The QA process, step by step

QA and testing

Quality assurance is the process that prevents defects: clear requirements, reviews, standards and checks at each stage. Testing is one part of it: running the software to find defects. The cost of skipping either is large; CISQ's 2022 report put the cost of poor software quality in the US at at least $2.41 trillion.

Step 1: Review requirements

Before code is written, testers read the requirements and ask: is each one clear, testable and complete? What happens with empty input, a lost connection, a second user? Gaps found here cost minutes; the same gaps found after release cost days.

Step 2: Plan testing

A short test plan per release or feature sets out:

• What will be tested, and what will not.
• Which test levels and types: functional, regression, security, performance, accessibility.
• Which browsers, devices and data.
• What is automated and what is manual.
• Entry and exit criteria: when testing starts and when it is done.

Step 3: Design test cases and data

Write test cases from the requirements: steps, input data and the expected result. Cover the normal path, edge cases and errors. Prepare test data that looks like real data without exposing real personal information.

Step 4: Test at each level

The ISTQB glossary defines four test levels:

• Component testing: testing individual software components, usually by developers, often automated.
• Integration testing: finding defects in the interfaces and interactions between components or systems.
• System testing: testing the integrated system against its specified requirements.
• Acceptance testing: testing against user needs and acceptance criteria, so the user or customer can decide whether to accept it.

Step 5: Report defects

A defect report developers can act on has:

• A short, specific title.
• Steps to reproduce, with the data used.
• What happened, and what should have happened.
• Environment: browser, device, version, account type.
• Severity (how bad) and priority (how soon).
• A screenshot or recording.

Step 6: Retest and run regression

Retest each fix to confirm it works, then run the regression suite. ISTQB defines regression testing as testing a previously tested program after modification, to make sure the change has not broken anything else. Automate the regression suite where it repeats every release.

Step 7: Sign off the release

Sign off in writing when exit criteria are met: what was tested, what passed, known issues and why they are acceptable, and who approved. Keep a rollback plan ready.

Step 8: Measure quality after release

Watch errors and user reports in the days after release, and feed what escaped testing back into the test cases. The DORA metrics guide (last updated January 2026) includes change fail rate and failed deployment recovery time, two useful measures of how well the process works over time.

Who does what

Developers write and run component tests and fix defects. Testers review requirements, plan and design tests, run integration and system testing, and report defects. Product owners or customers run acceptance testing and approve releases. In small teams one person covers several roles; the steps stay the same.

Conclusion

The QA process runs from requirements review through test planning, test design, the four test levels, defect reporting, retesting and regression, release sign-off and measurement after release. Starting at requirements catches the cheapest bugs; automating regression keeps frequent releases safe; measuring after release improves the process each cycle.

PromotEdge International is an international strategy, technology, marketing and design company, and our delivery team is in India. Our testing team plans and runs QA alongside your developers, from requirements to release.

Facts we rely on: see our company facts for what we state about ourselves and where each fact comes from.