Which development approach correctly sequences development activities to produce production-ready software?

Which development approach correctly sequences development activities to produce production-ready software?

• A. QA, develop, test, and release to production
• B. Test, QA, develop, and release to production
• C. Develop, QA, test, and release to production
• D. Develop, test, perform QA, and release to production

Answer: (D)

Sequencing development activities to verify quality before deployment ensures that work is built, checked, and validated at appropriate gates before going live. After code is developed, you first run tests to exercise the software and uncover defects, so you know what needs fixing. Then a dedicated QA step reviews the results and confirms that the product meets defined quality criteria, including adherence to standards, policies, and non-functional requirements. Only once QA gives the go-ahead should the release proceed to production. This order prevents releasing unstable or non-compliant software and aligns testing with quality oversight, making the release reliable for users. The other sequences aren’t feasible in practice. Starting with QA or testing before any development has occurred can’t evaluate what’s not yet built. Releasing to production after testing but without QA oversight risks missing broader quality requirements, while performing QA before testing or development doesn’t provide tangible results to assess.

Sequencing development activities to verify quality before deployment ensures that work is built, checked, and validated at appropriate gates before going live. After code is developed, you first run tests to exercise the software and uncover defects, so you know what needs fixing. Then a dedicated QA step reviews the results and confirms that the product meets defined quality criteria, including adherence to standards, policies, and non-functional requirements. Only once QA gives the go-ahead should the release proceed to production. This order prevents releasing unstable or non-compliant software and aligns testing with quality oversight, making the release reliable for users.

The other sequences aren’t feasible in practice. Starting with QA or testing before any development has occurred can’t evaluate what’s not yet built. Releasing to production after testing but without QA oversight risks missing broader quality requirements, while performing QA before testing or development doesn’t provide tangible results to assess.