C08 — Skills in Debugging and Alpha Testing the Software Solution
The Hamilton and Alexandra College · Year 12 · 2026
Study material for VCE Software Development, Unit 4 Outcome 1, Criterion 8 — Skills in debugging and alpha testing the software solution — for students building their SAT in Godot / GDScript.
C08 has two indicators, each worth 50% of the criterion and each validated by its own instrument:
| Indicator | Checkpoint (build this first) | Validation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C8-1 | Testing & debugging | Alpha testing plan — testing table + debugging documentation + corrections | Debug & Testing Screen Recording — you record yourself running a failing test, finding the fault with the debugger, fixing it and re-running to pass |
| C8-2 | Design modifications & contingencies | Annotated design mod portfolio — before/after annotations + updated evaluation criteria + contingency plan | Design Mod Viva — 8 minutes one-on-one, defending why you changed what you changed |
The checkpoint is the gateway: arrive with a genuine plan and portfolio, and the validation is a walk-through of work you already own.
Foundations
- Essential Terms — the C08 glossary; click a term to expand its definition
Pages
Debugging (C8-1)
- Godot Debugging Tools — the 90-second tour: Output panel, Debugger panel, and what each is for
- Debugging with Breakpoints in Godot — set, step, inspect: the hands-on workflow
- Debugging with Tetris — three seeded bugs in a real game: practise statements, breakpoints, then the full test-and-rectify cycle
Alpha testing (C8-1)
- Software Testing Hierarchy — where alpha testing sits, and alpha vs beta
- Types of Test Data — the six kinds your testing table must visit
- Testing Tables and Corrections — the table structure that climbs the rubric
Design modifications (C8-2)
- Modifying Designs with Annotations — before/after annotations and the change log
- Updating Evaluation Criteria — revising your C4 matrix as the project evolves
- Contingency Planning — risks, likelihood, mitigations, test methods
Rubric at a glance
C8-1 (testing & debugging): 1–2 lists test data → 3–4 testing table (incomplete) + debugging statements → 5–6 expected output stated + validation-check inputs + breakpoints → 7–8 expected vs actual across a range of test cases + corrective actions documented → 9–10 complete list of actions for failed tests, all modules function correctly.
C8-2 (design mods & contingencies): 1–2 identifies designs requiring modification → 3–4 outlines the modifications using annotations → 5–6 documents evaluation-criteria updates → 7–8 explains why → 9–10 documents contingencies and solutions to mitigate them.
Both ladders are cumulative — a level counts only when everything below it is also solid.
Full task details, requirements checklists and scoring grids are in the assessment packages in your class repo (S-C08).