Endurance Testing
Endurance testing is a type of performance testing that evaluates how a system behaves under expected workload over an extended period of time.
“Testing to determine the stability of a system under a significant load over a significant period of time within the system's operational context.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Endurance Testing?
The objective is to identify issues such as memory leaks, resource exhaustion, or performance degradation that appear only after prolonged operation.
Long-duration execution: Systems operate continuously for hours or days.
Resource monitoring: CPU, memory, storage, and response times are observed throughout the test.
Reliability assessment: Confirms stable operation during sustained workloads.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Endurance testing appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Endurance testing as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Endurance testing and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Endurance testing is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Endurance testing in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Endurance testing to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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