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KDU CGT: Game Testing Fundamentals and the Software Development Life Cycle

KDU CGT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Game Testing Fundamentals and the Software Development Life Cycle

What this domain tests

This domain checks whether you understand where testing sits in game development: the levels of testing, the milestone gates a build must pass, and how QA work changes between pre-production and post-launch. Expect questions on alpha versus beta, build verification, entry and exit criteria, and the difference between verification and validation.

Core rules

  • Verification asks whether the build was made correctly against specs; validation asks whether it is the right game for the player.
  • Test levels: unit (engine or system code), integration (systems talking to each other), system (whole build), acceptance (publisher, platform, or player-facing).
  • Common gates: first playable, vertical slice, alpha (feature complete), beta (content complete, external testing), content lock, gold master, certification submission, launch, day-one patch.
  • A build should pass a smoke or build verification test (BVT) before the full suite runs.
  • Entry criteria define when testing can start (build boots, core loop reachable); exit criteria define when it can stop (coverage, open defect thresholds).
  • Shift-left: test design and automated checks run early, not only at the end.

Worked example

A studio receives build 0.9.3 for the alpha gate. QA runs the BVT: install, boot, start new game, reach main menu, load a save, finish the tutorial. The load-save step crashes every time on the target console. The lead rejects the build rather than starting the 400-case regression suite. Reasoning: BVT is a gate, not a formality; a crash on a core path means regression results would be unreliable and many cases would block. The defect is logged as a blocker with the build number, console firmware and a video, and the build engineer is notified so a hotfix build can be produced.

Traps

Calling a build 'tested' because the suite was executed, without checking coverage. Treating alpha and beta as interchangeable. Running deep regression on a build that fails smoke. Logging a defect without the build identifier. Assuming QA only begins after content is finished.