Have you ever thought about learning Software Testing from the Game of Cards?

At least not me. But when our creative reader Malini emailed me to explain the idea of using cards to show how software testing can be learned through the game of cards. I was amazed to see the Software Testing knowledge that I can get from these cards.

Basically, we have four different trump suits for you, namely:

1. Diamonds: For Yourself
2. Clubs: For Co-Testers you work with
3. Hearts: For New Tester
4. Spades: For QA Manager

(Each of the four suits is a different theme, and the Software Testing ideas get harder as you get towards the Ace)

You can select any trump suit applicable to you. Then read Software Testing Tips from each card and ask yourself if you possess that skill or do you follow that software testing practice. If you have acquired that skill or followed the mentioned testing process then it’s your trump card.

Count the number of trump cards from each suit you select.

How To Find If You Are An Advanced Tester

The more number of trump cards you have, the more advanced you are in the Software Testing field. You should have at least 10 trump cards from the suit you select to be considered an advanced level tester.

You are free to select other trump suits as well. If you are a new tester, obviously you will select a suit named “Hearts: For New Tester”. But keep on exploring other suits as well and you will get an idea of what other software testing skills you have, which software testing practices you follow and which skills you have to learn yet.

From each Suit, you will get 13 valuable Software Testing tips that you should apply to your daily testing activities.

Here is the ranking of the cards:
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K A

The starting cards will obviously have simple testing skills/practices which get harder as you get towards the Ace.

Select your Trump suit from the list of 4 suits to get started:

Diamonds: For Yourself

2. Learn to analyze the test result!	3. Ensure maximum coverage
4. Write Effective Test cases and make it available for	5. Cover non-functional testing cases
6. Go beyond requirement testing	7. Follow all the best practices and share best testing practice
8. Avoid keeping all your communication in the mode of verbal.	9. Write a clear descriptive unambiguous bug report
10. Keep developers away from the test environment.	J. Avoid making assumptions in testing.
Q. Avoid underestimate yourself if some of your bugs are not fixed.	K. Think like an end user.
A. Share possible tactics with developers on how to test the application.

Clubs: For Co-Testers You Work With

2. Cultivate the passion, strong desire for quality.	3. Develop strong analytical and logical ability.
4.Identify strategic strengths and weaknesses of a software system.	5.Learn to say NO when quality is insufficient.
6. Hyper sensitive to little things.	7.Active part in the whole business and project process.
8.Ability to take the point of view of the customer.	9. Ability to communicate with both technical and non-technical.
10. Judgment skills are needed to assess high-risk or critical areas of an application.	J. Have the diplomatic skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes.
Q. Able to maintain the enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere, despite what is a somewhat ‘negative’ process.	K.Increase the learning curve in automated test tool programming.
A. Able to promote teamwork to increase productivity.

Hearts: For New Tester

2.Know your application and domain.	3. An ounce of practice will always helps in excel.
4. Always be ready to face challenges.	5. Learn to manage stress, passion for analysis and testing.
6. Change requirement is an important phase of the project, don’t forget to add them in the list.	7. Creating and maintaining software testing templates is not enough, force people to use them.
8. test and upgrade your skills when you have a chance and it will automatically make you progress well and also it will make you a jack of all in entire testing arena.	9. Co-operative enough to look the final target i.e to deliver with quality.
10. Creating and maintaining software testing templates is not enough, force people to use them.	J. Share your strategy with developers.  Don’t keep it in mind thinking that you will mark it as an issue at later stage.
Q. Keep your issue reporting style positive, it should not hurt someone’s feelings.	K. You need to listen to end user more and developers less.
A. You need to have the ability: To adopt and learn new technical skills To prioritize and organize To have strong and analytical and logical skills

Spades: For QA Manager

2. Self-motivation and motivate the whole team and align them to a common goal is vital.	3. Should have people judgment skill for hiring and keeping skilled personnel.
4. Develop integrity and trustworthiness among team members.	5. Conflict resolution abilities.
6. Bring an optimistic attitude.	7. Trust of more knowledge about business.
8. Quantitative and Qualitative analysis and evaluation of software.	9. Build a successful QA team.
10. Planning, deploying and managing the testing effort for any given engagement/release.	J. Ensure the timely delivery of different testing milestones.
Q. Managing and growing testing assets required for meeting the testing mandate: Team members Testing tools Testing processes	K. Enforce the adherence to the company’s quality processes and procedures.
A. Deploying and managing the appropriate testing framework to meet the testing mandate.

So, what’s your score?