Unveiling the 2024 State of Testing

The 2024 State of Testing™ Report - now in its 11th year - shines a spotlight on the current state of software testing and what the future holds.

Over the last year, there have been changes in data privacy, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and the global supply chain, while demand for digital services continues to rise. The growing popularity of AI has put a spotlight on ethical responsibility alongside rapid technological innovation. Business leaders, technology executives, seasoned QA professionals, software developers, and testers are facing challenges in automation, defect management, and more.

Let’s dive in and explore the top trends and key takeaways of the report.

The Rise of Test-Driven Development

This year, we saw a significant increase in test-driven development, or TDD. 23% of survey participants said that their organizations follow TDD approaches, compared to 18% last year. This growth indicates stronger support for the shifting left approach.

TDD is emerging as a key element of agile development, emphasizing the importance of writing tests before the actual code is implemented. This process is a more proactive approach, which helps teams identify potential issues and address them before they make it into production. The result is improved software reliability and performance. As more complex software is developed, TDD will continue to play a vital role in helping companies deliver high-quality software to their end-users.

Getting Comfortable With Automation

Few things have changed software development more than automation. By automating previously manual, time-consuming, and repetitive tasks, testers and QA managers can focus their efforts on more critical areas of testing, saving time and costs.

At the same time, automation still requires human involvement. Testers need to write automation scripts, but many testers feel uncomfortable writing them. Automation shows no signs of slowing down. That means that QA managers will need to ensure their teams have the necessary skills to remain competitive. Testers will need to strengthen their automation skills in order to be attractive to employers and elevate their careers.

Testing Tools: The Secret Sauce of Impactful QA

It’s all about the tools. Like a chef needing top-notch kitchen tools to prepare a five-star meal, robust software testing requires exceptional tools to help testers deliver high-quality software.

Modern testing tools play a pivotal role in supporting quality assurance work. They help create a test repository to eliminate repetitive test creation, support seamless integration, enable detailed reporting, and capture real-time insights into project progress and performance. The better tools QA teams have, the better the outcome of their testing efforts.

AI Testing Tools - Are We There Yet?

There’s no doubt that AI has been THE buzzword of the year. AI is on the tip of everyone’s tongue, with implications for many industries including finance, healthcare, education, construction, manufacturing, gaming, e-commerce, and more.

What about AI in testing? It can help companies increase efficiency throughout their testing processes, from test case creation to planning and more. Surprisingly, many testers don’t use AI tools just yet, although they see the impact it can have on improving efficiency and handling complex test cases. While AI-based testing tools can be leveraged to boost testing work, it seems that QA teams aren’t quite there yet.

Taking Care of Business

Did you know? 50% of organizations don’t measure the costs of defects escaping into production. What about the rest? According to the survey, metrics such as test coverage and execution, test effectiveness, and net promoter score help QA managers understand the impact of testing on the company’s business.

Like the starting pistol just before a race begins, deciding if / when software is ready for release is momentous. A whopping 81% said that their teams have a say in release readiness. Being an active part of this decision helps meet user expectations and increase customer satisfaction.

Understanding the financial and business impact of testing can make a significant contribution to the QA profession’s image.

The Future of Software Testing: What’s on the Horizon

The 2024 State of Testing™ report highlights the key trends of software testing, both now and in the future.

This year, we saw an increase in test-driven development, more testers involved in CI/CD, and teams relying on automation and test management solutions to streamline and boost efficiency. But there are areas for improvement. As automation grows, many testers lack confidence in writing automation scripts. A number of organizations aren’t measuring the cost of escaped defects and QA teams aren’t yet making use of AI tools. As AI continues to be adopted across industries, embracing it will become a necessity.

Want to see the full report and gain the entire scope of testing insights? Download the report here.