Positive and Negative testing

Test Data :

It is a data or value used by testers to perform testing on the application. In most of the testing projects, test data is provided by the client. If it is not provided by the client then tester needs to prepare the test data for testing.

Some projects might have a test data management team for test data preparation and updating. Test data can be either positive or negative.

Positive testing / test data:

Testing performed on the application or software using positive set of test data.In this testing approach, positive or valid values entered for input values and validations are performed.

e.g.  Suppose you are testing an online registration form, which has a field Contact number. There is a business requirement ‘Contact number field should accept 10 digit values staring with 9.’ For Positive testing user needs to enter the value for Contact number in the format of 9**********. 

Negative testing / test data:

Testing performed on the application or software using negative set of test data.In this testing approach, negative or invalid values entered for input values and validations are performed.

e.g.  To test business requirement ‘Contact number field should accept 10 digit values staring with 9’ for Negative testing user needs to enter the 10 digit value for Contact number starting with value other than 9 such as 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or user should enter 11 digit value starting with 9.