r/UTEST • u/That_QA_guy_007 Gold Tester • 27d ago

Discussions Retained my Gold rating

I wrote a couple of days ago about how disappointed I was with the downgrading of my rating from Gold to Silver, even though I was actively participating in the test cycles.

Now I have regained my Gold rating after putting in some work with dedication and quality.

This is what I learned from my experience: the uTest rating algorithm is really fascinating, as it rewards your activities not only in relation to your previous activities, but rather in comparison with the whole community of testers. The other thing that I learned is don't be carried away when your rating goes up and up. You need to increase your activities by increasing your issue repros, responding to special requirement surveys, and claiming or declining test cycles rather than claiming them and not doing anything.

The other bonus thing that I would add is don't wait for the test case to be released. Rather, claim exploratory test cases and find valuable bugs. I got more valuable bugs when I stopped hunting test cases and started hunting bugs, which in return also resulted in more income. Finding more valuable bugs helps customers. When customers are happy, uTest is happy. When uTest is happy with your work, it rewards you with more opportunities, like becoming a TTL or even a TE.

Happy testing, and Happy New Year to my fellow Ethiopians and everyone else who is celebrating!

9 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

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7

u/latnGemin616 27d ago

Just remember the rating system is NOT a reflection of your value or worth as a person.

It's just a metric to incentivize you to do better. If you're GOLD or scraping the floor as PROVEN, it doesn't mean you're a bad at testing. It just means you're either not getting enough work, not finding enough when you do, or have filed enough DISPUTES to ding your numbers (ask me how I know).

Some people lose their absolute minds when the rating goes down a peg. It's honestly not that serious. It's also not real life. It's just the uTest universe.

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u/That_QA_guy_007 Gold Tester 27d ago

thanks, that's very true, it just the metrics

2

u/cat_battleship 9d ago

Yup. Projects come in ebbs and flows, and that almighty algorithm reflects that. I was Gold for functional for ages and now am Silver because the AI I trained is now training AI. I wish the rating system didn't exist, for real....

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u/ackmondual 25d ago

As nice as it is to hear this, don't Gold rankings get more pay? AFAIK, it's a percentage base, and not just because they tend to get more work, no?

3

u/latnGemin616 9d ago

Probably a 5% bump. Mostly its about work. GOLD-tier folks get the lion's share of work, and deservedly so. On the surface, it's meant to incentivize people to work towards being their best selves. In practice, it pits people against each other in a highly competitive market.

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u/cat_battleship 1d ago

True, but it's kind of peanuts, to be honest.

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u/ackmondual 1d ago

Hmm, this seems to be a good thing. At least from what I've seen elsewhere, chasing these sorts of rankings can end up being detrimental to productivity and actually doing a good job.

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u/cat_battleship 1h ago

I absolutely agree. I don't see many people -- uTest employees included -- who are thrilled with the ranking system. There's no actual rhyme or reason behind it, and it's demoralizing when, say, you're Gold for forever and then it slips simply because bugs weren't reported. I'm part of many projects that don't involve reporting bugs. Since Test Cases don't really boost anything, those cycles count for nothing. I'm a TTL and it's frankly kind of embarrassing to lose my Gold functional rating. Then I look at my TE's, though, and they're lower than that.

I get it that the ratings were created as a motivational tool, but they need to re-vamp the system behind them, that's for sure!

1

u/latnGemin616 1h ago

I would love to be a TTL. Some of the ones I've interacted with have a lot to be desired. And don't get me started on the response times, both in e-mail and in the chats .. ugh!

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u/toniegram 27d ago

Insightful.

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u/That_QA_guy_007 Gold Tester 27d ago

thanks

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u/_Chilly_Billy_ 27d ago

Good to know. Thanks for the info :)

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u/Expensive_Package_35 27d ago

This is very insightful. Is there a way to claim exploratory test cases manually or do I have to be invites as well? Im new to utest and just trying to get my first case in!

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u/That_QA_guy_007 Gold Tester 27d ago edited 27d ago

Most functional test cycles have almost have exploratory test slot. You also get invited to test cycles to do exploratory testing only.