Equivalence Partitioning

Updated 06 Sep 2026

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def
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  a black-box test case design technique that divides input data into partitions of valid and invalid values, where all values in a partition should exhibit the same behavior
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principle
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  if a condition of one partition is true, the condition of another equal partition must also be true
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  test cases should be designed to cover each partition at least once
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  each value within a partition must exhibit the same behavior
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advantages
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  reduces the number of test cases from potentially infinite to finite
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  applicable at all levels of the testing process
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partitions derived from
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  requirements and specifications of the software
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related
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Cards
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  Distinguish equivalence partitioning from boundary value analysis.
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    equivalence partitioning tests one representative value from each input class; boundary value analysis specifically targets the edges of those classes

Linked references 4