How to Write Test Cases for Online Examination Systems?

Since COVID struck, online examination systems have become pivotal in efficiently assessing the knowledge and skills of exam takers without compromising their health. Crafting effective test cases for these systems is pivotal to ensuring their reliability, security, and functionality, be it for educational institutes or organizations.

From verifying user authentication processes to validating question randomization algorithms, each test case plays a crucial role in guaranteeing the seamless operation of examination platforms. Let’s look at the comprehensive list of test cases that address online examination systems’ diverse functionalities and user roles.

What is an Online Examination System?

An online examination system is a digital platform that administers, conducts, and evaluates exams over the Internet. It provides a convenient and scalable solution for educational institutions, recruitment agencies, and corporate entities to remotely assess candidates’ knowledge, skills, and aptitude. Moreover, they streamline the entire examination process, from registration and scheduling to result dissemination, thereby saving time, resources, and manpower.

Benefits for organizations:

• Facilitates the seamless conduct of entrance tests for skills certifications.
• Enable the efficient evaluation of job applicants through aptitude tests, technical assessments, and psychometric evaluations.
• Saves time and resources in collecting and collating the papers.
• Offers better security and leak-proof management.

Read here more on Test Cases for Banking application

Benefits for students:

• Enables candidates to take exams from any location with internet connectivity, eliminating geographical constraints.
• Provides instant feedback and scores on objective-type questions.
• May allow them to review their final answers.

Basic Scenarios for Online Test System

This list of online examination system test cases consists of all the basic tests to run before moving on to checking more complex functionalities. You can follow these test case templates to create the below tests.

• Test user registration and authentication.
• Test creation of exam templates and allocation of exam duration.
• Check the configuration of exam rules and regulations.
• Check if all the candidates are seeing the right paper and questions.
• Validate that the exam is loading and opening properly and the timer is correct.
• Test the email notifications for exam invitations.
• Check the logos, icons, figures, and similar media sections in the exam.
• See if the online examination system is able to handle interruptions, such as internet disconnection or power outages.
• Ensure that only valid users/students can access the exam material.
• Check if the system shows the correct details under different sections, i.e., profile, exam settings, score, dashboard, etc.
• Check the integrations with external or third-party systems.
• Test that only the users with valid credentials can access the settings page.
• Test the forgot password functionality.
• Validate that users can only access the examination paper and score they took.
• Check if all the links and buttons before and after logging into the system are working properly.
• Validate that user input is taken correctly by the system and not changed in the backend.
• Test if examiners see the right answer sheets as given by the users.
• Verify different exam formats, i.e., objective and subjective.
• Verify different functions during the ongoing exam, i.e., timer, previous questions, next question, submit, re-check, skip, and more.
• Check that the score is calculated accurately, including negative markings, if any.
• Check if the exam automatically stops when the timer is up.
• Verify if the results, in percentage of grade, are converted and displayed correctly on the platform for different users.

If you want to validate user authentication and registration test cases, read our blog on registration page test cases.

Test Scenarios for Setting Exam Functionality

Settings are one of the most important sections of holding an online exam via systems. Any updates or changes in system settings drastically change the examination direction.

• Verify the ability to create new exam templates with different question formats (multiple-choice, essay, etc.).
• Validate the option to set exam duration and timer functionalities.
• Test the functionality to add, edit, or remove questions from the question bank.
• Ensure proper handling of question randomization and shuffling.
• Validate the configuration of passing criteria and grading scales.
• Test the feature to assign exam supervisors or invigilators.
• Validate the implementation of question-level feedback or hints.
• Test the integration with plagiarism detection tools for essay-type questions.
• Verify the ability to import/export exam templates and question banks.
• Test the functionality to schedule exams at specific dates and times.
• Validate the option to set up prerequisites or eligibility criteria for exams.
• Test the feature to configure exam notifications and reminders for candidates.
• Test the functionality to enable/disable exam retakes and revisions.

