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I am new in testing and I want to know about QA and QC.
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QA is quality assurance which verifies and validates the processes used for testing.
QC is quality control which verifies and validates that the product conforms to the defined specifications.
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I think we've been calling software testing QA out of habit although what we really do is QC. QA deals more with designing and monitoring organizational processes, etc. QC deals with ensuring that products are tested for quality.
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But the QA is a word common to listen today, all analysts say to be QAs and they say to work with QA, but QA is different from QC... QC is a final testing, and QA is testing from the beginning, and it is QA that works to avoid bugs and doesn't identify bugs after development, as this is QC.
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@Jeffry - I disagree. There are several different aspects. SQA (Software quality assurance) tend to focus on the test case development and testing of the product as it is being developed. - Test - (as in Test Engineer) - tends to focus on the automation aspect of SQA, whether it is functional automation, load, performance or production operations. And QC (Quality Control) focuses on making sure the processes both mechanical and operational are functioning as expected and that the outcome of these are within the designated states defined. As someone said - one is front and one is encompassing but validates after delivery..
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The tests industry, which includes hardware, factory production, systems, science, art, and software use the terms QA and QC differently, as several of the posting indicate. IEEE, CMU, ISO, and other standards bodies do offer definitions, but many people disagree with the standards or even if there should be standards (e.g. STOP ISO29119). One reason to have standards and standards bodies is to try to reach common and agreed to terms/usage. This has started but will continue to be a rocky road as the usage does vary. I would refer authors to check the standards, define the disagreements locally if needed, and the work to reach common ground, maybe into standards. This will take generations of testers.
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Quality Control, key word here is "control". Control means ensuring that a process or software product meets its specification and reporting defects when behavior or structure fall outside of specification. Test automation falls neatly within the realm of QC. Quality Assurance is the the larger umbrella that covers all efforts towards delivering a quality product, QA is a much larger scope that includes QC, test theory, ad hoc testing etc. Everyone in an organization takes on some level of QA responsibility, from upper management down to developers and testers whereas QC is a narrow scope held by a developer writing unit tests or doing TDD or an SDET writing automated integration tests.
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QA targets the Verification of process.
QC targets the Validation of end product

2 Answers

+2 votes
by Expert (5.9k points)
edited by
 
Best answer

Difference between Quality Assurance(QA) and Quality Control(QC)​

Quality Assurance (QA): 

  • The function of software quality that assures that the standards, processes, and procedures are appropriate for the project and are correctly implemented. 
  • Statistical Tools & Techniques can be applied in both Quality Assurance & Quality Control. When they are applied to processes (process inputs & operational parameters), they are called Statistical Process Control (SPC) & it becomes the part of Quality Assurance.

 

Quality Control (QC): 

  • The function of software quality that checks that the project follows its standards, processes, and procedures, and that the project produces the required internal and external (deliverable) products.
  • When statistical tools & techniques are applied to finished products (process outputs), they are called as Statistical Quality Control (SQC) & comes under Quality Control.
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by (1.6k points)
I agree with you himanshu. this is the difference between QA and QC.
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by (330 points)
yes you are right.
+4 votes
by (960 points)
QA is a set of activities for ensuring quality in the processes by which products are developed, While QC is a set of activities for ensuring quality in products. The activities focus on identifying defects in the actual products produced.

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