Priority and Severity of Defect in Software Testing

Priority and Severity of defect

Introduction

In software testing there is important concept we should know as tester.Without the understanding the concept of priority and severity of defect we cant make a good tester.

In software testing when defect comes our mind then there is concept we should that is what is priority of Defect in Software Testing and Severity of Defect in Software Testing.This concepts help us to test the application or software on the basis of there priority and severity

Basically defect is categorized on the basis of two factors first is priority of defect and second is severity of defect and this two categories we see in detail.

Before we start the testing if we have good knowledge of the concept of priority and severity of defect then we test a application or software as a need of customer expectation.

By understanding this concept you also maintain your test cases templet's perfectly.I hope this tutorial is clear your all concept and doubts about the priority and severity of defect. 

First we see the definition of  priority and Severity of Defect in Software Testing then we see both concept.

Definitions

Priority of Defect in Software Testing

"Priority of Defect in Software Testing is define as the order in which defect should fixed as soon as possible by developer is called Priority of defect in software testing"

Severity of Defect in Software Testing

"Severity of Defect in Software Testing is define as the how the defect impact in the  application"

OR

"Severity of defect is an basically major the impact of defect on the applications or software to be developed"

Priority of Defect in Software Testing

Priority of defect in software testing is the defect which is raise by tester is on the priority basis fixed by developer.

In priority of defect means sooner that defect should be fixed by developer.If the defect having critical priority that means that defect should fixed by developer as soon as possible either it impact on the functionality of the application.

Priority also says order wise defect is fixed.Priority status is set by tester.Priority status is set on the bases of customer requirement.  

How it's Actually work

When tester start to test the application/software then he check the functionality of that application as per which task he assign.When test engineer found the defect at the time of testing he raise a defect to developer by using defect by using some tools like jira,HP-ALM

Which tool is used is depend on the company. With the help of this tool tester log the defect in which there he provide the critical, low, high,medium defect by its priority and then raise this defect with the proof of screen shot to his concern developer.

After this defect is log to the specific developer and on the basis of priority developer start to fix the defect.

Top 4 Levels of prioritization

Following are the top four levels of priorities of defect

1.Critical priority.

2. High priority.

3.Medium priority.

4.Low priority.

Note

Prioritization of the defect is vary company to company its may be different in many companies. Also its vary from person to person.

But mostly it is categorized into high,low and medium priority.

What does priority P1,P2,P3,P4  Means?

Priority of defect

 P1  (Critical)

P is indicate the priority of the defect and P1 is says that the critical defect means that first priority of defect that should be fixed first by developer.

P1 is critical defect and it fixed now because its major impact on the functionality of application. The defect cause major impact or we can say customer can do any further process.

Example

If there is an recharge tab of application is not working.If there tab or button or option we can't handle or not working then how we can further proceed.

  P2  ( High)

P2 means the defect is high in priority that defect is also important and fix as fast as possible by developer but after the critical defect.

 

Example

In this high priority defect  there is an recharge functionality of application are open but customer not able to enter the there mobile number in  text box .

  P3 ( Medium)

P3 means defect medium level defect is not as much important to fix first than high and medium defect but need to fix after all critical defect.

That means first fix the defect of high and critical one and then fix the medium defect.

Example

In this medium priority defect in recharge functionality of application when customer recharge process is completed customer not receives the message of recharge got successfully done. 

 
  P4 (Low)

P4 defect means low priority defect which is actually a low priority defect.The defect that not very important to fix as earlier .The defect is not important as customer point of view.

Example

In this medium priority defect in recharge functionality of application there is mistake in a spelling in privacy policy there is not important to fix at very early stage.

Now we see severity of defect in software testing,

Severity of Defect in Software Testing

Severity is related with the functionality of the application it means severity says that the defect cause how much it impact on the behaviour of the application.

Where the functionality is break from that point severity comes.In shot we says that functionality of application is not working properly there severity is high and need to fix.

