What are the different STLC phases?
Published: 2023-09-23 06:17:09

The **Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)** is a systematic approach to testing a software application to ensure that it meets the requirements and is free of defects. It is a process that follows a series of steps or phases, and each phase has specific objectives and deliverables. The STLC is used to ensure that the software is of high quality, reliable, and meets the needs of the end-users.	
**<u>Phases of STLC</u>**
**<u>Requirement Analysis</u>**: 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.  
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. 
**<u>Test Planning</u>**: Test Planning is the phase where all testing plans are defined. In this phase, team lead and team calculate the estimated effort and cost for the testing work. At the end of this stage, the testing team should have a detailed plan for the testing activities and a clear understanding of the testing objectives, scope, and deliverables. 
**<u>Test Case Development</u>**: 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.
**<u>Test Environment Setup</u>**: Test environment setup is a vital 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.
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
•	Defect logging
•	Test data preparation
•	Test environment setup
•	Test execution
•	Test result analysis
•	Defect retesting
•	Test Reporting**

**<u>Test Closure</u>**: 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.
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 in test closure stage include:
**•	Test summary report
•	Defect tracking
•	Test environment clean-up
•	Test closure report
•	Knowledge transfer
•	Feedback and improvements**