CP_AUTOMATION/tests/load_tests/PERFORMANCE_OPTIMIZATION_ANALYSIS.md

Performance Optimization Analysis - Question Timing

🔍 Current Problem

Observed: ~25 seconds per question (50+ minutes for 100 questions)

Expected: ~4-8 seconds per question (7-13 minutes for 100 questions)

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📊 Current Wait Chain Per Question

Breakdown of Current Waits:

1. Start of loop: RandomizedWait.wait_for_page_load('navigation') → 1-3s
2. Get question type: time.sleep(0.5) → 0.5s (hardcoded!)
3. Answer question: Depends on type → 2-6s (multiple choice)
4. After answer: RandomizedWait.wait_for_question_answer() → 2-6s
5. Click Next: click_next() which calls:
   • wait_for_page_load() → Up to 15s (waits for document.readyState)
   • wait_for_loading_to_disappear() → Up to 15s (waits for loading indicator)
6. After Next: RandomizedWait.wait_for_navigation('next') → 1-3s (REDUNDANT!)

Total Per Question:

• Minimum: 1 + 0.5 + 2 + 2 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 6.5s
• Maximum: 3 + 0.5 + 6 + 6 + 15 + 15 + 3 = 48.5s
• Average: ~2 + 0.5 + 4 + 4 + 5 + 5 + 2 = 22.5s ✅ Matches your observation!

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🐛 Issues Identified

1. Redundant Waits (Major Issue)

• click_next() already waits for page load
• Then we wait again with RandomizedWait.wait_for_navigation()
• Waste: 1-3 seconds per question

2. Hardcoded Sleep (Minor Issue)

• get_question_type() has time.sleep(0.5)
• Should use smart wait instead
• Waste: 0.5 seconds per question

3. Excessive Explicit Waits (Major Issue)

• wait_for_loading_to_disappear() waits up to 15 seconds
• Loading indicators usually disappear in 1-2 seconds
• Waste: 10-13 seconds per question (if loading doesn't exist)

4. Double Page Load Check (Minor Issue)

• wait_for_page_load() checks document.readyState
• wait_for_loading_to_disappear() checks loading indicator
• Both might be redundant
• Waste: 5-10 seconds per question

5. Unnecessary Start Wait (Minor Issue)

• RandomizedWait.wait_for_page_load('navigation') at start of loop
• Page is already loaded from previous Next click
• Waste: 1-3 seconds per question

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✅ Optimization Strategy

Phase 1: Remove Redundant Waits (Quick Win)

1. Remove RandomizedWait.wait_for_navigation('next') after click_next()
2. Remove RandomizedWait.wait_for_page_load('navigation') at start of loop
3. Savings: ~2-6 seconds per question

Phase 2: Optimize Explicit Waits (Medium Win)

1. Reduce wait_for_loading_to_disappear() timeout to 2-3 seconds
2. Make it non-blocking (don't fail if loading doesn't exist)
3. Savings: ~10-13 seconds per question (if loading doesn't exist)

Phase 3: Replace Hardcoded Sleeps (Small Win)

1. Replace time.sleep(0.5) in get_question_type() with smart wait
2. Wait for question element to be visible instead
3. Savings: ~0.3-0.5 seconds per question

Phase 4: Smart Wait Strategy (Advanced)

1. Use explicit waits that return immediately when condition is met
2. Don't wait full timeout if element is ready
3. Savings: Variable, but significant

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🎯 Expected Results After Optimization

Optimized Wait Chain:

1. Get question type: Smart wait → 0.1-0.5s (was 0.5s)
2. Answer question: Depends on type → 2-6s (unchanged)
3. After answer: RandomizedWait.wait_for_question_answer() → 2-6s (unchanged)
4. Click Next: click_next() with optimized waits → 1-3s (was 15-30s)
5. No redundant wait → 0s (was 1-3s)

Total Per Question (Optimized):

• Minimum: 0.1 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 5.1s
• Maximum: 0.5 + 6 + 6 + 3 = 15.5s
• Average: ~0.3 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 10.3s

For 100 Questions:

• Current: ~25s × 100 = ~42 minutes
• Optimized: ~10s × 100 = ~17 minutes
• Improvement: ~60% faster (25 minutes saved!)

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🚀 Implementation Plan

1. ✅ Remove redundant RandomizedWait.wait_for_navigation() calls
2. ✅ Remove redundant RandomizedWait.wait_for_page_load() at start
3. ✅ Optimize wait_for_loading_to_disappear() timeout (2-3s instead of 15s)
4. ✅ Replace hardcoded time.sleep(0.5) with smart wait
5. ✅ Test with 1 student to verify no breakage
6. ✅ Test with 10 students to verify performance improvement

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⚠️ Safety Considerations

• Don't remove explicit waits entirely - they ensure elements are ready
• Keep minimum wait times - prevents race conditions
• Test thoroughly - ensure no flakiness introduced
• Monitor for failures - if optimization causes issues, revert

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📈 Success Metrics

• Target: <15 seconds per question (average)
• Target: <20 minutes for 100 questions
• Target: 0% increase in failure rate
• Target: Maintain 100% reliability