Testing Metrics: Measure your Testing Success (Part 1)
- Neha Sehgal
- May 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 12
Measuring Requirements for effective Test Planning
Remember, the time when software testing was often viewed as a post-development activity and not alongside. This reactive approach of catching bugs while product was about to be released had proven to be inefficient and costly. So now, with the modern philosophy of Shift-left testing, placing emphasis on QA from the earlier stages of SDLC, particularly Requirement Analysis phase is critical.
Studies reveal that a defect introduced during requirements can be more expensive to fix than if it was found during design or coding. The cost can multiply even more times if the same defect is discovered by an end-user in production, leading to financial losses and reputational damage.
This is why leveraging testing metrics during requirement phase is crucial. Here, in this blog we will look at few basic metrics one should consider during this phase.
Requirement Completeness
This measures the rate of fully defined and documented requirements ensuring no critical functionality is missing.
Formula:
Requirement Completeness(%) =
(Number of complete requirements/Total number of requirements) × 100Target: 95% or higher to maintain clarity and prevent issues in later development stages.
Feature Mapping
This metric assesses how well each requirement aligns with system features to verify coverage and prevent missing functionalities.
Formula:
Feature Mapping(%) =
(Number of mapped features/Total identified features) × 100Target: 100% to guarantee all identified features are properly linked to requirements.
Ambiguity Detection Rate
This detects the unclear, conflicting or incomplete requirements that should be resolved for better clarity.
Formula:
Ambiguity Detection Rate(%) =
(Ambiguous requirements identified/Total reviewed requirements) × 100Target: 5% or lower to ensure well-defined and unambiguous requirements.
Requirement Volatility
This monitors the frequency of requirement changes over time to identify potential risks, manage scope creeps and ensure project stability.
Formula:
Requirement Volatility(%) =
(Number of changed requirements/Total initial requirements) × 100Target: 10% or lower for greater stability in project requirements.
Testability Score
This evaluates how easily requirements can be tested to ensure they are clear, measurable and verifiable.
Formula:
Testability Score(%) =
(Number of testable requirements/Total number of requirements) × 100Target: 90% or higher to validate most requirements through testing.
Sprint Metrics Matrix
Take a look at the matrix below for a new feature being worked upon to help you make informed decisions based on these metrics.
Sprint/ Metric | Requirement Completeness | Feature Mapping | Ambiguity Detection Rate | Requirement Volatility | Testability Score | Report |
1 | 50% | 20% | 80% | 70% | 70% | Ambiguous requirements |
2 | 70% | 50% | 70% | 60% | 70% | Incomplete, unclear requirements. |
3 | 80% | 80% | 50% | 50% | 80% | Need clarity |
4 | 95% | 100% | 20% | 50% | 90% | Ready to map with features |
While these are the top five metrics to consider in a testing project, the specific metrics may vary based on the project's nature and complexity.
We’d love to hear from you! Share the testing metrics you use during this phase and how they help in strategizing and evaluating your testing process.
Additionally, check out the references at the end for further insights on the topic.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where we’ll explore key testing metrics for the Test Planning phase.
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