GRE Preparation – Tips to Mastering the GRE

There is perhaps no other test that is as popular as GRE because over 700,000 people take it every year. The reason there are so many takers of GRE is because of wide acceptance of the exam among students all over India.

What exactly is the GRE?

The graduate record exam tests you on developed skills in English and Math, so just knowing basics is not enough; A Multi Stage Test, it is very similar to a Computer adaptive test in that, based on a student’s response to an item (E.g. previous question), the next item (question) changes and is selected from a pool of questions (different from a paper based test, which is linear and all questions are fixed), but it differs from it in the respect that based on how you are doing on specific set of items, i.e. a section (that has multiple questions), the difficulty of the next section(s) is adapted.

GRE can be broken down into three logical groups: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. For the verbal reasoning section, test takers have two 30-minute periods to answer two sets of 20 questions. Test-takers answer two sets of 20 quantitative reasoning questions, with 35 minutes to answer each set. For analytical writing test takers need to write two essays each in 30 minutes. In order to score good marks in GRE, you will have to make some serious efforts. These tips will help.

Get to know Pythagoras

The Greek mathematician gave us too many wonderful things, but the most useful are his contribution to geometry. Brush up on your Pythagoras and dust off your high school mathematics.

Fall in love with your dictionary

The English tests are far more complicated than Math, so if you thought you knew enough English, think again because GRE preparation is a reality check that makes students uncomfortable. Scoring good marks in GRE for English takes more than cramming through study materials, start early in college and adds to your vocabulary in small installments. But wait, the test went through a change in 2011, and since then, the focus on vocabulary has reduced considerably (new components have been added to the verbal section such as sentence equivalence & mixed text completion), so while Vocabulary remains important, crammers cannot expect to cram words and their meanings and sail through the verbal section of the test.

Grab a Book

There is no downside to picking up a book and learning a few things at a time and adding to your current knowledge base. There will be dozens of them in every book shop, you can learn more about useful books for GRE preparation by talking to your instructor.

Keep Practising

There are paid tests and then there are unpaid tests that students can take. At the end of each test scores are provided that help students assess their strength and weaknesses. Continue taking the test as long you feel the need for it.

GRE preparation takes more than a smile and if you are serious about cracking it, begins by enrolling for a tutorial course for GRE.

Why Invest in a Jira Test Management Tool

Now, Jira is a bug tracking and project management tool developed by Atlassian. It offers several features that make it so popular with developers as well as QA professionals all over the world today. While this no doubt that Jira works best when it comes to project management, the interesting thing is that people are not happy with just using it as a project management tool. It’s all because of the user friendly features that Jira offers to its users, which makes them want to use the platform for test case management as well.

Now, since Jira was never intended to be used as a test management tool, it does bring some limitations. Given below are the advantages and disadvantages of using Jira for this purpose.

Advantages:

Supports manual execution.
Provision for users to create single workflow for developers and QA teams as well.
Provision for users to create custom issue types, and this is used to create “test cases” as an issue type.
Familiarity of users with its interface.
Disadvantages:

No provision for traceability reporting.
Does not allow user to group executions and cycles.
Does not support integration with frameworks other than the CI server.
No in-built functionality to support test case management.
Cannot be used for version control handling.
No provision for repeated execution.
While the advantages are great, it’s the disadvantages that create the need for a more enhanced approach to test management with some other tool that compliments the advantages that Jira offers. This is where the need for a good Jira test management tool comes into the picture.

Now, what is the Jira test management tool? It’s nothing but an advanced automation and test management tool that can be seamlessly integrated with Jira to enhance the test management capabilities of Jira. The automation tool integrates with Jira through an add-on that is available on the Atlas in Marketplace. QARA Enterprise is an example of such a tool that integrates with the help of the QARAJ add-on. Zephyr is another example. These add-ons are power-packed with features to enhance the functionality of Jira to manage test cases and analyse test performance through detailed reports.

There are several advanced features that Jira test management tool offers and here are a few of them.

It allows QA professionals to manage test cases within the Jira interface. With the provision to track the quality of software by creating, executing, tracking and reporting QA issues just like any other issue type in Jira.
For those who are familiar with the interface of Jira, a tool like this is a delight because its UI is exactly the same as that of JIRA. This makes it easy to learn using the tool faster and also offers a level of comfort.
These tools are also integrated with other platforms like Bamboo, Jenkins, MTM, etc. To enhance the overall automation experience.
A Jira test management tool is designed with powerful reporting capabilities through quality metrics.
The last one is a key advantage. Does the provision to create various reports based on different parameters that allowed the QA team deep insight into the QA performance as well as the project status, execution details and more. The graphical reports make it easy to understand and analyse dance performance.

So that was about the key benefits of using a Jira test management tool. It gives one the best of both Worlds, which means the familiarity of the Jira interface and the advanced test management capabilities of a new age test automation tool.

Streamlining Mobile App Development for Agile Businesses in 2020

The Importance of Mobile Apps in Today’s Market
Mobile apps are increasingly becoming a fundamental aspect of daily life. According to Statista, as of the first quarter of 2020, there were approximately 2.56 million apps available on Google Play and 1.85 million on the Apple App Store. This surge is largely driven by the widespread adoption of smartphones across various demographics, prompting businesses to engage customers through mobile apps.

A report by App Annie highlighted that the global mobile app revenue reached approximately $581 billion in 2020 and is projected to exceed $935 billion by 2023. This growth is fueled by advancements in mobile technology, including the integration of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Lifecycle of Lean Mobile App Development
The development of a mobile app typically follows a lifecycle similar to the software development lifecycle (SDLC), which includes several key phases:

1. Planning
This initial phase involves defining the app’s purpose, identifying the target audience, and conducting competitive analysis. Decisions regarding the platform (iOS, Android, or cross-platform) and the main features of the app are also made during this stage.

2. Designing
In this phase, UI/UX designers create a prototype to visualize the app’s design. This helps in assessing the app’s usability and gathering feedback from stakeholders to refine the design further.

3. Development
Development can be approached through various methodologies, with agile being the preferred choice for its flexibility and efficiency. This phase involves building the app iteratively, allowing for regular feedback and adjustments.

4. Testing
Comprehensive testing is conducted to ensure the app’s performance, security, and overall quality meet the standards. User Acceptance Testing (UAT), or beta testing, is also performed to gather real-user feedback.

5. Deployment
The app is launched on platforms like Google Play and the Apple App Store. It’s important to understand the different policies and fees associated with these platforms. For instance, Google Play allows free app launches, whereas Apple charges an annual fee of $99.

6. Maintenance and Optimization
Post-launch, the app requires regular updates and maintenance to enhance functionality and address user feedback. App Store Optimization (ASO) is also crucial to improve visibility and attract more users.

Choosing the Right Technology Partner
Selecting a credible technology partner is vital for successful mobile app development. Companies like Katalyst Technologies offer extensive experience in developing apps using platforms like OutSystems and can provide end-to-end solutions from ideation to maintenance.

Conclusion
For businesses aiming to thrive in the digital arena of 2020, understanding and implementing a lean mobile app development lifecycle is crucial. By partnering with experienced developers and adopting an agile approach, businesses can ensure their mobile apps are effective, efficient, and ready to meet the dynamic demands of the market.