Equivalence Class Partitioning Definition

Equivalence class partitioning is a software testing methodology developed by Michael Myers, which is based on the principle of dividing input data into classes that are equivalent in terms of the expected behavior of the program. This method allows you to reduce the number of test cases without losing the appropriate test coverage.

The principle of equivalence class partitioning is to group the input data into classes, so that each class represents a group of data for which the behavior of the program is relatively the same. It is assumed if a program works correctly for one member of a class, it will also work correctly for all the other members of that class.

For example, if a program processes the user’s age, the equivalence class can be divided into the following classes:

• Correct age (for example, age between 18 and 30)
• Invalid age (for example, age less than 18 or more than 30)
• Zero age