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

1 What is exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing is not a random or ad hoc process, but a disciplined and systematic approach that requires planning, documentation, and evaluation. It is based on the idea that testing is a cognitive activity that involves exploration, discovery, investigation, and learning. Exploratory testing allows the tester to adapt to the context and the feedback of the software, and to use their own judgment and experience to find the most relevant and valuable tests. Exploratory testing is also a collaborative and communicative activity that involves sharing information, ideas, and findings with other testers and stakeholders.

2 Why use exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing has many benefits for identifying software defects. It can uncover unexpected defects that may not be detected by predefined tests, while also testing the usability, functionality, performance, security, and reliability of the software from different perspectives and scenarios. This type of testing provides fast and frequent feedback to the developers and customers, helping them prioritize and resolve issues. Additionally, exploratory testing can enhance the tester's creativity, motivation, and satisfaction, as well as foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

3 How to plan exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing does not mean testing without any preparation or guidance. On the contrary, it requires a clear and specific goal, scope, and strategy for each testing session. To plan exploratory testing, you must define the objective and scope of the session, such as the feature, function, or area to be tested, the risk level, the quality criteria, and the expected outcome. Additionally, you should choose the tools and techniques to be used such as the test environment, data sources, test cases, heuristics, checklists, models, and oracles. Allocating time and resources for the testing session is also important; this includes duration, frequency, team members, and roles. Lastly, make sure to communicate the plan to relevant stakeholders like developers, customers, and managers for feedback and approval.

5 How to evaluate exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing is an ongoing, feedback-driven activity that needs to be evaluated and improved. To do this, you should review the test results, defects, evidence, and insights to assess their quality, relevance, and value. Additionally, measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the testing session - such as the number and severity of defects found - as well as the coverage and completeness of tests, the time and cost of testing, and stakeholder feedback. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the session by looking at skills, techniques, tools, processes used, challenges, risks, and opportunities encountered. Finally, learn from the experience to improve future testing sessions in terms of planning, execution, and evaluation.