Test Effort Estimation

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 Table of Contents

1. SCOPE...................................................................................................................................................2
2. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................3
3. CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF TEST ESTIMATION......................................................................3
4. CASE COMPARISON – CONVENTIONAL METHODS......................................................................3
4.1 AD-HOC METHOD...........................................................................................3
4.2 USE CASE/TEST CASE SAMPLING METHOD...............................................4
4.3 PERCENTAGE OF DEVELOPMENT EFFORT METHOD................................4
4.4 FUNCTION POINT PROPORTIONATE METHOD...........................................4
4.5 USE CASE POINT ESTIMATION METHOD.....................................................5
5. CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................................8

1. Scope

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This document is prepared in order to give insights about various methods to effectively
estimate an upcoming software testing endeavor.

2. Introduction

Proper analysis and effort estimation is required for effectively planning for a testing
project. Any flaw in this critical and initial phase of estimation results in schedule
overruns even at the rate of 200%ge.

3. Conventional methods of test estimation

There are different standard and non standard methods for test estimation. In some
typical product based companies, people employ non standardized but conventional
estimation methods to make things work. These methods might have evolved over a
continuous period accommodating hidden factors like nature of application,
environment, and risk factors for that specific product/market. But these methods can’t
be adopted as a generalized organization standard for a mature operation model.

The different conventional methods for test estimation are:

1) Ad-hoc method
2) Use case/Test case sampling method
3) Percentage of development effort method
4) Function point proportionate method
5) Use case point estimation method

The estimation methods are more scientific as we come down the above list.

4. Case comparison – conventional methods

Here we aim to give a discussion in detail about various conventional methods of test
estimation.

4.1 Ad-hoc method

No time frame is set for testing task. The testing effort is initiated as and when the
requirement comes. The effort would be a bare attempt to meet the deadline set by
managerial or client side marketing personal.

Typically, in this case the test effort crosses the deadlines and testing process continues
until the budgeted finance run out. The schedule overruns typically comes above 200%.

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4.2 Use case/Test case sampling method

This is done when we don’t have any previous data and the current project is the first
and foremost of this type.

Some use case section/test cases are selected based on sampling and a complete cycle of
test planning, scheduling, test data preparation, test case implementation and execution
is done. The total amount of use cases / test cases is multiplied with ratio of sampling to
get the total effort.

Example:

Say, 20 test cases out of 2000 test cases took 6 hours of testing effort. Then the total
effort calculated is:

Total Actual Effort, TAE = 6 * ( 2000 / 20 )

= 600 man hours.
This method won’t be accurate because the complexity factor across different test cases
may vary. Schedule overruns typically come to around 50% to 100%.

4.3 Percentage of development effort method

Here the assumption is that a more complex business application may require more
testing effort. The test effort required is a direct proportionate or percentage of the
development effort.

Note: The development effort can be estimated using line of code (LOC) or function
point (FP) which is not in the scope of this document.

Example:

If a previous project with 500 FPs required 50 man hours for testing, the percentage of
testing effort is calculated as:

P = (50 / 500) * 100

= 10%

For the current project with a development effort, say 1500 FPs, the testing effort is:

Total Actual Effort, TAE = 1500 * (P/100) = 1500 * (10/100)

= 150 man hours.

4.4 Function point proportionate method

Capers Jones provides a basic formula in software engineering as:

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Number of Test cases = [Number of Function Points] 1.2

Now, as we got the number of test cases we can multiply with a factor from previous
data just as we did for Section 4.3, Percentage of development effort method.

Total Actual Effort, TAE = (Number of Test cases) * (P/100)

This method is done in a case when:

• Test cases have not been prepared yet
• The detailed low level design is available (measure of FPs available)
• Previous data for development and testing is available

Modern applications are highly object oriented and modeled around use cases rather
than function decomposition approach and this estimation method proves to be
inadequate in such cases.

