1.

10 differences of validation and verification with example

http://testingbasicinterviewquestions.blogspot.com/2012/01/difference-between-verification-and.html

Validation:

Verification: Are we building the system right?

a. Verification is the process of evaluating products of a development phase to find out
whether they meet the specified requirements.
b. The objective of Verification is to make sure that the product being develop is as per
the requirements and design specifications.
c. Following activities are involved in Verification: Reviews, Meetings and Inspections.
d. Verification is carried out by QA team to check whether implementation software is
as per specification document or not.
e. Execution of code is not comes under Verification.
f. Verification process explains whether the outputs are according to inputs or not.
g. Verification is carried out before the Validation.
h. Following items are evaluated during Verification: Plans, Requirement Specifications,
Design Specifications, Code, Test Cases etc,
i. Cost of errors caught in Verification is less than errors found in Validation.
j. It is basically manually checking of the documents and files like requirement
specifications etc.

Validation: Are we building the right system?

a. Validation is the process of evaluating software at the end of the development
process to determine whether software meets the customer expectations and
requirements.
b. The objective of Validation is to make sure that the product actually meet up the
user’s requirements, and check whether the specifications were correct in the first
place.
c. Following activities are involved in Validation: Testing like black box testing, white
box testing, gray box testing etc.
d. Validation is carried out by testing team.
e. Execution of code is comes under Validation.
f. Validation process describes whether the software is accepted by the user or not.
g. Validation activity is carried out just after the Verification.
h. Following item is evaluated during Validation:
i. Cost of errors caught in Validation is more than errors found in Verification.
j. It is basically checking of developed program based on the requirement
specifications documents & files.

Example in verification:
Suppose we have the specifications related to the project than by checking that specifications
without executing to see whether the specifications are up to the mark or not is what we have done
in verification.

Example in validation:
Similarly Validation of the software is done to make sure that the software always meets the
requirements of the customer by executing the specifications of the project and product. Note that
the customer and end users are concerned in validation of the software. It is also crucial to
differentiate between end users, and customers. Considering example, if you are developing a
library monitoring system, the librarian is the client and the person who issue the books, collect fines
etc. are comes under the category of the end users.
 2. Techniques and methods of verification and validation

Methods of Verification

1. Walkthrough - is a form of software peer review "in which a designer or programmer leads
members of the development team and other interested parties through a software product, and the
participants ask questions and make comments about possible errors, violation of development
standards, and other problems". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_walkthrough

2. Inspection - refers to peer review of any work product by trained individuals who look for defects
using a well defined process. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_inspection

3. Review - "A process or meeting during which a software product is examined by a project
personnel, managers, users, customers, user representatives, or other interested parties for
comment or approval". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_review

Methods of Validation
1. Testing - is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality
of the product or service under test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_testing

2. End Users - is the individual who uses the product after it has been fully developed and
marketed.

3. Categories of validation and verification

Categories of Validation:

a. Prospective validation – the missions conducted before new items are released to make
sure the characteristics of the interests which are functioning properly and which meet
safety standards.
b. Retrospective validation – a process for items that are already in use and distribution or
production. The validation is performed against the written specifications or
predetermined expectations, based upon their historical data/evidences that are
documented/recorded. If any critical data is missing, then the work can not be processed
or can only be completed partially.

c. Full-scale validation
 d. Partial validation – often used for research and pilot studies if time is constrained. The
most important and significant effects are tested. From an analytical chemistry
perspective, those effects are selectivity, accuracy, repeatability, linearity and its range.

e. Cross-validation

f. Re-validation/Locational or Periodical validation – carried out, for the item of interest that
is dismissed, repaired, integrated/coupled, relocated, or after a specified time lapse

g. Concurrent validation - conducted during a routine processing of services, manufacturing

or engineering etc.

4. Aspects of validation and verification

a. Selectivity/specificity

b. Accuracy and precision

c. Repeatability

d. Reproducibility

e. Limit of detection – especially for trace elements

f. Limit of quantification

g. Curve fitting and its range

h. System Suitability