Performance Testing
Performance testing is a type of non-functional testing that evaluates how a system performs under expected, peak, or extreme workload conditions.
“A test type to determine the performance efficiency of a component or system.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Performance Testing?
Performance testing measures response times, throughput, resource utilization, scalability, and stability to determine whether performance requirements are satisfied.
Performance measurement: Key metrics include response time and throughput.
Workload simulation: Virtual users reproduce expected system usage.
Decision support: Results guide capacity planning and optimization.
Real World Example
A national travel service is preparing for a public holiday sale where thousands of users may search, reserve, and pay for tickets at the same time.
A feature that works for one tester may fail under traffic, resource pressure, or infrastructure disruption. Performance testing helps the team focus on behavior under operational conditions.
The tester defines realistic traffic, failure, and recovery situations, then watches response time, errors, data consistency, and whether users can continue critical actions.
The release decision improves because Performance testing gives stakeholders evidence about service behavior when demand or disruption is no longer theoretical.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Performance testing in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Performance testing to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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