---
title: "Testing IT systems in quality control"
subject: "ICT Project Management"
chapter: 10
key: "semester_7/ict_project_management:testing-it-systems"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/testing-it-systems
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Testing IT systems in quality control

ICT Project Management · Chapter 10: Project quality management

- Asked in: year not given
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/ict_project_management/testing-it-systems
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/ict_project_management/chapter-10

## Question

What are testing IT systems in the quality control process?

## Short answer

Testing executes a system to find defects and verify requirements. Levels are unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing; types include functional, performance, security, usability, and regression. It provides evidence of conformance, and defects are logged, tracked, and retested until fixed.

## Answer

Testing is the process of executing a system or component with the purpose of finding defects and verifying that it meets requirements. In project quality control, testing is the main way of checking IT deliverables. The testing activities are organised in levels and types.

#### Levels of testing
```text
Requirements <-------------> Acceptance test
Design       <-------------> System test
Module design<-------------> Integration test
Coding       <-------------> Unit test
         (V-model)
```
1. **Unit testing**: tests individual modules/functions in isolation, done by developers (white-box).
2. **Integration testing**: tests interfaces between modules (top-down, bottom-up, big-bang).
3. **System testing**: tests the complete integrated system against the requirements specification (functional and non-functional).
4. **Acceptance testing**: customer or users check the system meets business needs; alpha (at developer site) and beta (at user site) testing; UAT.

#### Types of testing
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Functional | Features work as specified |
| Performance / load / stress | Speed and behaviour under heavy load |
| Security | Resistance to attacks, access control |
| Usability | Ease of use |
| Compatibility | Different browsers, devices, OS |
| Regression | Previous features still work after change |
| Recovery | System recovers after failure |
| Black-box / white-box | Without/with knowledge of code |

#### Role in quality control
- Provides evidence of conformance to requirements.
- Defects are logged, prioritised and tracked until fixed and retested.
- Test results go into quality control measurements and decisions on acceptance.

#### Test management
Test plan, test cases, test data, test environment, test tools (automation), defect tracking tool, test reports.

**Example:** A banking portal passes unit tests by developers, integration tests for the payment gateway, a load test for 5,000 users and UAT by bank staff before go-live.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. In the V-model, which test level is paired with the Requirements phase?
   A. Unit test
   B. Acceptance test
   C. Integration test
   D. System test
   Answer: B. Requirements are checked by acceptance testing; design by system test, module design by integration, coding by unit test. (Key point: Levels in the V-model)

2. Who normally performs unit testing and how?
   A. Customers, testing the whole system in black-box mode
   B. Testers, testing only interfaces between modules
   C. Developers, testing individual modules in isolation (white-box)
   D. Users at their own site before go-live
   Answer: C. Unit tests are done by developers on individual modules in isolation using knowledge of the code. (Key point: Unit testing)

3. What is the purpose of regression testing?
   A. To measure speed under heavy load
   B. To check the system recovers after failure
   C. To check ease of use
   D. To confirm previous features still work after a change
   Answer: D. Regression testing re-checks existing functions after changes. (Key point: Regression testing)

4. Which statement about acceptance testing is correct?
   A. Alpha testing is at the developer site and beta testing is at the user site
   B. Alpha testing is at the user site and beta at the developer site
   C. Both are done by developers only
   D. Both test individual modules
   Answer: A. Alpha is done at the developer site; beta at the user site. (Key point: Alpha vs beta)

## Related in ICT Project Management

- [Quality control process](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Aquality-control-process) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10
- [Test life cycle in quality control](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fict_project_management%3Atest-life-cycle) — ICT Project Management, chapter 10

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