Tester FAQ

The following are answers to some of the most common beta tester questions. Many of these questions are common to the beta testing process, while some are specific to our practices.

  • What is a Beta Test?Beta testing is typically the last test performed by companies prior to shipping a product. It is a test that involves real customers using their product in a real environment. If you match the criteria for the test, you could be selected to be on the beta test.

    From identifying critical bugs to providing general opinions and ideas about the product, a beta test allows you to be involved in the company's product development. You have a chance to experience a new product first hand, share your insight and ideas with a company and help them make a better product.
  • Who is Centercode? Centercode executes beta tests for companies (our clients). Our role as a testing company is to make certain that the test is effective and find the right people for the job. We provide an interactive testing portal for you and the company to get together and communicate effectively. In addition, we provide this testing portal (Centercode Connect) to other companies who have the desire to run their own effective beta tests.
  • Why do Companies Beta Test? Companies care about the quality of their products and are interested in understanding their customer's perspective. Therefore, they invest time and money into beta testing. There is an understanding of the value of this test and they make certain it is executed on every project.
  • How do I Sign Up to Beta Test?Centercode provides www.onlinebeta.com as a portal for anyone interested in beta testing to participate in beta tests. If you don't already have an account, click here to sign up.
  • Are There any Personal Requirements (age, location, etc)? We allow people of all ages, from countries all around the world to join our community and participate in beta tests. Please note that each project has specific requirements, many of these being international users beyond the United States. We do also test products for children, although these require parental permission.
  • Why Would I Want to be Involved in a Beta Test? There are a lot of great reasons to join the Centercode community and get involved in beta testing. Besides earning a free product or other incentives, beta testing can provide tremendous personal and professional rewards. Here is a short list of some of those benefits:

    1. Learn about new technologies
    2. Enhance your professional and personal knowledge
    3. Network with people who share similar interests
    4. Contribute to the quality of a product you enjoy
    5. Be recognized as an expert and be part of an exclusive group of testers
    6. Get to see a new product before anyone else
    7. Exercise your experience with a new and innovative product
    8. Be part of an exclusive team who interact with a company on their new products
    9. Earn free products and other test opportunities
  • What is involved if I get selected to be on a beta test? We take beta testing very seriously and ask our participants to do the same. If you are selected to be in a beta test here is what we ask:

    1. Participate in our system on a daily basis over a several week period.
    2. Spend an hour or two daily working with the product.
    3. Be willing to commit some personal hardware or software to the testing.
    4. Be communicative and responsive to all the needs of the test.
    5. Use confidentiality during the test period. Keep the product secret!
    6. Report any and all findings discovered.
    7. Be flexible and understanding.
  • Will beta testing a product hurt my computer? While there is an inherent risk in beta testing, it is rare for software or hardware to cause any actual damage. If you choose to beta test, you do accept the risk associated with using pre-release software or hardware.

    This means, you should back up your computer to ensure that you can restore it prior to the beta installation. In addition, you should not test beta software on a machine that has critical data on it.
  • I have not been selected for a beta test yet, why not? We have numerous test opportunities. However, our clients provide very specific requirements for each test and when we select; we are expected to match those criteria exactly. Therefore, you may or may not qualify based on the needs of each beta test.

    We are working hard to provide more and more tests for our community and it is our consistent goal to get every person on a test. It may take some time but we do want to include you. The best way to qualify is:

    1. Be sure to keep your profile updated and complete. Make certain that you include as much detail as possible.
    2. Respond quickly to our project announcements. We tend to select testers very quickly once a new beta opportunity is announced. If you apply late, it is less likely that you will be selected.
    3. Make certain that you answer all application surveys in detail. We read these surveys carefully. The more detail you provide, the better chance of being selected.
    4. If you have specials skills or hardware that make you a great candidate for a test, feel free to drop us a line. Our goal is to find the absolute best suited people for each project.
  • I signed up but never heard anything. Why didn't anybody contact me? The simple fact is, we have thousands of people who apply for nearly every beta test. However, we only have limited number of seats. Therefore, we only notify those who are selected for a project. If you do not hear from us, you were not picked.

    We also believe that it's better to reduce the amount of E-mail traffic that people receive from us, and aim to only send mail that requires action on your part.
  • I've been registered for a while but I've never seen a beta notice. Why? There are a few things that could be happening. First, we do not send out notices to everyone. We are sensitive to your E-mail and we only send messages that be we believe are relevant to your profile. You may want to check your spam filters as well. Make certain that you allow E-mail from both the centercode.com and onlinebeta.com domains. Last, verify your E-mail address is accurate.
  • What am I supposed to do if I get selected? Be active and engaged. The whole point of a beta test is that our clients want to know your experience with their product and reveal any potential issues you find. You should be logging into the site (OnlineBeta.com) every day. Report your bugs, join in on forum conversations, complete any surveys available to you, and suggest your own ideas. Each of these activities make you an valuable part of the beta test.
  • What happens if I sign up and then get too busy to beta test? We understand that priorities change and that things can impact a person's ability to beta test. If you are selected for a project and this happens, please let us know immediately and we'll give your spot to another candidate. We have thousands of people who want to be on projects and only limited space.

    If you get on a project and find that it was not what you expected, let us know. We will find someone who is better suited to test. If you choose to drop out and don't tell us, you will be excluded from future beta tests.
  • If I am picked, are there specific tasks to complete? Sometimes we will ask you to complete something specific. Other times, we leave it up to you! We trust you to take the time and report your findings, and we provide a simple online portal for you to do so. If we do ask you to do a task, please do it as quickly as possible. Our goal is to make beta testing as easy as possible.
  • How long is a typical beta test? Beta tests vary in duration. Sometimes they are a week; sometimes they can last several months. We will do our best to tell you how long we expect the test to run but that can change. As issues are discovered, there is a chance the duration of the test will be extended. The best is to keep your schedule open and flexible for a few weeks.
  • Do I get to keep the product if I am selected? It differs from beta test to beta test. If you are active in the beta test and participate on a regular basis, you will be eligible to earn an incentive. In most cases, this is the beta product. In cases where for some reason this isn't possible, you will get prizes, gift certificates or other goodies. In addition, good testers get selected to participate in future projects.
  • Do I get paid to be a beta tester? There is no cash payment to be a beta tester. We cannot expect your feedback to be honest and reliable if you are receiving payment for your effort. The whole point of the beta test is to get unbiased and honest feedback. However, every tester is eligible for incentives if you participate actively in the beta test.
  • Do you share any of my information with other companies? Your privacy is our top concern and we do everything to protect it! Our business is entirely based around Beta Testing, so as detailed in our Privacy agreement, we only share your data with our clients when you have applied and are selected to be a beta tester (it's important for them to understand who you are of course). Beyond that specific situation, we do not sell or share your information with anyone.
  • What if I don't want to beta test anymore? Your account is yours and we respect your decision. If you want, you can close it at any time. Our community is completely voluntary. You can do this by clicking here (your login is required). Alternatively you can simply E-mail support@centercode.com from the E-mail address in your profile, letting us know you would like to close your account. Please note that while all of your personal information will be removed entirely from our system, any feedback you've provided in previous projects will remain - but no longer be linked to you.
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