5. Richfield College, a leading private institution in South Africa with more than eight campuses nationwide, offers both contact and distance learning to over 8,000 students across its Business and Information Technology faculties. To safeguard the integrity and credibility of its assessments, the college has recently implemented the SMOWL proctoring tool. This strategic decision aims to strengthen the rigour and reliability of its assessment processes, uphold academic standards, and ensure that graduates are not only well-equipped with theoretical and technical knowledge but have also earned their qualifications with integrity and ethical conduct. However, students encountered various technical challenges during the first day of the Assessments which caused a huge uproar. Upon receiving these complaints, the management of the institution engaged with the service providers to investigate and address this. Afterwards, a memo was issued to all students assuring them of taking immediate and decisive action to address all concerns and prevent these technical challenges from recurring.

 Based on this scenario, explain the importance of software testing before deploying a critical system like an online proctoring tool. Identify and describe types of testing that could have helped prevent such issues.(10)