Following are  four categories of  severity of defect in software testing

1.Critical severity of defect.

2.High severity of defect.

3.Medium severity of defect.

4.Low severity of defect.

Here as per priority of defect we indicate P in the Severity of defect we indicate S so this is the following indications or there levels of Severity of defect

What does severity S1,S2,S3,S4  Means?

Severity of defect

Defect severity having following four class.

1.S1 (Critical)

S1 is critical severity defect that means the defect having critical impact on the functionality of the application can't do further process.

This critical severity shows that the defect is fixed first by developer because its critical impact on the application functionality in sort it break the application working process.

  

Example

Suppose there is an application having recharge functionality in there enter mobile number text box and here end user can not able enter the mobile number then how end user done the further process so this defect break the functionality of the application.

2.S2 (High)

S2 is a high severity defect in which the defect is occurs causes functionality of appliclication should be break and it need to fix first but not as critical because some of part of the application is working fine.

Example

There is an online shopping application where end user can select the product but end user can not receive the notification of successful order.

Here we can order the material which we want but confirmation is not done so without confirmation how we decide order place or not.

3.S3(Medium)

S3 is a medium severity of defect where some part of application is working fine or good but some part of application or some functionality of application is not working properly.

4.S4 (Low)

S4 is a low severity defect the defect causes no any breakdown in application and working fine.

Example

1.There is an login button see on UI of application and spelling mistake in the spelling of login button.

2.There is spelling mistake in the logo of application.

Most Common Scenarios of Priority and Severity

        Scenario of Priority and Severity of Defect

1.High Priority and High Severity of Defect

In priority and severity this is the first scenario is high priority and high severity defect.

High priority and high severity defect means the the defect which occurs at the time of testing which cause functionality of applications should be break and customer point of view it is very important to fix as soon as by developer.

Example 

XYZ Application in which there is a login button and that login button is not working

Here we see if login button is not working then end user not done any further process and also it impact on the functionality of application.

2.Low Priority and High Severity of Defect.

In priority and severity here we see another scenario is low priority and high severity of defect.

Low priority and high severity defect in define as the due to the defect functionality of applications break but as a customer point of view it is not urgent to fix by developer.

Example 

XYZ Application in which some URL or tabs are mention for reference sometimes its not used by end user but its not working properly so we say that high severity and low priority.

  3.High Priority and Low Severity of Defect.

High priority and Low severity defect is called defect causes functionality of applications should not break but customer point of view it is important to fix.

Example 

Suppose there is an XYZ website logo there is spelling mistake due to that spelling mistake there is not impact on the functionality of the application so it is low in severity but priority is high because it impact on the brand identity to customer.

  4.Low Priority and Low Severity of Defect.

Low priority and Low Severity means the defect causes application functionality is not break means application is working fine and also not in high priority as a customer point of view.

Example

Suppose there is an application in which term and condition and there is spelling mistake in the content which write in the term and condition.

This defect cause not any functionality of application get break and also not very urgent to fix that defect because this pages scrolled by end users rarely.

Following points tester should know before the ranking priority and severity

1.Tester should understand the application properly their function and how every tab is important to end user.

2.After the defect is occurs tester should know the importance of that defect.

3.On that importance bases tester give the ranking for severity and priority of defect.

4.Which one is need to fix first then should consider first which help to smooth functioning of the application.

Real Time Example

1.Website logo color not visible properly 

 

Priority - High

Severity-Low

2.Spelling mistake in content which write in about option in settings

Priority - Low

Severity-Low

3.Application in which login button is not working

Priority - High

Severity-High

4.URL of application is not open 

Priority - Critical

Severity-Critical

Learn This Also

User Acceptance Testing(UAT) in Software Testing 

Conclusion

In this tutorial we see the priority and severity of defect in software testing there scenario based examples also we see the meaning of p1,p1,p3,p4 and s1,s2,s3,s4 in this tutorial you clear the all doubts regarding to the priority and severity of defect i hope this tutorial help you to all in your career.