Mobile App Testing Certification and Training

With the recent boom in all things mobile related, it comes as no surprise that there is a huge demand for mobile app software testers. The market is flooded with literally millions of mobile apps, and are they all high in quality? definitely not. That is why experts in the filed have come up with the definitive mobile app testing certification.

The Mobile App Testing Associate (MATA) is the starting point for any software tester who is intending to test mobile apps. This certification is not only going to provide you with knowledge about mobile app testing, but is also is going to provide you with real ‘hands-on’ testing of mobile apps. So where do I go for this training? I hear you ask. Well, the answer is nowhere!

The Mobile App Testing Associate (MATA) certification and training can be done via self-study. The revolutionary training method utilizes a variety of training techniques to ensure a thorugh and enjoyable training experience. Also included are hands-on workshops with real apps. In addition, a tutor is provided to provide you with ongoing support!

Full details of the Mobile App Testing Associate (MATA) training course are available at the Testing4Success Training Page.

Mobile App Testing Certification and Training

How To Test a Mobile App

So you have developed a mobile application and you think its ready for release. You will have probably tested it on an emulator of some kind and possibly a browser or two, and so now you think its time to release it. Before this is done lets consider what state the mobile App is in. The mobile App only ‘appears’ to function correctly at this stage, which to all intensive purposes is a good thing right? but an emulator really only shows you how a real device ‘should’ work when used with your mobile application, it is certainly no guarantee. A web browser can certainly show you what your mobile App will look like on a real device, but there are many factors it cannot show you, for example; the touch screen functionality, CPU difference, memory usage and many more very important areas of functionality. It only takes a slight a small difference in what is ‘expected’ behavior to what is ‘actual’ behavior on a real device.

So once the decision is made to test on a real device, there are some important things to consider:

Which mobile devices do I need?

Lets for example use the most popular for of a mobile application, the iPhone. There is an ever-growing range of Apple devices that fit into this category.  In addition, there are multiple operating system versions associated with each device. This at first presents a dilemma,  but we can rule out older hardware and firmware(operating systems), why is this? well, 99% of users will upgrade to the latest firmware whenever possible to take advantage of bug fixes and new enhanced functionality. Again, you can rule out older versions of hardware, particularly if it is several years old and no longer supports the latest firmware available. Most users of these types of devices will upgrade when their device ‘appears’ out of date. In short, aim to test on the latest hardware and firmware, this in effect gives you a longer period of mobile App longevity.

I can’t afford to buy real devices, what do I do?

Most carriers will offer you the mobile device cheaply if you sign a lengthy contract. This is not really a viable option if you just want to test with it. Most devices can also be bought without a contract, but for an expensive price. Again, this can be expensive, especially using our example of an iPhone App. The most cost-effective testing solution is to use an iPhone App testing company to do it for you. They have already made the expensive investment in purchasing the hardware so you don’t have to. A good iPhone App testing company should offer you bundles for testing on multiple devices too.

Should I get a professional App test before release?

As the developer, you are essentially just one set of eyes. It is very important to get a new App tested to some level before its release, as once its out there you can’t do anything about it, until its too late, i.e. you are receiving negative feedback and decreasing sales. You don’t have to hire professional App testers to do the testing, you can get colleagues or friends to help you out. This should at least get some other sets of eyes looking at your App. The advantage of using a professional App testing service however, is they will have experience of a variety of software testing techniques, such as Usability, Functional, Performance testing etc. on many other Apps previously. Their software testers will know where to look for defects within your App and will provide you with an all important degree of confidence which you will only get with a professional App tester.

Which carriers/network providers should I use?

Depending on the country where the software testing is carried out, there will be a limit to which providers can be used. To be honest though, as long as the testing takes into account network specific testing, then the carrier should not matter at all. For example, an App tester will typically test on good, medium and poor signal strengths to test the behavior of your App under these conditions. So, as long as these tests are carried out not only on a wi-fi network but also on a 3G or 4G carrier providers network, then it really doesn’t matter.

So to summarize then, you necessarily have to pay out a fortune in order to achieve a level of mobile application testing. With some forethought, you can effectively reduce the amount of real devices you need to test on. You can don’t have to pay a fortune to ensure the quality of your mobile application.

