Unit Testing is the process of verifying individual units or components of a software. Since a sorting algorithm is a singular function or component, unit tests are essential to ensure that it works correctly in isolation. This ensures that the algorithm correctly sorts data under various scenarios before it's integrated with other components.

A/B Testing allows companies to compare two versions of an application (or specific features) to determine which one is more effective in engaging users. By using this method, the company can test new designs or elements to see if they address user feedback about the application being dull or non-engaging.

Integration testing focuses on combining units or components of a software and testing them as a group. It's about validating the interactions between different modules or services in a specified flow to ensure they work together as intended in the system's broader environment. Unit testing, on the other hand, checks individual components, while system testing validates the entire application.

The primary goal of test planning in the software testing lifecycle is to set the direction and scope for the testing activities. It helps in defining objectives, strategies, and the effort required to validate that the software meets its requirements and is free from critical issues.

Tool Assessment is the process wherein different test automation tools are critically evaluated and compared based on criteria like functionality, ease of use, and cost, among others. The aim is to choose the tool that aligns best with the project requirements, ensuring efficient and effective automation.

Passive Testing is a form of security testing where the tester observes the system but does not interact directly with it. Unlike penetration testing, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities, passive testing focuses on identifying potential vulnerabilities without attempting to exploit them.

Beta testing involves releasing the software product to a limited number of end-users for evaluation. This allows the development team to get real-world feedback from users and identify potential defects or areas of improvement before a public release.

Baseline Identification involves tagging or marking specific points in a development timeline. By identifying baselines, one can retrieve a specific version of software that was marked as significant, such as a release. In this case, the software version released six months ago would have been a baseline, allowing it to be easily retrieved for review.

End-to-end testing typically fits just before deployment in the Continuous Delivery (CD) pipeline. In the CI/CD model, continuous integration deals with the frequent merging of code and running unit tests to ensure code integrity. The CD pipeline, on the other hand, ensures that the integrated code is consistently in a deployable state. End-to-end testing, which tests the flow of an application from start to finish, ensures that the system behaves as expected and identifies system-level issues before actual deployment.

A test strategy lays out the overall approach and objectives for testing, ensuring they are in harmony with the project's goals. This alignment is critical because it ensures that the testing efforts support the broader project aims, focusing on delivering quality and value to the stakeholders. It sets the direction, scope, resources, and timeline for the testing activities.