Software Quality Assurance Practice Exam

What type of testing technique is Usability testing categorized as?

1. White-box testing

2. Black-box testing

3. Gray-box testing

4. Integration testing

The correct answer is: Black-box testing

Usability testing falls under the category of black-box testing. This testing technique focuses on evaluating a product's user interface and overall experience without needing to understand the internal workings of the software. In usability testing, the emphasis is on how the user interacts with the software, whether it meets user needs, and how intuitive the application is to navigate. Since black-box testing operates under the premise that the tester is oblivious to the internal code and logic of the application, it aligns perfectly with usability testing's goal of assessing user experience based solely on their interaction with the software's features. This approach allows for gathering feedback directly from users, which helps developers understand usability issues without needing insights into the software's underlying architecture. In contrast, white-box testing involves knowledge of the internal structure and requires testing based on that understanding, making it less relevant to usability-focused evaluations. Gray-box testing, which combines elements of both white-box and black-box techniques, also does not prioritize user experience in the same way as usability testing. Integration testing specifically assesses the interfaces and interaction between components or systems, rather than the user experience, which further places usability testing squarely in the realm of black-box methods.