Exploratory testing allows testers to use any approach to test the software. It allows the development team to employ their creativity, personal learning, skills and knowledge for testing the software applications. Also, it verifies the functionality of the applications and identifies any functional issues. The very purpose of the exploratory testing technique is to streamline and improve the performance of software applications comprehensively. Indeed, exploratory testing utilizes testers’ knowledge, skills and experience per a structured approach. As it uses the skills of testers, it is an unscripted testing method.
In this article, we shall discuss about exploratory testing in detail. Let’s get down to the core of exploratory testing.
What is exploratory testing?
We have already known that exploratory testing is unscripted, manual software testing approach where testers verify the system without following strict procedures. They directly test and make decisions while the program is running. In exploratory testing, developers before testing consider some areas to verify the performance of the application. Also, the testers take into account the interaction of the application and observe its response. They also input additional data or break the software to identify possible issues. When testers know how the system works, they can develop robust strategies to test the application more effectively.
How does exploratory testing improve software quality?
1. Improves Quality Assurance
The requirements of the software development services company are fundamental to decisions relating to product and quality assurance. Exploratory tests help empower your quality assurance efforts. It helps in identifying bugs compared to any other tests. For instance, exploratory tests deliver bugs of high importance than test cases.
2. Identities Complex Faults
It is effective in finding issues in software applications compared to test case-based testing. Research in this field suggests that test case-based testing is only good at identifying immediately visible faults, while exploratory testing helps find complex defects. The scope of the unscripted, manual exploratory testing method is vast and covers unseen areas of test automation services to help boost product quality to a whole new level.
3. Encourage Continuous Testing
Today, the focus is slowly moving towards shift-left testing and continuous testing. In this approach, testing is done simultaneously with the development of an application. With the rise of agile software development, shift-left testing become popular, where testing happens during development, giving sufficient time or fixing the issues before the product’s launch. However, this kind of approach has drawbacks as well. It only checks if the features of the software function perfectly. In other words, there is no scope for identifying bugs that are too complex. During exploratory tests, every developer tries to bridge this big gap by helping them to go over and above the scripted tests to identify anomalies. Enhances Productivity
4. Accurate Results
When developers are free to test applications based on their knowledge, skills and experience, they can improve the software’s functionality and design. This help identifies alternative workflows which can produce unique results. To be clear, testers using formal test cases may probably fail to notice complex defaults because they focus on a predefined set of inputs.
Concluding Lines
Today, customers want technology integration in every realm of their life and their expectation regarding its functionality, reliability is always transforming at an unprecedented level. Only those who respond positively to the changes can stay ahead of the curve.
Using both exploratory and automated testing would help a lot in adapting to the needs of today’s customers. More importantly, agile software development projects require quail feedback and continuous testing to incorporate frequent changes. Exploratory testing is a perfect solution for agile software development scenarios.
As explained above, exploratory testing uses the testers’ knowledge, experience and skills for software testing. It helps to go beyond automated testing and removes its drawbacks. It implements more test cases, compared to automated testing and finally helps to improve the quality of the software. It helps in faster testing and, therefore, reduces the time between development, testing and offering solutions. There is no need to spend time developing test scripts.
To make it easy, you can rely on a leading specialist in exploratory testing services to keep testing services in the right direction. You can identify complex faults, get more unique results and drive your business towards better growth and prosperity. Usually, a combination of automated and unscripted testing is recommended to get the best of both worlds.
