Alpha testing is a type of acceptance testing; performed to identify all possible issues/bugs before releasing the product to everyday users or public. The focus of this testing is to simulate real users by using Black box and white box techniques. The aim is to carry out the tasks that a typical user might perform. Alpha testing is carried out in a lab environment and usually the testers are internal employees of the organization. To put it as simply as possible, this kind of testing is called alpha only because it is done early on, near the end of the development of the software, and before beta testing.
Advantages of Alpha Testing
- Provides a better view about the reliability of the software at an early stage. Helps simulate real time user behavior and environment. Ability to provide early detection of errors with respect to design and functionality.
- Alpha testing provides better insights about the software’s reliability and robustness at its early stages. You would ever be able to detect many of the serious errors quite easily during the alpha test, because other minor design structures are yet to be integrated.
- Alpha test acts as an effective software testing method. This testing ensures that the user will get high quality services in the form of complete functionalities and stability.
- The most common requirement is that the software provided to the user should work properly according to the purpose for which it is created. Conducting alpha tests will reveal whether the software has all these necessary features to pass the strict quality standards set by customer.
