Which metric can be used to measure the effectiveness of the testing process in achieving one of the typical objectives of testing?

The effectiveness of the testing process is often measured by how well it achieves the goals of ensuring that the software meets its requirements and is free from defects. The percentage of requirements covered is a direct measure of this effectiveness, as it indicates how comprehensively the test cases address the stated requirements of the software.

Covering a high percentage of requirements suggests that the testing process has been thorough and that the testers have considered a wide array of functions and features that the software is expected to fulfill. This metric is aligned with the fundamental objectives of testing, which are to verify and validate that the system operates as intended and meets stakeholders’ needs.

In contrast, while the average number of days between defect discovery and resolution might provide insights into the efficiency of the defect management process, it does not directly assess the overall effectiveness of the testing against the requirements. Similarly, lines of code written per developer per day focus on productivity rather than testing quality or coverage. Finally, the percentage of test effort spent on regression testing does not inherently evaluate how well all requirements are addressed but rather offers insight into the allocation of resources during the testing phase. Therefore, the percentage of requirements covered stands out as the most relevant and effective metric for evaluating the testing process in relation to its objectives.