How would you address a situation where critical bugs are discovered late in the testing phase?

Discovering bugs late in your testing plate can be very disgusting, but this will also give a room for improvement and more testing to be carried out. The question would now be, why are bugs found in the plate? What's attracting them? Is there any specific element in the media that's responsible or the food sample is a nutrient to bugs? Answering all of these questions will help a quality assurance officer be able to address the presence of bugs found in testing plates and this will give room for more testing.

However thorough the testing, sometimes these critical bugs show their heads only during the latter stages of testing. How you handle them is crucial to the success of the system when you finally reach Go Live. Firstly who needs to know about this? Transparency is key for all concerned parties to facilitate a solution. Secondly conduct a risk assessment, what is the impact of the bug on the software? Does it cause any safety, security or data integrity issues? System owners and developers are key to determine the risk and then determine the best strategy for resolving the bugs. Thirdly, go fix them. It maybe that not all bugs can be fixed immediately, so prioritise, then go back through the testing loop. Finally , what can you learn?

Major defects discovered at the end of a test engagement may be due to a rigid testing process. When the testing activities become about numbers instead of the test strategy and approach (determined in your test planning), you have the makings of trouble. Running test cases is the bare bones of our work. If you abandon or skip test planning and analysis, the work simply becomes a numbers game, and the quality objective and identification of risk are lost. Never turn your testing activity into a numbers game. Model test planning and result analysis to our test engineers. They will follow the leader's example, so we must set a good example for our teams.

I prioritize them based on severity and impact. I inform stakeholders promptly and transparently, reallocating resources to resolve the issues quickly. After fixing, I conduct comprehensive regression testing and may adjust the release schedule to ensure quality. Post-resolution, I hold a retrospective to identify process gaps and implement improvements, such as enhancing test coverage or refining bug triage. The goal is quick resolution, effective communication, and preventing similar issues in the future through process optimization.

-Quickly determine the impact of the bugs on the product's functionality, user experience, and overall stability. -Prioritize the bugs based on their severity and potential consequences. -Create a detailed plan outlining the steps needed to address the highest-priority bugs. -A dedicated team should focus on fixing the critical bugs.

Updating timelines after finding critical bugs late in testing is like realizing mid-trip that you need to take a detour, you might not get there as fast as planned, but at least you won’t drive off a cliff! Let everyone know there’s a change of route (timeline) due to unexpected roadblocks (bugs), and adjust the ETA accordingly. By updating timelines early, you ensure that the journey is safer and smoother, even if it takes a little longer to reach your destination. Better a delayed arrival than a crash landing!

Atualizar o cronograma do projeto ao identificar bugs críticos é crucial para garantir a qualidade final. Reavaliar os prazos e comunicar de forma transparente com as partes interessadas demonstra compromisso com a entrega de um produto estável e de alta qualidade, mesmo que isso signifique ajustes no cronograma inicial.

Update the release plan : -If the bugs are too critical, it may be necessary to change the release date. Communicate this decision clearly, explaining the reasons and how it will ultimately benefit the product’s quality. -Be transparent about the situation and inform stakeholders about the issue and provide a clear explanation of the bugs, their impact and consequences. -Collaborate closely with developers to understand the root cause of the bugs and to determine the fastest and most effective way to resolve them.

Update Timeline 1. Reassess the Project Timeline: Analyze how the discovery of these critical bugs will affect the overall project timeline. Consider the time required for fixing, retesting, and regression testing. 2. Create a Revised Timeline: Develop a realistic, revised timeline that includes time buffers for unexpected challenges during the fix and retest phases. 3. Seek Approval for Timeline Changes: Communicate the revised timeline to stakeholders and seek approval. Be transparent about the reasons for the delay and the steps being taken to mitigate risks.

To avoid delay in the project timeline you can do the following: - try to avoid the bugs by using MVP ( minimum valuable product). - deprioritize the backlog to include the bug into next sprint. - make sure you have definition of dune for the product. - keep the client involved

Discovering critical bugs late in testing is challenging and requires careful handling to minimize project impact. I think it's important that immediate, clear communication is crucial. Inform the development team, project managers, and possibly clients about the bugs, and conduct an impact analysis to assess the effect on timelines and testing progress. This communication allows the team to prioritize the bug based on severity. Early-stage risk assessments and a solid mitigation plan are essential. Please ensure that you communicate effectively throughout the process to maintain stakeholder trust and address the issue, leading to a successful resolution.

I think in any situation when you found critical bug early in the testing stage or at very late in the testing first thing you have to do is to inform all the stakeholders. and then you have to find out that what caused delay in capturing such bugs at very end. Because it means there is something incorrect in the test case execution , as basics states you always have to run high priority test cases first. I think from this case you can able to make note of it and prioritize your test cases and then also for upcoming cycles you have to improve on it

Communicate Clearly 1. Inform Stakeholders: Immediately notify key stakeholders (e.g., project managers, clients, product owners) about the discovery of critical bugs and the impact on the project. 2. Provide Detailed Updates: Offer regular updates on the progress of bug fixes, retesting, and the revised timeline. Use clear, non-technical language to ensure that all stakeholders understand the situation. 3. Manage Expectations: Set clear expectations regarding the potential risks of proceeding without fixing the bugs and the benefits of addressing them now.

Uma comunicação clara é essencial ao lidar com bugs críticos no final da fase de testes. Certifique-se de que todas as partes interessadas estejam cientes dos problemas e do plano de ação revisado. Adapte sua linguagem ao público, evitando termos técnicos ao falar com partes interessadas não técnicas, mas forneça detalhes suficientes para que todos entendam a seriedade da situação. Ofereça atualizações regulares sobre o progresso das correções para manter a confiança e o alinhamento de todos.

