Heuristic Evaluation
Heuristic evaluation is a usability review method in which experts assess a user interface using recognized usability principles or heuristics.
“A usability review technique that evaluates a work product by using a set of heuristics.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Heuristic Evaluation?
Usability specialists examine an interface against established guidelines to identify design problems before user testing begins.
Expert review: Evaluations are performed by usability specialists.
Usability principles: Common heuristics include consistency, visibility, and error prevention.
Cost-effective: Issues are identified early without requiring end users.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Heuristic evaluation appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Heuristic evaluation 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 Heuristic evaluation and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Heuristic evaluation is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Heuristic evaluation in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Heuristic evaluation to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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