Pilot testing a system allows you to detect errors and collect user opinions.
Knowing the meaning of the term pilot test is what we are going to do next. However, to do this, first of all, it is necessary to discover the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape:
-Proof, emanates from the Latin “probus”, which is equivalent to “good”.
-Pilot, for its part, has its antecedents in Greek, in “pedon”, which is synonymous with “helm”.
Proof is a notion with multiple uses. On this occasion, we are interested in its meaning as an experiment. Pilot , another term with different meanings, can be a prototype or a test.
What is a pilot test
A pilot test , therefore, is that experimentation that is carried out for the first time with the aim of checking certain issues. This is an experimental test , the conclusions of which may be interesting to advance the development of something.
For example: “The provincial government will carry out a pilot test of the electronic voting system in three municipalities” , “The pilot test showed us that we still have to correct many things before launching the new product” , “The credentials will have their pilot test on next Tuesday.”
In television, a pilot is an episode of a series that is recorded so that producers can analyze its viability.
Some uses of the term
Within the academic field, the term pilot test is also used. Thus, for example, in different English academies they are committed to having students undergo a test of this type, in order to determine not only the level they have in said language but also in what aspects the majority falters or what type exams are the most recommended in this regard.
Suppose that municipal authorities plan to establish an Internet system so that residents can request appointments at district hospitals. The idea is that, by entering an online platform, residents can make appointments with various specialists, saving time and avoiding trips to health centers.
Due to the complexity of the project , the municipal government decides to carry out a pilot test with a hospital. Said hospital, therefore, installs the system in question on its computers and begins to manage shifts through the Internet. The government will study the result of the trial, taking into account the opinions of doctors, patients, etc., before moving forward with the project in other hospitals.
Another example of a pilot test is one that is carried out on a new racing circuit , hosting training and free trials before the official opening.
The pilot test on TV
In the field of television, it is also common to resort to the use of this aforementioned term. Specifically, we speak of a pilot test or pilot episode to refer to the first episode that is recorded of a new series so that the producers can see if it is expected to be received and, therefore, it is worth investing to carry it out and start. to issue it.
Precisely this type of test episodes has meant that many productions have remained only in that initial phase and that others, however, have managed to convince, finance themselves, be recorded and become real successes. In the latter case there are, for example, series like “Lost” or “Grey's Anatomy” .