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.

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 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
Reviewing and approving the test plan

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.

5. Test Execution

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 understanding of the software's quality and reliability, and any defects or 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 Testing Refer the "Software Testing Tutorial" which is really helpful for learning purposes.

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