23/07/2025, 13:09 Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) - GeeksforGeeks
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Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)
Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025
The Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is a process that verifies whether the
Software Quality meets the expectations or not. STLC is an important process
that provides a simple approach to testing through the step-by-step process,
which we are discussing here. Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is a
fundamental part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Phases of STLC
There are six major phases of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) that we
are discussing here in detail.
Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)
1. Requirement Analysis
Requirement Analysis is the first step of the Software Testing Life Cycle
(STLC). In this phase quality assurance team understands the requirements like
what is to be tested. If anything is missing or not understandable then the
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quality assurance team meets with the stakeholders to better understand the
detailed knowledge of requirements
The activities that take place during the Requirement Analysis stage include:
Reviewing the software requirements document (SRD) and other related
documents
Interviewing stakeholders to gather additional information
Identifying any ambiguities or inconsistencies in the requirements
Identifying any missing or incomplete requirements
Identifying any potential risks or issues that may impact the testing process
Creating a requirement traceability matrix (RTM) to map requirements to test
cases
At the end of this stage, the testing team should have a clear understanding of
the software requirements and should have identified any potential issues that
may impact the testing process. This will help to ensure that the testing
process is focused on the most important areas of the software and that the
testing team is able to deliver high-quality results.
2. Test Planning
Test Planning is the most efficient phase of the software testing life cycle
where all testing plans are defined. In this phase manager of the testing, team
calculates the estimated effort and cost for the testing work. This phase gets
started once the requirement-gathering phase is completed.
The activities that take place during the Test Planning stage include:
Identifying the testing objectives and scope
Developing a test strategy: selecting the testing methods and techniques
that will be used
Identifying the testing environment and resources needed
Identifying the test cases that will be executed and the test data that will be
used
Estimating the time and cost required for testing
Identifying the test deliverables and milestones
Assigning roles and responsibilities to the testing team
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At the end of this stage, the testing team should have a detailed plan for the
testing activities that will be performed, and a clear understanding of the
testing objectives, scope, and deliverables. This will help to ensure that the
testing process is well-organized and that the testing team is able to deliver
high-quality results.
3. Test Case Development
The Test Case Development phase gets started once the test planning phase is
completed. In this phase testing team notes down the detailed test cases. The
testing team also prepares the required test data for the testing. When the test
cases are prepared then they are reviewed by the quality assurance team.
The activities that take place during the Test Case Development stage include:
Identifying the test cases that will be developed
Writing test cases that are clear, concise, and easy to understand
Creating test data and test scenarios that will be used in the test cases
Identifying the expected results for each test case
Reviewing and validating the test cases
Updating the requirement traceability matrix (RTM) to map requirements to
test cases
At the end of this stage, the testing team should have a set of comprehensive
and accurate test cases that provide adequate coverage of the software or
application. This will help to ensure that the testing process is thorough and
that any potential issues are identified and addressed before the software is
released.
4. Test Environment Setup
Test Environment Setup is an important part of the STLC. Basically, the test
environment decides the conditions on which software is tested. This is
independent activity and can be started along with test case development. In
this process, the testing team is not involved. either the developer or the
customer creates the testing environment.
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In Test Execution, after the test case development and test environment setup
test execution phase gets started. In this phase testing team starts executing
test cases based on prepared test cases in the earlier step.
The activities that take place during the test execution stage of the Software
Testing Life Cycle (STLC) include:
Test execution: The test cases and scripts created in the test design stage
are run against the software application to identify any defects or issues.
Defect logging: Any defects or issues that are found during test execution
are logged in a defect tracking system, along with details such as the
severity, priority, and description of the issue.
Test data preparation: Test data is prepared and loaded into the system for
test execution
Test environment setup: The necessary hardware, software, and network
configurations are set up for test execution
Test execution: The test cases and scripts are run, and the results are
collected and analyzed.
Test result analysis: The results of the test execution are analyzed to
determine the software's performance and identify any defects or issues.
Defect retesting: Any defects that are identified during test execution are
retested to ensure that they have been fixed correctly.
Test Reporting: Test results are documented and reported to the relevant
stakeholders.
It is important to note that test execution is an iterative process and may need
to be repeated multiple times until all identified defects are fixed and the
software is deemed fit for release.
6. Test Closure
Test Closure is the final stage of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) where
all testing-related activities are completed and documented. The main
objective of the test closure stage is to ensure that all testing-related activities
have been completed and that the software is ready for release.
At the end of the test closure stage, the testing team should have a clear
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issues that were identified during testing should have been resolved. The test
closure stage also includes documenting the testing process and any lessons
learned so that they can be used to improve future testing processes
Test closure is the final stage of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) where
all testing-related activities are completed and documented. The main
activities that take place during the test closure stage include:
Test summary report: A report is created that summarizes the overall
testing process, including the number of test cases executed, the number of
defects found, and the overall pass/fail rate.
Defect tracking: All defects that were identified during testing are tracked
and managed until they are resolved.
Test environment clean-up: The test environment is cleaned up, and all test
data and test artifacts are archived.
Test closure report: A report is created that documents all the testing-
related activities that took place, including the testing objectives, scope,
schedule, and resources used.
Knowledge transfer: Knowledge about the software and testing process is
shared with the rest of the team and any stakeholders who may need to
maintain or support the software in the future.
Feedback and improvements: Feedback from the testing process is
collected and used to improve future testing processes
It is important to note that test closure is not just about documenting the
testing process, but also about ensuring that all relevant information is shared
and any lessons learned are captured for future reference. The goal of test
closure is to ensure that the software is ready for release and that the testing
process has been conducted in an organized and efficient manner.
Read More: Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Conclusion
Here we learned the process of Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC), and we
discussed the all phases in detail. If you want to learn more about the Software
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