SBA Task 2 · Testing & Evaluation (15 marks)

Show that your system actually works and that you can critique it.

Mark breakdown (typical)

Area	Marks
Test plan & test cases	5
Evidence of testing	5
Evaluation & reflection	5

Test plan template

#	Test type	Input	Expected output	Actual output	Pass/Fail	Action taken
1	Normal	Borrow book #B-001 by member #M-101 on 2026-01-15	Loan record created, due in 14 days	Loan record created, due 2026-01-29	Pass	—
2	Boundary	Borrow a book that has 1 copy left	Loan created, copies=0	Loan created, copies=0	Pass	—
3	Erroneous	Borrow a book that has 0 copies	Error message, no loan	Loan created (BUG)	Fail	Add check in PHP
4	Erroneous	Member ID does not exist	Friendly error	PHP warning shown	Fail	Add foreign key + validation

You need at least:

• 1 normal case per feature
• 1 boundary case per feature
• 1 erroneous case per validated input

Documentation tips

• Use screenshots for both input and output.
• Caption each screenshot ("Figure 4.2 — Adding a duplicate ISBN produces error toast").
• For bugs found, show before (bug present), fix (code diff), after (bug gone).

Sample evaluation outline

1. What worked well
   1.1 Core features delivered on time
   1.2 Database design handled edge cases
2. What did not work
   2.1 Search by title was case-sensitive — fixed in v0.3
   2.2 Mobile layout broke below 360px — known issue
3. User feedback
   3.1 5 classmates and the librarian tested
   3.2 Top requests: barcode scanner, email reminders
4. If I started over
   4.1 Use a framework like Laravel
   4.2 Write automated tests from day one
   4.3 Plan for accessibility from the start
5. What I learned
   5.1 PDO prepared statements
   5.2 Foreign key cascade behaviour
   5.3 Project planning and time budgeting

Presentation ideas (legitimate ways to earn marks)

• PowerPoint version of the report for variety.
• Demo video with voice-over walking through key scenarios.
• Flowchart of testing strategy.
• Tables instead of long paragraphs whenever possible.
• Colour-coded Pass/Fail markers for skimmability.

Common pitfalls

• Tests only cover "happy path" — markers want boundary and error cases.
• "All tests passed" with no evidence — provide screenshots.
• Evaluation that is too positive — markers want honest reflection.
• No mention of who tested it — get classmates to use it.

Reproducible SQL tests

Maintain a seed.sql file in your project that re-creates a known test dataset. Run it inside SQL Books to confirm reports return the expected numbers. Attach screenshots of the queries and results as testing evidence in your report.

➡️ Continue: Topic examples