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Project Onboarding

Quickly learn how to start testing as a project tester

Zorica Micanovic avatar
Written by Zorica Micanovic
Updated over a week ago

What is a project?

Projects are events with precisely defined duration, requirements and payout. Our platform run them on the demand for our customers. Testers who participate in the project test cycles are called project testers.

How can I apply for a project at Test IO?

The first step in becoming a part of the project is to fill in the survey sent by one of our CPCs. After evaluation of the responses, our CPCs compare the customer's requirements to the list of testers who applied for participation in the project through the project survey. Only testers who meet all the requirements (location, age, language, list of devices, etc) will be invited to become testers for the selected project.

Note: Bear in mind that participation in the project is not guaranteed if you fill in the survey. If we didn't invite you to one project it doesn't mean that you are not a suitable candidate for another project. Always apply for projects if you meet the requirements. You never know when you will match all the customer's needs for testers.

What happens after you get selected for a project?

After you've been selected as a tester for the project, your CPC will send you an email to notify you about everything you need to know about the project. Make sure that you check your email regularly and respond to the email if it was requested by your CPC. Usually, confirmation is handled by responding to the email you've got from the CPC. If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please reach out to your CPC.

Later during the project, your CPC might use other ways to communicate, such as a cycle Chat tab or a specific channel on our Test IO Community Discord server. When you join Test IO Discord server make sure that you change your screenname to match your tester screenname. Otherwise, we won't be able to find you on Discord. We highly recommend you join the server to receive the latest updates and get quick answers to your questions there. Relevant information such as test updates might also be shared with the community via Discord, so joining the server it's the best way to keep you informed about the Project! You can also meet testers who are part of the same project and share experiences with each other.


Which types of projects can I participate in Test IO?

There are many new or improved products to be tested in the world and customers are always looking for the best way to check the health of their solutions. But we gathered a list of the most common projects you will find on our platform here:

  • Hardware Testing: you will receive a physical device to test in the real world. We created a special article for this type of project called Hardware Testing.

  • On-Site Testing: you will be asked to go to a specific location and complete a series of steps (such as buying an item in a store or checking the mobile network coverage in certain parts of your city). Since you'll have to move from your place to certain locations, you must be prepared to spend a few hours away from your house and make sure you follow all instructions correctly to avoid any re-testing.

  • Background Testing: you will have to install an app on your device and keep it in the background, usually to check if it's affecting the device's performance and if it does not stop working after a few days.

  • Performance Testing: you will monitor the overall app performance in different scenarios. You may be asked to capture different types of logs, so any previous knowledge you have in reading API calls and monitoring app usage will be more than welcome for such projects.

No matter the type of project you are participating in, you can always share your experience directly with the CPC about the test and the product itself. Such information can be crucial for the customer and us to improve in future runs.

Note: Just like it happens with our regular exploratory cycles, you are not authorized to share customer information with anyone outside the project. That includes other testers who are not part of the project, your friends or family. All project information should be considered sensitive and should only be discussed with the CPC, the TL and the testers who were also selected for the project.


Why do I need to provide my personal information for a project?

When you become a project tester, you might be required to provide us with your valid personal information, such as your address for Hardware Testing projects or your Credit Card last numbers for On-Site Payment Testing projects. Such information may be crucial for us to continue the testing or it might be relevant for the customer to confirm your steps were done correctly. We might also need proof of your location to ensure only the eligible testers are participating in the project. All required personal information will be explicit in the project instructions so you must deny the invite if you don't feel comfortable sharing any requested data with us.

Remember if you are asked to provide any personal information via email, make sure the CPC is the receiver and do not send information to other testers or to any other person outside of Test IO staff.

Note: Please, don't provide us with a wrong or incomplete address. It won't help you and it will slow down the project processes.

How do we handle sensitive data?

Once you provide us with your personal information, we handle it respectfully and professionally. The CPC, Test IO and the customer will only use it for the project purpose and are not authorised to sell your data to any other third-party companies.

Remember: Sometimes the customer will send an Information request for more info about the bug and you are required to respond to the Information request within 24 hours. Also, the customer could ask you in the comments of the bug report to include additional information in the next bug you submit.

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