Manual software testing isn’t just about basic validation tasks—it involves advanced techniques to ensure thorough quality assurance. Let’s delve into the advanced strategies that you can use to enhance your testing effectiveness:
Test case design
Effective manual testing involves designing test cases that address complex scenarios and system behaviors. Key strategies include:
Boundary testing
- When conducting boundary testing, you’ll examine the limits of input values to uncover potential defects at the edges of these ranges. By zeroing in on boundary values, you can identify vulnerabilities or unexpected system responses that might not be apparent with more typical inputs.
- For example: If your application accepts input from 1 to 100, make sure to test values like 0, 1, 99, and 100 to ensure the system handles edge cases correctly.
Equivalence partitioning
- In this method, input data is divided into equivalent classes. Test cases are then designed to cover each class at least once, minimizing the number of test cases needed while maximizing coverage.
- For example: If your input field accepts values from 1 to 100, you might divide them into classes like 1-10, 11-50, and 51-100. Testing just one representative from each class can effectively validate how the system handles the entire range of inputs.
Negative testing
- Negative testing involves deliberately inputting invalid data or performing incorrect operations to ensure the application can handle errors and unexpected inputs. This is crucial to make sure that the system maintains functionality and security under adverse conditions.
- For example: Try entering alphabetic characters in a numeric field or using special characters where they are not expected. This helps identify weaknesses in error-handling mechanisms.
Property-based testing
- Property-based testing (PBT) involves setting specific properties that input data must adhere to and then generating a range of test cases based on these properties. This method can uncover edge cases that might not be visible through manual test case design alone.
- For example: In a form validation scenario, properties might include data type, length, and format constraints. PBT would generate test cases to systematically explore these constraints and identify potential defects.
Image: Explore test distribution with TestRail’s Property Distribution (Results) report, categorizing tests by customizable attributes like status or priority. Gain insights into how tests are grouped based on properties, enhancing your ability to track and manage testing progress effectively.
UX/UI style guide and accessibility validations
- Manual testing is important in ensuring compliance with UX/UI style guides and accessibility standards. You can manually verify that the application adheres to design guidelines, ensuring a consistent and intuitive user experience. Conducting accessibility validations also makes sure that the application is usable by people with disabilities, following standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
- For example: Check that all buttons follow the style guide for colors, fonts, and sizes. Ensure sufficient color contrast and distinguishability for users with color blindness. Perform keyboard-only navigation to verify all interactive elements are accessible and operable without a mouse.
Exploratory testing strategies
Exploratory testing is crucial for uncovering complex defects and validating system usability. Here are advanced strategies you can use:
Session-based testing
Session-based testing involves structuring exploratory testing into time-boxed sessions with defined goals and charters.
A test charter is a concise, high-level guide that acts as a mission statement that helps you focus your exploratory testing efforts and adapt to changing conditions while allowing room for creativity.
Each session focuses on specific features, functionalities, or risk areas, facilitating systematic exploration and documentation of findings to enhance focus and efficiency. This approach follows the five stages of session-based test management (SBTM Cycle):
- Define the testing mission or goal
- Create a test charter
- Timebox the testing session
- Review the results
- Debrief to reflect and refine testing strategies
Heuristic testing
With heuristic testing, you can and should rely on your domain knowledge, experience, and intuition to guide your testing efforts. Use “rules of thumb” to identify potential defect areas based on past experiences with the system. This method is invaluable for uncovering defects that formal test cases might miss, leveraging your expertise. Techniques include testing for common error patterns, recent changes, or high-risk areas, using exploratory charters to guide your testing process effectively.
Model-based testing
Utilize abstract models to represent system behavior, interactions, and possible states. These models help you systematically explore different paths and scenarios, ensuring a thorough examination of system functionality. By simulating real-world interactions and potential failure points, model-based testing can reveal complex defects and improve overall test coverage. Models can be graphical representations, state machines, or mathematical models that describe expected system behavior under various conditions.
