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Equivalence Partitioning - Core Principle

publish date: 2026/06/19 10:51:10.401007 UTC

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Why can you test just one or a few values from each equivalence partition instead of all possible values?

Because programs normally behave in a comparable way for all members of an equivalence partition

Because testing tools can only generate one value per partition automatically

Because the other values are mathematically equivalent and produce identical binary outputs

Because testing all values is prohibited by intellectual property restrictions

Correct Answer

Because programs normally behave in a comparable way for all members of an equivalence partition

Explanation

Programs typically process all members of an equivalence partition in the same way. If you test one value from the partition and the program behaves correctly, it should behave correctly for all other values in that partition. This is the fundamental assumption that makes partition testing practical and efficient.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition

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