Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing is a powerful testing concept. Unfortunately, it is sometimes seen as random testing without any preparation. Let's see what it is:

Let's start by understanding what it is. What is exploration? Exploration is nothing but the discovery, the investigation, the search of a new way or a new technique – it is a way to find some answers. Just like in the below picture, this person is trying different ways of using the potter's wheel to make different pots.

With thanks from Iraj Beheshti on Unsplash

Similar way, exploratory testing is trying out different ways and different combinations in which the product under test can be used. How is it different from the usual testing?

1. It doesn't follow the pre-defined set of instructions. The tester thinks of various scenarios and try them out. Test designing and execution go hand-in-hand.
2. Exploratory testing exploits the dynamic changes associated with agile projects. It tests how the user may interact with the system. The tester may just randomly try out different sequences to uncover potential problems.
3. Normally, test cases are defined. They correspond to the user stories being tested and use the pre-defined test data. Exploratory testing, on the other hand is more ad-hoc in nature and hence, is able to identify defects which the formal, structured, defined test cases are not able to reveal.

Advantages:

1. It gives the testers the freedom to explore the product.
2. Boundary cases / edge cases are identified and tested.
3. User experience gets tested.
4. Helps uncover defects in areas which we never tested or scenarios that we didn't think existing while automating tests.
5. It can help testers to automate more test cases. By doing exploratory testing, you can find out more scenarios which can then be automated and added later to the automation suite.

Skills Needed:

1. Tester's experience, skill and creativity to design the test cases and execute them is absolutely essential.
2. Tester's knowledge of the potential users of the system giving him / her the ability to think from user's perspective
3. Observation skills, critical thinking, investigative skills, ability to identify multiple scenarios are some of the key skills needed for a good exploratory tester.
4. Tester's ability to replicate defects and note down the sequence of random steps he / she was taking when the defect occurred.

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