Software Quality Assurance Practice Exam 2026 – Comprehensive Test Prep

Installation and maintenance in software quality primarily refer to activities that ensure the software remains functional, effective, and up-to-date throughout its lifecycle. Patching and upgrading are crucial components of this process. Patches are updates that fix bugs or vulnerabilities identified after the software is deployed, while upgrades often introduce new features or enhancements that improve the software’s performance and user experience.

These activities are essential for maintaining software quality because they address potential issues that can arise during operation and ensure that users continue to benefit from the best version of the software. Effective maintenance through timely patches and upgrades can prevent issues from escalating into larger problems that may affect user satisfaction or security.

In contrast, other options such as creating user manuals, software design development, and market analysis, while important in their own right, do not fall directly under the definition of installation and maintenance. User manuals assist users in understanding how to utilize the software; design development pertains more to the initial phases of software creation; and market analysis provides insight into user needs and competitive positioning but does not relate to the ongoing management of the software once it is operational.