know and had to learn-and dealing with many surprises along the way. During his journey, David elicited the help of friends and colleagues, found surprising sources of information about the system, and discovered new inspiration and determination from within. His lessons learned illustrate an approach you can use to establish and develop new testing skills while working within the bounds of limited knowledge.

While automated testing is not new, it has undergone a resurgence in recent years. A combination of matured technology and continually increasing pressure to deliver more value has put a greater focus on finding efficiencies within testing. However, having the right automated testing tools is not enough. Nazar Hossain shares what he has found to be the key factors common to organizations that successfully use automated testing. First, have a comprehensive end-to-end process to manage and measure the success of automation efforts. Second, integrate test automation into the overall system development framework, making it an integral part of the project. This requires a well-engineered automation framework, automation development practices, and a close connection with the change management system.

Many of us have struggled with test estimation. We have tried simple, heuristic models to craft a best guess-often without much success. We have also tried using a variety of complex, scientific models to calculate an accurate number. The problem is, we are usually fooled by the models-both simple and complex ones-and either overestimate testing needs or are lulled into impossible commitments. Lynn McKee and Nancy Kelln explore the realities of test estimation and propose a new mindset for handling estimation requests. In an interactive format, Nancy and Lynn demonstrate that the best estimate may be no estimate at all. By shifting the focus from estimating to negotiating, you’ll learn how to reveal the often obscured but already determined available time for testing.

Arguments that moving testing forward in the software lifecycle maximizes the return on investment of testing effort have been made and widely accepted. And it is hard to argue with the results. Software is getting better. But what if a shift away from early cycle testing toward late cycle testing could improve quality even more?