Software Testing Hierarchy

Where your C8 work sits in the testing world — and why it's called alpha testing.

The hierarchy

1. Development Phase Tests (early, internal)
   ├── Unit Testing (α)
   └── Integration Testing (α)

2. Pre-Release Tests (later, internal/external)
   ├── System Testing (α/β)
   └── User Acceptance Testing (UAT) (β)

3. Post-Release Tests (after launch)
   ├── Regression Testing
   ├── Performance Testing
   └── Security Testing

Test	What it checks
Unit	one component in isolation — a single function returns the right value
Integration	components working together — the "Add Student" form updates the database and the timetable
System	the entire product end to end, against all requirements
UAT	real users doing real tasks — is it usable, does it meet their needs?
Regression	after a fix or update, do the old features still work?
Performance	speed, scalability, stability under load
Security	vulnerabilities — can data be accessed that shouldn't be?

Alpha vs beta

Alpha (α) — internal: the developers (or company insiders) test, in a controlled environment. Your C8 work is alpha testing — you test your own SAT against your own testing table.
Beta (β) — external: real users test in their real environment. That's Criterion 9 — beta testing with your actual users comes next.

It's not about location — it's about who is testing and how.

Check Your Understanding

Alpha or beta?

A dev team spends a week testing its own new timetable app with fake student data.
A games company invites 1,000 players worldwide to play an early build for two weeks.
Company staff and their families use a new app feature for a month before public release.
Fifty teachers use a quiz platform with their real classes for a semester and report back.
A bank hires an external professional testing company (not real customers) to systematically test its new app. (tricky)

Answer

Alpha — internal team, controlled environment (system testing).
Beta — real external users in their own environments (UAT).
Alpha — still inside the company, before release.
Beta — the real target users, in real classrooms.
Alpha — professional testers are not real users; it's controlled, systematic testing.