Testing Basics

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How do I conduct effective and efficient testing?

When and why should I test?


Questions addressed:
Use testing to make sure your Now Platform® is properly configured to help you achieve your outcomes and to save time and
Page 1: money. Conduct testing whenever you make changes to the ServiceNow® platform, such as upgrades, patches, hot fixes, or
new releases, to:
• When and why
should I test? • Validate applications being developed meet your requirements, needs, and expectations
• Verify that the applications being developed conform to the specifications defined in user development stories
• What are the
different types of
What are the different types of testing I should conduct?
testing I should
conduct?
Page 2: • A unit is the smallest testable software component (e.g., objects, components, modules).
Story/unit testing • Use unit testing to focus on programming errors, testing units in isolation to verify that the
• What should I test? code unit works as required.
• What is the
difference between • System testing assesses the system holistically and includes integration testing to make
manual and System testing sure the units work together.
automated testing? • Use system testing to verify overall specifications are met and to validate the system
works for its intended purpose.
Page 3:
• How do I conduct • User acceptance testing (UAT), completed by end users, is the final validation stage.
testing in User acceptance testing • Conduct UAT to get customer/business validation that the platform has been set up
ServiceNow? correctly to meet business outcomes.

If you have any questions Related resources


on this topic or you would
like to be a contributor to • Success Quick Answer – When and how should I use ATF?
future ServiceNow best • Success Quick Answer – What best practices should I consider when creating ATF tests?
practice content, please
contact us. • Now Community post – Getting Started with ATF Guide and Best Practices

1 © 2021 ServiceNow, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


How do I conduct effective and efficient testing? (Cont.)
What should I test?
Take a risk-based approach when you determine what to test, starting with the most business-critical items. Follow these steps to get started:

1 Identify your most 2 Within that application, 3 Within that application 4 Focus your testing on 5 Use the quick start tests
business-critical identify your business- and its process flows, these configurations provided by default as
processes and critical flow. identify your unique and what is unique to guidance for the types
applications and configurations. your instance. of things you should be
choose one. For example, for testing and to jump-
Incidents, choose your Don’t try to test start creating your own
top 10–20 user process everything or out-of- tests.
flows. the-box configuration
that ServiceNow has
already tested.

What is the difference between manual and automated testing?


ServiceNow supports both automated and manual testing. Automated testing uses automation tools to execute test cases, while manual test cases
are executed by a human tester.

Manual testing Automated Testing


Manual testing is not always accurate due to human error, making it less
Automated testing is more reliable since it’s performed by tools and/or scripts.
reliable.
Automated testing is executed by software tools, so it’s significantly faster
Manual testing is time consuming, taking up human resources.
than a manual approach.
Investment is required for human resources. Investment is required to install and set up testing tools.
Manual testing is only practical when the test cases are run once or twice Automated testing is a practical option when the test cases are run
and when frequent repetition isn’t required. repeatedly over a long time period.
Manual testing allows for human observation, which may be more useful if the Automated testing does not entail human observation and cannot
goal is user-friendliness or an improved customer experience. guarantee user-friendliness or a positive customer experience.

2 © 2021 ServiceNow, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


How do I conduct effective and efficient testing? (Cont.)
How do I conduct testing in ServiceNow?

Manual testing Automated testing

How to get started: Use the ServiceNow Test Management application to create Use the ServiceNow ATF application to create and run
and manage manual software testing. automated tests on you ServiceNow instance.

(ATF is used for both implementations and release upgrades)


When to use: Exploratory testing – Requires the tester’s knowledge, Regression testing – Running tests that have been run before,
experience, analytical/logical skills, creativity, and intuition. using a standardized, repeatable process. Automated testing
Human skills are needed to execute the testing process due to reduces testing time and cost.
limited specification documentation, and/or a short time for
execution. Repeated execution – Testing that requires the repeated
execution of a task is best automated.
Usability testing – Measures how user friendly, efficient, or
convenient the software or product is for end users. Here,
human observation is the most important factor, so a manual
approach is preferable.

Ad hoc testing – An unplanned method of testing where the


understanding and insight of the tester is the only important
factor.

3 © 2021 ServiceNow, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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