Quality Assurance is a crucial part of any development process before deployment. It is important to be able to find new types of bugs, which are often quite unpredictable; it’s better to prevent the issue than to solve it. Better preventing the issue than solving it. For that, there is a great tool – Exploratory Testing.
What is Exploratory Testing? Why do I need it and how will Exploratory Testing help me? This article will answer these questions no matter what your role is – QA Engineer, Developer, Designer, or Business Analyst.
What is Exploratory Testing?
Exploratory Testing is one type of testing. It is not intended to replace other forms of testing and is typically performed in order to validate the user journey once the code is proven operationally.
Exploratory Testing is strategic, in nature. It includes specific end-to-end goals but allows testers to organically find their way, step-by-step. Exploratory Testing intends to simultaneously validate code, challenge design, and stress test workflow execution. What makes this approach unique is that it does not require a test case or test plan. It provides personal unpredictable freedoms for the tester to navigate a website. A tester is intentionally unscripted to discover new flows, as well as to surface new edge use cases and bugs. In this way, when you execute the same test cases, over and over, using the standard software development testing, you ultimately limit the possibility of identifying new bugs or new workflow findings.
Another benefit of Exploratory Testing is deeper product understanding. It’s a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with Magento.
Learning and Analysis
Testers (or other team members) need a good understanding of Magento, technology, and business needs to test the website effectively. Learning, therefore, is essential in the Exploratory Testing process.
It is also important to know what the expected outcomes of the testing might be. Simply looking for bugs is not enough, the QA specialist should also be aware of the testing cycle end goal.
Test Design
A huge difference between Exploratory Testing and other types is in the design.
We can have specific parameters or rules but don’t execute tests in a preset path or prescribed manner. We are able to conduct the test in any way that we deem fit. Also, it is possible to use some notes, checklists, decision tables or any other organizational tools.
Test Execution
As soon as the test is written or requested (note: not a test case, just some plan, a note, or a checklist), it can be executed. Finally, you can accomplish all your ideas and explore how functions work, how they interact with each other, and how those pieces work together.
You need to be attentive and investigate your application/ code as a detective!
For executing Exploratory Tests you can use the charters with items like:
- What are you going to test? (define the scope)
- What aren’t you going to test? (out of scope)
- Why are you going to test it? (questions to be answered)
- How are you going to test it? (brainstorm)
- Expected results
- Actual results.
Helpful Tips for Exploratory Testing:
- Use real browsers and devices – you need to be as close to real conditions as possible.
- Limit time for your exploratory session and make it purposeful.
- Start with testing basic/main user scenarios and only then move to the other functionality.
- Don’t forget about negative cases. You need to apply as much creativity as possible and validate the application against invalid data.
- Ask questions if you’re unsure of something. Questions remove assumptions. It will help with your exploration.
- Note your findings before creating a bug report and recheck the issue, to make sure it’s reproducible.
Benefits of Exploratory Testing:
- Developers, testers, designers, and any other team members can perform Exploratory Testing to get familiar with the product/Magento.
- Minimal time spent on planning and preparation.
- Helps to uncover new and interesting bugs.
- It will be really useful when requirements are not ready/complete or missing at all.
- When the time is limited and you don’t have time to create test cases.
- Ideas generation: it will be useful when you stop finding new bugs.
In summary, Exploratory Testing is a powerful instrument that helps us learn how products work, find new workflows and bugs. This form of testing ultimately empowers testers to enhance functionality and product quality.
Do you practice Exploratory Testing in your daily work? Share your feedback with us in the comments below!
