Recent Results on Classifying Risk-Based Testing Approaches

TL;DR

This paper presents an updated taxonomy for risk-based testing approaches, categorizing them into three main classes, and demonstrates its application by positioning four recent approaches within this framework.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive taxonomy for risk-based testing, enabling comparison and tailored selection of approaches based on their alignment with testing phases.

Findings

Taxonomy aligns risk considerations across testing phases

Four recent approaches are positioned within the taxonomy

Framework supports comparison and selection of risk-based testing methods

Abstract

In order to optimize the usage of testing efforts and to assess risks of software-based systems, risk-based testing uses risk (re-)assessments to steer all phases in a test process. Several risk-based testing approaches have been proposed in academia and/or applied in industry, so that the determination of principal concepts and methods in risk-based testing is needed to enable a comparison of the weaknesses and strengths of different risk-based testing approaches. In this chapter we provide an (updated) taxonomy of risk-based testing aligned with risk considerations in all phases of a test process. It consists of three top-level classes, i.e., contextual setup, risk assessment, and risk-based test strategy. This taxonomy provides a framework to understand, categorize, assess and compare risk-based testing approaches to support their selection and tailoring for specific purposes. Furthermore, we position four recent risk-based testing approaches into the taxonomy in order to demonstrate its application and alignment with available risk-based testing approaches.