The article brings you to increase your passion about exploratory software testing. This is my first session on exploratory testing.

Exploratory software testing

Let’s start our Session I about exploratory software testing.

Exploratory software Testing as the name suggests, is a way to test the application by exploring it to find what the application does, its features , what it does not do etc. Planning is not required for exploratory testing. Testers run time take decision on next step of action.

In simple way test planning, analysis, design and test execution are all done together and immediate in exploratory software testing. Sometimes this testing can be more useful than the formal testing approach and can find out really good quality defects which sometimes miss out during formal testing. It is also called ad-hoc testing.

There is another name given to exploratory software testing called Monkey Testing, the tester does not follows any pattern and just (navigates or positive) jumps from one part or module of the application to another part or module to see how application is performs. How exploratory testing is done? There is no standard or process of doing this type of testing.

As a general testing practice, a tester write scenarios, test cases, prepare the test data and then executes them formal way. However there are no test cases and scenarios are written in exploratory software testing. Tester open and just start navigating the application and identify defects. As a tester can do all activities exploratory testing, the only result which you expect from exploratory testing is a defect report. Sometimes if you have used any important valid data to test, you can include that data in your test data sheet while execution.

Below are some guidelines that you can use in exploratory testing.

• Bifurcate your application into different modules and start your exploratory testing from the pages. This way you will get right coverage.
• Prepare the checklist of all the functionalities and put a check mark when that is covered.
• Initiate with a basic scenario and then gradually enhance it to add more functionality to test it.
• Test all the input fields by using all valid and invalid test data
• Test for error message like warning, confirmation and validation message.
• Test all the negative flows.
• Check the UI and UX parts against the standards.
• Check the integration of the application with other third party applications.
• Check and confirm for complex business logics.
• Try to do the ethical hacking flow of the application. It means try to break pages and authentications across the application.

Soon I will publish next Session II on exploratory software testing.