4.5 Use case point estimation method

Use case point (UCP) method is gaining popularity because nowadays application
development is modeled around use case specification. The test case preparation is
normally initiated after baseline use case. So the various factors in use case gives a
direct proportionate to the testing effort.

Refer to Alistar for use case definition. Descriptively, use case is a document which
well specifies different users, systems or other stakeholders interacting with the
concerned application. They are named as ‘Actors’. The interactions accomplish some
defined goals protecting the interest of all stakeholders through different behavior or
flow termed as scenarios.

UCP Estimation Method in brief

1. Obtain unadjusted actor weight (UAW)

2. Determine unadjusted use case weight (UUCW)
3. Calculate unadjusted use case points (UUCP)
UUCP = UAW + UUCW
4. Determine the technical/environmental factor (TEF)
5. Compute the adjusted use case point (AUCP)
AUCP = UUCP * [ 0.65 + (0.01 * TEF)]
6. Arrive at final effort using a conversion factor
Total Actual Effort = AUCP * CF

Example:

Step 1. UAW Calculation

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Considering the entire system, analyze the different actors, their weights and occurrence
in the use case specification.

Actor No of use Factor Actor Factor legend

cases weights Factor Description Weight
Superuser 10 1 10
S Simple {GUI} 1
Subuser 25 1 25
A Average 2
SCBS 4 2 8 {Interactive
(external system,
system) protocol/driver
DBAdmin 6 3 18 interface}
C Complex 3
UAW = 61 {API/low level
interaction}

Step 2. UUCW Calculation

Determine the weights of different use cases in the system based on the complexity
(number of scenarios or transactions per use case) and obtain the unadjusted use case
weight.

Use case Factor

Factor legend
User 10
Factor Description Weight
creation
Login 5 S Simple {Trivial, test script reusable} 5
A Average {medium number of 10
Contract 15 transactions}
creation C Complex {elaborate amount of 15
Execute 20 transactions, sequence of test data
and bill a creation}
user for a VC Very complex {server integration, 20
contract external system query}
UUCW = 50 Step 3. UUCP Calculation

Calculate the unadjusted use case points by adding UAW and UUCW as follows:

UUCP = UAW + UUCP

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= 61 + 50
= 111.

Step 4. TEF Calculation

Determine the weights of each technical & environmental factor. Specify a relative
rating against the standard assigned value of listed technical/environmental items. The
product of these two is summed up to get the technical and environmental factor.

Sl. Standard factor Description Standard Rating Extended

assigned weight
weight
T1 Test tools 5 3 15
T2 Documented inputs 5 5 25

T3 Development environment 2 1 2

T4 Test environment 3 1 3

T5 Test suite reuse 3 2 6

T6 Distributed system 4 4 16

T7 Performance objectives 2 1 2

T8 Security features 4 2 8

T9 Complex interfaces 5 2 10

TEF = 87.

Step 5. AUCP Calculation

Compute the adjusted use case points based on the standard formula:

AUCP = UUCP * [0.65 + (0.01 * TEF)]

= 111 * [0.65 + (0.01 * 87)]
= 168.72
Step 6. TAE Calculation

Arrive at the total actual effort, by multiplying AUCP with a conversion factor
(organization specific factor which may vary upon language, technology or a
combination of them)

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Say, CF = 10, the effort required to plan, write and execute one use case point of a
similar domain (like Retail) or technology (like EJB)

Base effort, BE = AUCP * CF

= 168.72 * 10
= 1687.2

Total actual effort = BE + 10% of BE in coordination & management

+ 15% of BE as buffer to meet uncertainties
= 1687.2 + 1687.2 * (10/100) + 1687.2 * (15/100)
= 2109 man hours.

5. Conclusion

There can’t be a single hard and fast rule for estimating the testing effort for a project.
There may be different other methods also which can be effectively used for the
purpose. It is advisory to add on to the possible knowledge base of test estimation
methods and estimation templates constantly revised based upon new findings.

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