What is Exploratory Testing?

Talk Description

What is exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing is an approach towards testing. It involves concurrently learning, designing and executing tests and recording tests at the same time. Rather than specifying all tests up front before execution. It has the purpose of uncovering information relating to risks.

Exploratory testing examples

1. Explore different types of data that could be submitted via a webform

2. Explore the rendering of a web page across multiple browsers

3. Explore how a feature works depending on different user privelleges

What's the value of using an exploratory testing approach?

Exploratory testing empowers a tester to use their skills to discover information freely

Exploratory testing can be structured to help keep the tester focused on specific risks

Exploratory testing helps a tester to reveal more information that a scripted test approach wouldn't uncover, as you are not biased by test case steps

What are the pitfalls of exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing is an approach that requires skill and practise.

A good exploratory tester needs to know how to focus and de-focus when testing.

Note taking is important to help communicate what a tester has done whilst not hampering them, but is hard to do.