Software Quality Assurance Practice Exam

Which type of testing is used to evaluate how well an application performs under expected or peak loads?

1. Load testing

2. Stress testing

3. Volume testing

4. Performance testing

The correct answer is: Load testing

Load testing is a specific type of performance testing that focuses on assessing how an application behaves under expected or peak loads. Its primary goal is to ensure that the application can handle anticipated user traffic and workload without degradation of performance. During load testing, the system is subjected to normal and peak load conditions to evaluate response times, throughput, and resource utilization. This helps identify any bottlenecks or weaknesses in the application’s performance while simulating real-world usage scenarios. On the other hand, stress testing pushes the application beyond its normal operational capacity to determine its breaking point and how well it can recover from failure. Volume testing evaluates how the application handles a large volume of data, and performance testing is a broader category that encompasses both load and stress testing, as well as other forms of evaluation related to speed, scalability, and stability. Therefore, load testing is the most precise answer for evaluating performance under expected conditions.