Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing is a software testing approach that emphasizes the tester's freedom and creativity in identifying potential issues in the software under test. Unlike scripted testing, where the tester follows a predetermined set of test cases, exploratory testing allows the tester to explore the software in an unscripted and flexible manner.

In exploratory testing, the tester uses their domain knowledge and experience to design and execute test cases on the fly, based on their observations of the system's behavior. Exploratory testing is often used in agile software development environments, where there is a need for quick feedback on the quality of the software.

It is iterative: Exploratory testing is an iterative process, meaning that the tester goes through multiple rounds of testing to refine their approach and find new issues. The tester can use the feedback from previous rounds of testing to adjust their testing strategies and explore new areas of the software.

It is not random: Although exploratory testing may seem unstructured, it is not random. The tester uses their experience and knowledge to guide their testing and make educated decisions on where to focus their efforts.

Here a example from my experience in one of the project which I have worked on:

Suppose you are a tester on a team that is developing a new e-commerce website. The website is designed to allow customers to browse and purchase products online. Your task as a tester is to ensure that the website is easy to navigate, functional, and secure.

You start your exploratory testing by creating a test plan that outlines the areas of the website that you will be testing. You decide to start with the checkout functionality, as this is a critical part of the website's functionality.

As you test the checkout functionality, you notice that the website does not properly handle error scenarios. Using your experience and knowledge of software development best practices, you decide to test for error handling by creating test scenarios that include incorrect information such as incorrect shipping addresses, invalid payment details, and expired coupons. You find that the website does not provide clear error messages or guidance for these scenarios, which could lead to user frustration and lost sales.

Next, you decide to test the website's performance under load. You use a tool to simulate multiple users browsing the website and making purchases at the same time. You find that the website's response times are slow and inconsistent, which could lead to poor user experience and lost sales during peak traffic periods.

You document the issues you have found and report them to the development team. The team improves the error handling by providing clearer error messages and guidance for users. They also optimize the website's performance to improve response times and ensure a better user experience during peak traffic periods.

In this example, exploratory testing allowed you to identify issues related to functionality, user experience, and performance that might not have been caught by scripted testing.