How To Test a Mobile App

The No.1 Mobile App Testing Service

There are three important factors to consider when it comes to mobile app testing; and those are Functionality, Usability and Compatibility.

Functional Mobile App Testing

Your app will only be a success if the app actually ‘does what it was designed to do’. This top priority test will involve strategically working through the screens of the mobile app to ensure all present components operate as expected. There are a variety of traditional software testing techniques that can be applied to mobile apps, as well as a range of mobile-specific techniques and approaches.

Mobile App Compatibility Testing

A mobile app must be consistent with the way it looks and functions across the devices it was intended to work on. Your mobile app development could potentially be seen on any number of supported devices. So at minimum, the apps basic functionality must function correctly on all of them.

Mobile App Usability Testing

Any mobile app must provide a positive experience for the user. By replicating various user-types; a mobile app tester can quite effectively put themselves in the position of many users, and when combined with their own testing intuition and experience, they can easily ensure a mobile app’s effectiveness with regards to usability.

When Functionality, Usability and Compatibility are important to the success of your mobile app development, then consider Testing4Success.com

The No.1 Mobile App Testing Service

Tips for iPhone App Beta Testing

With so much competition (approximately 225,000) in the field of iPhone Apps, it is critical to not only produce an App that is original, but also to ensure it is of high quality. The users experience must be positive from the moment they start the App. Anything less than ‘great’, then that user will leave average or negative feedback on iTunes. If that happens, then the App rating will drop, which obviously means the amount of people wanting to download it will drop too. To prevent unwanted issues with the App, it is vital to ensure the App is Beta tested correctly. This way any issues with the App can be rectified before its release.

There are some useful iPhone App Beta testing services available, from simple tools and simulators to complete professional beta testing solutions. It’s worth noting that of these solutions may not be as good as they seem. Let’s take a look at the most popular and cheapest way to Beta Test an iPhone App:

App testing on a real device Vs a simulator

There appears to be a few iPhone App simulators out there on the net claiming to offer solutions for beta testing an iPhone App. Well, although technically(and I use this term loosely) correct, the so called ‘simulators’ are nothing more than web browser screens made to be the same size an iPhone screen. This really cannot offer a real beta test of an application, can they? So what are the differences between testing on a simulator and a real device?

The CPU type

The screen (a real iphone has a touch-screen of course)

Installing the App

Memory usage

Zooming functionality

Network connectivity related issues

Remember, customers that buy the App from the App store won’t be running it on a simulator!

Public Beta Testing

A very credible and commonly used method of testing an application before its release is performing a ‘Public Beta Test’. This is essentially releasing an application to the public before it is officially released. With traditional software testing, this can be fairly straight-forward to implement, as the developing company can simply allow as many public beta testers as they wish to test their software application. Now, with an iPhone App things are different. Firstly, you are limited to only one hundred iPhones that can be used in the beta test. In addition, these iPhones must be known to the developer, as each iPhones UDID will be required to create a provisioning file to go with the App. So public beta testing can be achieved with an iPhone App, but only in a limited and restricted way.

Feedback from Beta Testers

When assigning an App to be tested to your Beta Testers, make sure that the goals of the testing are made clear. You may have some specific areas of the Apps functionality that you want feedback on, for example; you may be wanting to test the performance of your entire system when multiple users are simultaneously using the App. Aim to ensure that all of your Beta Testers have clear instructions of the testing you want carried out, and supply them with any specific information they need to use the App. Each tester must know how to test all of the App’s functionality. A common mistake is to not inform the testers of functionality that has been deliberately disabled prior to the Apps release. The testers may spend time investigating what they think is an issue, when in fact you already know about it. Also ensure that the testers know that if they find a critical issue, they need to inform you immediately. There is nothing worse than organizing a week long beta test, only to find a critical issue reported on the last day. Obviously, it is important in any development lifecycle to resolve critical issues as soon as possible and may require halting/postponing the current beta testing until the issue is resolved.

Aesthetics

As this type of testing is trying to replicate a typical user environment, try to make good use of the type of information that beta testing can provide. A good example of this is ‘aesthetics’, which simply means the look and feel of the App under test. This is commonly the last chance you get to make any changes before your customers will see the App. Often overlooked items are the coloring of the text and how it it used within the App’s design. Make sure that the text can not only be seen in an in-doors environment but also outside in daylight. The App could potentially be unusable if it cannot be seen outside. The most important area of aesthetics is how it feels to use the App. Does performing some simple actions take you to too many screens or require reading over-long amounts of text? areas such as these cab be tested and provide you with really useful feedback prior to your Apps release.

Can I Beta Test the iPhone App myself?

An iPhone App developer has full control over the design or their code, but do they have control over their quality? This is not a straight-forward question, or indeed answer. If a developer chooses to, they can indeed have full control over the App’s quality. The developer either needs professional knowledge and experience of software testing, or they ask a professional beta tester to test it for them. To release a successful App, it must be well designed and well coded. The best way to ensure releasing a quality App is to use a professional iPhone App Beta Tester. When choosing an App Beta Testing company, there are a few things you can look out for, including:

1. Ensure the App will be tested on real devices (not simulators).

2. Check a range of devices is available, e.g. iPhone 3, iPhone 4, iPad and iPod Touch.

3. Make sure the beta testing will be carried out using the latest firmware available for that device.

4. Always ask an iPhone App Beta Testing company about Usability testing too.

5. Always ask for a test report.

6. As well as the standard Exploratory testing techniques, a good testing company should be able to offer you more advanced testing techniques such as Boundary Value Analysis and Equivalence Partitioning.

7. As a developer you will probably want to get your App released ASAP, and so it is likely you will need a quick turnaround.

Tips for iPhone App Beta Testing

Certification For Mobile App Testing

Mobile app testing is a relativity new concept in the overall field of professional software testing. So, how can a tester show to prospective employers that they can test a mobile app. Most software testers will hold the ISTQB certification at least to a foundation level. While this certification is perfectly adequate, it only covers basic principles in software testing and does not require any knowledge in applying those principles in real-word testing scenarios.

So, today, a tester who wishes to demonstrate proficiency in mobile testing, must either show experience or certifications. Experience could be a list of mobile apps that they have tested, or perhaps a reference from an employer for example. But, certification-wise, these are few and far between. One mobile app certification does stand-out from the rest, and that is the Mobile App Testing Associate certification (MATA).

This highly sought after certification can be studied for and achieved entirely online, which is a major plus for anyone wishing to achieve testing certifications. In addition, real-world experience is gained during the study by participating in hands-on study workshops which allow you to demonstrate the new skills learned by testing on real mobile apps and submitting defects online. Throughout this training course, the student also has the benefit of having their own personal training tutor who is available to answer any questions during the training. At the end of the training, a certificate is issued which can be shown to future employers demonstrating your mobile app testing knowledge and experience.

Certification For Mobile App Testing

Canada"s No.1 QA / Software Testing Company

Testing4Success are proud to be at the forefront of QA and Software Testing in Canada and North America. With our flexible and professional approach to web testing, mobile app testing, desktop application testing and also QA training, our clients return to us time-after-time. What makes Testing4success stand-out from every other outsourced software testing company is our unique approach. Our team of top professionals were hand-picked by our president to ensure a consistently high level of QA. Our team listens intently to each client’s individual project requirement. From there we review every item to ensure the best personnel and test approaches are used. Our team then provides feedback during the testing, and work around-the-clock to ensure any deadlines are kept.

Visit our site today to see our extensive range of outsourced software testing services on offer. Our state-of-the-art test lab is located at our headquarters in Victoria, Canada. From our lab, we can offer web testing, mobile app testing, desktop application testing. Our lab includes the latest hardware and software systems to replicate virtually any environment imaginable.

We also have our own range of software testing certification training courses. Our courses were created by our own training instructor and have become one of the world’s best selling range of distance-learning training courses. From ISTQB to MATA (Mobile App Testing Associate), we have training courses to suit any level and budget.

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Canada"s No.1 QA / Software Testing Company