Testing (experimentation) is part of the scientific method: A test is a comparison of an expectation with an observation. The expectation must be known (written down, sketched, enumerated, communicated, etc.) before the observation is known; otherwise, the raw observation does not qualify as an experiment. But, if the raw expectation is made explicit, then it can become material for a hypothetical explanation of the subject under study. A test differs from a measurement, which is a comparison to a standard (--William Shockley).
In manufacturing, quality assurance testing is a procedure designed to test the functionality of the product under potentially harmful conditions. This product is frequently called the unit under test, or UUT. In semiconductor IC final testing, the semiconductor device is frequently referred to as the device under test or DUT. (Every memory chip in the computer you are using to read this Wikipedia has been tested at least twice by very expensive testing equipment and testing programs. )
In the sport of cricket, a Test is a top-level match between two nations. Test matches are played with two innings a side, over five days.
In education, a test is used to measure students' performance, knowledge or skills. This is called summative testing. Formative testing is a test designed to aid learning by diagnosing students' knowledge and skills thereby permitting a suitable learning programme to be created.
