What are the best ways to identify software defects using exploratory testing?

- Exploratory testing is agile, emphasizing learning, design, and execution simultaneously. - It uncovers defects through focused exploration, realistic user scenarios, and ad hoc testing. - Pair testing enhances defect detection by leveraging collaboration. - Risk-based testing prioritizes efforts based on perceived risk. - Mind mapping organizes test ideas and areas for exploration visually. - Error guessing anticipates potential weaknesses based on past experiences. - Exploratory testing tours guide systematic exploration of different aspects. - Feedback-driven testing incorporates stakeholder feedback to address concerns. - Overall, exploratory testing ensures software quality and user satisfaction.

A fundamental point to understand is that Testing is not Quality Assurance. Another is that Exploratory (or any kind of testing) is used to provide information. Specifically, exploratory testing, as the name suggests, can be employed when little is known about the product you are using; it can also be employed to explore a new feature of an existing product and evaluate how it interacts with its environment. No matter where you employ exploratory testing, your goal (just like any explorer) is to produce a map of the unchartered territory you just covered in your testing journey. And this is a type of information that is the output of __ANY__ testing.

Exploratory Testing is unstructured testing, You might think of a scenario on the fly and execute it without any proper test case. Exploratory test not only helps you to find defects, it helps you to explore the unexpected behaviour of the apps being tested.

Exploratory testing is a dynamic approach ?? where testers explore the software, designing and executing test cases simultaneously. ?? It's like an adventurous journey through the software, discovering bugs and evaluating its behavior in real-time!

Exploratory testing is essential because it complements scripted testing methods ?? by allowing testers to ??think critically, adapt quickly, and uncover defects that might not be caught through traditional approaches. It's like having an extra pair of eyes?? that can spot hidden issues and provide valuable insights into the quality of the software.

Exploratory testing is not just used to find defects. Rather, you may find what you think is a defect (i.e. something that may look wrong or out of place) during your exploration, but this is not the main goal of the exploration. This is an output (out of many) of the exploration. You can think of these as risks. The main benefit of doing exploratory testing is to identify things that we don't know about yet about the product and its environment and that may threaten the product (or its users). Just like in any exploration.

While exploratory testing is often called ad-hoc testing. It is not. Exploratory testing has a purpose: to uncover unknowns. With this in mind, you can create a plan (not a test plan with detailed test cases) but an overall trajectory course. For example, if you are testing a Windows or Mac application, you may structure your testing by following its menu structure: File, Edit, Format, View, etc., and traversing this menu structure while capturing your observations and findings in your "exploration map/outline." Feel free to reach out to me for guidance or more examples. I'm happy to help. Happy Testing!

Planning exploratory testing involves ?? setting clear objectives, ?? defining areas to explore, ?? allocating time, and ?? selecting testers with diverse skills. Start by understanding the product's features and potential risks. Then, outline testing sessions, prioritize tasks, and decide on the scope. Encourage testers to document their findings and share insights collaboratively. Remember, flexibility is key, allowing testers to adapt their approach based on real-time discoveries.

To follow along the example I gave above with the Windows or Mac application, lets say for example that you started from File, clicked Open and the popup was displayed but it showed files from the system directory as opposed to the user directory. You stop, ask yourself - is this really a problem? You form your argument, capture details, and this might inform your next step to be: let's open a system file! When you open that system file, the system crashes. Well this is a problem. You log the finding in your "map/outline", since you were taking notes (in your exploration map) you know how to reproduce it, and you rinse and repeat. At this point you may decide to dig deeper into this area and do so. And so on and so forth. Happy Testing!

Exploratory testing is not a special skill, its an unstructured activity to explore the unexpected.To find more faults, explore your your apps being tested.

Exploratory Testing is essential to uncover the defects in the testing process. After following the structured way of testing(Regression/Functional),we should account for specific exploratory testing cycle to uncover the defects. At every release cycles dedicate some effort for exploratory test cycle Document all the defect which are encountered as part of exploratory and update the test cases to augment test coverage