Proactive Communication: Keep stakeholders and customers informed throughout the process, especially if the bugs are user-facing. Transparency helps maintain trust.

Após definir as prioridades e comunicar o plano de ação, o próximo passo é implementar as correções. Os desenvolvedores devem focar nos bugs mais críticos, enquanto a equipe de QA se prepara para testar novamente as áreas afetadas. É crucial garantir que as correções sejam soluções sustentáveis, evitando criar novos problemas. Além disso, aproveite essa fase para revisar seus procedimentos de teste, entender como esses bugs passaram despercebidos e melhorar seus processos para evitar que situações semelhantes ocorram no futuro.

Implement Fixes 1. Develop a Plan for Bug Fixes: Create a focused plan to address the critical bugs. This includes assigning tasks to developers, ensuring code reviews, and conducting unit testing before releasing fixes for retesting. 2. Collaborate Closely: Foster close collaboration between developers, testers, and other relevant team members to ensure that the fixes are implemented correctly and efficiently. 3. Monitor Progress: Track the progress of bug fixes closely to ensure that they are being completed according to the revised plan.

Implement Workarounds: If the bugs cannot be fully resolved within the current timeline, consider implementing temporary workarounds to mitigate the impact. These can be addressed in a future patch or update. Document Workarounds: Ensure that any workarounds are well-documented and communicated to the stakeholders and end-users to manage expectations.

Assign the bug to the appropriate developer(s) to fix. Ensure that once the fix is implemented, it undergoes thorough retesting, including regression testing to ensure that it hasn’t caused any new issues.

In my experience its more effective to resolve critical bugs rather than mitigate an impact with temporary workarounds. They should only be implemented as a last resort and only used until a fix is being delivered and/or implemented in a hotfix which should be presented within a day or two. Make sure that unit tests are created to test this issue and make sure that the maintainer of its current code also revisit these test cases to avoid any false positives and pesticide effects.

I would highly recommend adding automated tests at smaller or E2E levels for the bugs discovered and fixed during early stages of development. Automated tests would check the regression and testers should do a root cause analysis of every bug and anticipate its occurring in the future iterations and should add those tests as a smoke test suite !

Após implementar as correções, é essencial realizar um novo ciclo de testes completo. Esse teste deve ser tão rigoroso quanto o inicial, para garantir que os bugs críticos foram realmente resolvidos e que não surgiram novos problemas. Os testadores devem documentar detalhadamente suas descobertas e verificar se cada correção atende aos requisitos estabelecidos. Esta etapa é crucial para confirmar a estabilidade e a qualidade do produto antes do lançamento final.

You're highlighting the importance of thorough retesting after fixes are implemented! This phase is crucial to ensure: 1. Bugs are truly resolved 2. No new issues are introduced (regression testing) 3. Fixes meet the necessary requirements Retesting should be as rigorous as initial testing, if not more so, due to the critical nature of the bugs. Testers should: 1. Document findings meticulously 2. Verify each bug fix meets requirements 3. Test for regression (unintended consequences) 4. Ensure fixes don't introduce new bugs 5. Validate fixes against test cases and user stories By doing so, you'll ensure that: 1. Bugs are fully resolved 2. Software quality is maintained 3. User experience is not compromised

Retest Thoroughly 1. Conduct Rigorous Retesting: Once the bugs are fixed, conduct thorough retesting to ensure that the fixes are effective and that no new issues have been introduced. 2. Perform Regression Testing: Ensure that the fixes have not adversely affected other parts of the application by performing regression tests on critical areas. 3. Validate with Realistic Scenarios: Test using scenarios that closely mimic real-world usage to ensure the application will perform as expected in production.

Post-Release Review: After the bugs are fixed and the release is complete, conduct a post-mortem review with the development and testing teams. Discuss what went wrong, what was handled well, and what improvements can be made to prevent similar issues in the future. Continuous Improvement: Use the insights from the post-mortem to refine your development and testing processes. This might include updating testing methodologies, improving communication between teams, or incorporating more rigorous code reviews.

Após resolver os bugs críticos, é importante refletir sobre a experiência e aprender com ela. Avalie o motivo pelo qual esses problemas foram descobertos tão tarde no ciclo de testes e identifique áreas para melhorias. Pode ser necessário aprimorar seus casos de teste, adicionar etapas adicionais no processo de verificação ou implementar novos métodos de detecção precoce. Adaptar e ajustar seus processos de garantia de qualidade com base nessa análise ajudará a melhorar a eficácia dos testes futuros e a prevenir a recorrência de problemas semelhantes.

Critical bugs should be addressed in the sprint retrospective within a constructive environment. Analyze how the bug occurred, why it was not detected earlier and update the agile process to prevent future issues. I believe, this approach boosts workflow efficiency, product quality and team trust.

If this situation occurs then QA team needs to retrospect their approach for test case coverage and if the team has missed out edge cases then we can suggest team to think more from negative test cases perspective but if we are missing any positive case then we must implement peer review process to avoid bug leakage.

The following learnings should be adapted when Bugs are identified late: 1. Reason for late discovery of defect. 2. Root cause of the defect. Add the scenario as part of the regression. 3. If it is a corner case, then test similar nature of scenarios in evry regression. 4. If it is documentation miss, then raise questions during grooming sessions of functionality and Kick off meetings.

After the bug is resolved, document the issue, the fix, and the testing gap. Use this as a learning opportunity to improve future testing phases, possibly adjusting test plans or adding more comprehensive testing earlier in the cycle.