Online Examination System Test Cases For Students

• Verify successful login with valid credentials.
• Test user authentication mechanisms (e.g., two-factor authentication).
• Ensure proper display of exam schedule and details.
• Validate the ability to start and resume exams within the allotted time frame.
• Test navigation controls within the exam interface (e.g., next, previous, skip).
• Verify the functionality to answer different types of questions (multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, etc.).
• Test the timer functionality and countdown display.
• Validate the submission process and confirmation message.
• Test for automatic submission when the time limit is reached.
• Verify the display of exam results upon submission.
• Test the option to review answers and change responses before submission.
• Test for compatibility across various devices and screen sizes.
• Verify proper handling of interruptions (e.g., internet connectivity issues).
• Validate the option to flag questions for review.
• Test the display of progress indicators and remaining time.
• Verify the prevention of unauthorized access or cheating attempts.
• Test the logout functionality and session management.

Test Case For Online Examination System For Teachers

• Verify login functionality for teachers/administrators.
• Test user authentication mechanisms and role-based access controls.
• Validate the ability to create new exams and exam templates.
• Test the option to customize exam settings and instructions.
• Verify the functionality to add, edit, or remove questions from the question bank.
• Test the configuration of grading and scoring criteria.
• Validate the feature to schedule exams and set deadlines.
• Verify the option to monitor exam sessions in real-time.
• Validate the display of exam results and analytics.
• Test the option to download or export exam data and reports.
• Verify the implementation of data privacy measures for student information.
• Test for compatibility with external learning management systems (LMS).
• Verify the ability to review and moderate exam submissions.
• Validate the option to provide feedback and grades to students.

Negative Test Cases for Online Examination System

• Attempting to log in with invalid credentials and ensuring proper error handling.
• Testing the system’s response to multiple simultaneous login attempts from the same user account.
• Trying to access exam pages without proper authentication.
• Submit incomplete or blank answers and verify the system’s response.
• Attempting to navigate away from the exam page during an ongoing session.
• Testing the system’s behavior when encountering network disruptions or server errors during an exam.
• Submit answers after the exam time limit has expired and check if the system accepts or rejects them.
• Trying to manipulate exam URLs or parameters to access unauthorized sections or content.
• Attempting to upload files with unsupported formats during the exam.
• Trying to bypass question randomization algorithms to view questions out of sequence.
• Testing the system’s response to excessively long or complex user inputs.
• Verifying the system’s ability to detect and prevent cheating behaviors such as copying from external sources or using unauthorized aids.

We have covered the majority of test cases and scenarios for you to build upon. Run a test case review and start thinking about which one would require manual execution and which ones you can automate.

Can We Automate Test Cases for Online Examination Systems?

It is possible to automate online examination systems test cases. Automation can significantly streamline the testing process, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent test coverage. Many aspects of online examination systems, such as user authentication, exam navigation, question randomization, and submission handling, lend themselves well to automation. Automation enables the execution of repetitive test cases with minimal manual intervention. These test cases for manual testing might be of help to you.

The use of automated testing frameworks and tools offer the capability to simulate user interactions, validate system responses, and detect anomalies or deviations from expected behavior. Moreover, you can use data-driven testing and parameterization to automate the execution of test cases across different environments and configurations.

How to Automate Test Cases for Online Examination Systems?

Suppose you have to test the scenario by submitting exam answers. It includes selecting the answer in objective type format or typing the answers in subjective type and clicking on ‘Submit’ before moving to the next question. This is a highly repetitive process, automating which will save time and labor.

Let’s see how you can do it with Testsigma.

• Create a new test case to run the online examination system. Read how to create test cases in Testsigma.
• Either create the test steps manually or use the record and playback option to capture the steps. In this case, we will log into the online examination system, attempt to submit an answer, and click on Submit after that.
• Verify that the user can successfully submit and finalize their answers without encountering any issues.

Explore Testsigma to automate your end-to-end tests for an online examination system

The tool supports web application automated testing, mobile and API testing, and cross-browser testing on its platform.

Check out more features of Testsigma

Conclusion

Many organizations conduct online exams to assess their candidates’ skills. Almost all of them rely on a platform to create, manage, and administer such examinations. Only the systems that provide easy access, intuitive UI, and no learning curve are favorites of many. That’s when testing these platforms comes in handy. And that’s when this blog is useful in performing test cases necessary for validating an online examination system.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the testing types to automate test cases for online examination systems?

There are multiple testing types to automate for online examination systems test cases. Normally, it includes functional testing, usability testing, security testing, performance testing, and compatibility testing.

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