What is Staged Testing?

Up to the year 2000 software was developed using structured or staged approaches, often called waterfall. Testing was planned and executed in stages to fit those processes. And the classic texts on testing from then were dominated by definitions of these various stages of testing. But since the late 1990s, early 2000s or so, waterfall approaches have lost favour as Agile has gained popularity.

Many companies use Agile methods, but testing is often still performed in stages. The reasons for testing in stages have not changed. Because Agile is now part of the game, many companies are increasingly using continuous delivery of small increments but even so, testing is still performed in stages. Whether it's automated or manual, it's still the rule. So let's look at why that is and examine the factors that influence the definition of test stages in your test strategy.