Testing industry is growing. With the increased growth in the industry, the basic knowledge of testing is not sufficient anymore. The demand of ‘Domain Knowledge’ in software testing is rising. Domain knowledge has become a crucial factor for a successful project.
While there are many software tools, methodologies, and approaches existing in the market, there is one more critical aspect of software testing, which would help the tester to achieve his best.
That is the DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE.
So, what is a Domain?
The domain is nothing but a specialized discipline or a field. A person having proficiency in a particular domain is considered as an SME (Subject Matter Expert) in the IT industry.
Generally, in any software organization, the projects are categorized based on the domains they work for. Some call it as verticals, like Insurance ,Banking,Healthcare etc.,
What are the different domains in the market?
Many software domains exist in the market. Here are some major domains in the industry.
Importance of Domain Knowledge In Software Testing
Is domain knowledge essential only for a developer?
NO, it is equally essential for a QA tester too.
Quality of the testing can be improved when the person who tests the application has sufficient domain knowledge along with the technical skills. A person without domain knowledge can also test the application, but the testing capability gets better by having the relevant expertise.
- Domain knowledge would help in Perceiving the terminologies used in the business to understand the application functionality.
For Example, you can easily test a banking application when you know the functionalities like Account Summary, Funds Transfer, etc., - It makes your day to day job activities easier.
- Helps you to get into a project easily
- When you don’t know the concept, then you tend to focus on the wrong things which are time-consuming for your testing
- If you want to stand out of the crowd, the only choice left for you is to become a domain expert. Then, you will definitely be considered as a value add to the project.
How to gain Domain Knowledge?
So, one can gain the domain skills by
- Going through various tutorials on the web.
- Focus on understanding the business of the application and think like an end-user.
- Attend domain training sessions conducted by your company and write the internal certifications. It will help you in moving to a project which you would prefer.
- External certifications in each domain would help you for a better career. For example, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) certification helps you to get into Healthcare projects. LOMA (Life Office Management Association) is also popular when it comes to the insurance domain.
We at QAonCloud, have expertise in various domains. You can talk to our quality experts.