Risk-based testing (RBT) is a type of software testing that functions as an organizational principle used to prioritize the tests of features and functions in software, based on the risk of failure, the function of their importance and likelihood or impact of failure. In theory, there are an infinite number of possible tests. Risk-based testing uses risk (re-)assessments to steer all phases of the test process, i.e., test planning, test design, test implementation, test execution and test evaluation. This includes for instance, ranking of tests, and subtests, for functionality; test techniques such as boundary-value analysis, all-pairs testing and state transition tables aim to find the areas most likely to be defective.
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Assessing risks
Comparing the changes between two releases or versions is key in order to assess risk. Evaluating critical business modules is a first step in prioritizing tests, but it does not include the notion of evolutionary risk. This is then expanded using two methods: change-based testing and regression testing.
These two methods permit test teams to prioritize tests based on risk, change, and criticality of business modules. Certain technologies can make this kind of test strategy very easy to set up and to maintain with software changes.
Types of Risks
Risk can be identified as the probability that an undetected software bug may have a negative impact on the user of a system.
The methods assess risks along a variety of dimensions: