What is Exploratory Testing? Techniques with Examples

Exploratory Testing is widely used in Agile models and is all about discovery, investigation, and learning. It emphasizes personal freedom and responsibility of the individual tester.

Under scripted testing, you design test cases first and later proceed with test execution. On the contrary, exploratory testing is a simultaneous process of test design and test execution all done at the same time.

Scripted Test Execution is usually a non-thinking activity where testers execute the test steps and compare the actual results with expected results. Such test execution activity can be automated does not require many cognitive skills.

Though the current trend in software testing is to push for automation, exploratory testing is a new way of thinking. Automation has its limits

Differences between Scripted and Exploratory Testing

Scripted Testing	Exploratory Testing
Directed from requirements	Directed from requirements and exploring during testing
Determination of test cases well in advance	Determination of test cases during testing
Confirmation of testing with the requirements	Investigation of system or application
Emphasizes prediction and decision making	Emphasizes adaptability and learning
Involves confirmed testing	Involves Investigation
Is about Controlling tests	Is about Improvement of test design
Like making a speech – you read from a draft	Like making a conversation – it’s spontaneous
The script is in control	The tester’s mind is in control

Exploratory testing –

• Is not random testing but it is ad-hoc testing with a purpose of find bugs
• Is structured and rigorous
• Is cognitively (thinking) structured as compared to the procedural structure of scripted testing. This structure comes from Charter, time boxing etc.
• Is highly teachable and manageable
• It is not a technique but it is an approach. What actions you perform next is governed by what you are doing currently

For Example, during exploratory execution, the following needs to be done:

• The mission of testing should be very clear
• Keep notes on what needs to be tested, why it needs to be tested and the assessment of the product quality
• Tracking of questions and issues raised during exploratory testing
• Better to pair up the testers for effective testing
• The more we test, more likely to execute right test cases for the required scenarios

It is very important to take a document and monitor the following

• Test Coverage – Whether we have taken notes on the coverage of test cases and improve the quality of the software
• Risks – Which risks need to be covered and which are all important ones?
• Test Execution Log – Recordings on the test execution
• Issues / Queries – Take notes on the question and issues on the system

Smarter exploratory testing finds more errors in less time.

Pros and Cons of Exploratory Testing

Pro

Con

This testing is useful when requirement documents are not available or partially available It involves Investigation process which helps find more bugs than normal testing- Uncover bugs which are normally ignored by other testing techniques Helps to expand the imagination of testers by executing more and more test cases which finally improves productivity as well This testing drill down to the smallest part of an application and covers all the requirements This testing covers all the types of testing and it covers various scenarios and cases Encourages creativity and intuition Generation of new ideas during test execution

This testing purely depends on the tester skills Limited by domain knowledge of the tester Not suitable for Long execution time

Challenges of Exploratory Testing:

There are many challenges of exploratory testing and those are explained below:

• Learning to use the application or software system is a challenge
• Replication of failure is difficult
• Determining whether tools need to be used can be challenging
• Determine the best test cases to execute can be difficult
• Reporting of the test results is a challenge as the report doesn’t have planned scripts or cases to compare with the actual result or outcome
• Documentation of all events during execution is difficult to record
• Don’t know when to stop the testing as exploratory testing has definite test cases to execute.

When use exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing can be used extensively when

• The testing team has experienced testers
• Early iteration is required
• There is a critical application
• New testers entered into the team

Conclusion:

In Software Engineering, Exploratory testing is performed to overcome the limitations of scripted testing. It helps in improving Test Case suite. It empathizes on learning and adaptability.