Software Testing Life Cycle & its different phases:-
STLC identifies the test activities to be performed along with the schedule to accomplish them. A tester needs to follow the phases of STLC to ensure timely completion of testing process.
Phases of STLC are:-
1) Test planning & Control
2) Test analysis & Design
3) Test impletation & execution
4) Exit criteria & reporting
5) Test closure

1) Test planning & control:- It is the first phase of STLC which is a combination of two activities i.e. test planning and control. Test planning includes verifying test mission and defining test objectives. On the other hand test control involves comparing actual progress of the testing against expected/planned status including deviation from the plan.

2) Test analysis & design:- In second phase identified testing objectives are transformed into test scenarios into test scenarios and tests cases.

3) Test implementation and execution:- In third phase of STLC, the test procedures and test scripts are specified, the test environment is set up and the tests run. the main aim of this phase is to transform tests conditions, identified during test analysis and design into test scripts.

4) Exit criteria and reporting:- This phase includes checking test logs against the exit criteria specified in test planning and determining whether more tests are needed to be done or exit criteria should be changed. Exit criteria should be part of test planning.

5) Test closure:- Tasks performed in this phase is to collect test related data derived from previously executed phases to consolidate experience, test-ware, facts and numbers.