Charter-based exploratory testing
When creating a test charter, specify:
- The main mission for your session
- The specific areas or features to test and testing methods
- Identified risks and assumptions
- Expected outcomes or deliverables, considering user interactions
- Heuristics or tools to employ during the session
This approach complements your overall test plan, ensuring focused exploration of critical areas beyond unit or acceptance testing. Document findings, observations, and anomalies in tools like TestRail or Jira for clear reporting and future reference.
Image: TestRail offers real-time reporting that helps you meet compliance requirements and keep track of your exploratory tests. TestRail also keeps a transparent chronological history of all notes, screenshots, and defects reported, so you can easily review all your test sessions in a central place.
Pair exploratory testing
Collaborate with another tester on the same machine—where one executes tests while the other observes and suggests new areas to explore. This teamwork helps to uncover defects that may be missed by a single tester and enhances your overall test plan.
Adapting to agile and DevOps environments
Adapting manual testing to agile and DevOps environments demands a strategic approach that aligns with rapid software development. By integrating advanced principles, you can optimize testing throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC), enhancing effectiveness and ensuring high-quality software delivery.
Shift-left testing
Integrating manual testing early in the SDLC to identify defects sooner and enhance overall software quality. This approach ensures that manual testing activities are performed alongside initial development efforts. By involving testers early, you can detect potential issues before they escalate, saving time on retesting and boosting the efficiency of subsequent test phases.
- Incorporate into the development workflow: Integrate manual testing from the outset of the SDLC to align test scenarios with initial design and coding phases. This comprehensive approach includes API testing and compatibility checks across different operating systems and environments.
- Collaborate with developers: Collaborate closely with developers to conduct unit testing and ensure that test cases cover all requirements both functional and non-functional. This collaborative effort refines test plans and use cases, enhancing their effectiveness.
Continuous feedback loops
Establish robust feedback mechanisms to iterate on testing strategies and promptly address evolving project requirements. In Agile and DevOps, continuous feedback is essential for maintaining high software quality and meeting user expectations.
- Integrate with automation tools: Utilize test automation tools like Selenium to facilitate rapid feedback and continuous testing. By automating repetitive tasks, manual testers can focus more on exploratory and usability testing, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Get real-time test results: Implement test management tools that provide instant feedback on test outcomes. This enables quick identification and resolution of defects, empowering the development team to make informed decisions
- Maintain frequent communication: Regular stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives are vital for maintaining continuous feedback loops. These meetings offer opportunities to discuss results, refine scenarios, and update plans based on the latest insights.
Image: In TestRail, you can trace, manage, and update tests from a single dashboard—one the entire team can access.
By embracing these principles, you can combine your manual and automated testing efforts in agile and DevOps workflows, enhancing overall software quality and ensuring testing activities keep pace with rapid development and deployment cycles.
Strategic integration of manual testing in Agile and DevOps
In agile and DevOps environments, manual testing plays a critical role in ensuring comprehensive quality assurance alongside automated testing. Here, we explore strategic approaches for effectively integrating manual testing into fast-paced development cycles:
Aligning manual testing with Agile
Aligning manual testing with agile methodologies means integrating it strategically into iterative development and continuous feedback loops. Here’s how you can enhance your approach:
Sprint planning
Work closely with development teams to identify testing requirements and define sprint goals. This collaboration ensures that manual tests align with user stories and acceptance criteria, helping you create relevant test cases and scenarios for each sprint.
Example: If a new feature involves complex user interactions, ensure that manual test cases validate these interactions thoroughly.
Continuous testing
Throughout each sprint, conduct exploratory testing and other manual tests to validate new functionalities and catch defects early. This proactive approach ensures that both functional and non-functional aspects are thoroughly checked as development progresses.
Example: During an update to a payment processing module, continuously test different payment scenarios manually across various platforms to ensure functionality.
Regression testing strategies
Implement efficient regression testing techniques to verify code changes and maintain software stability across iterative releases. Manual testing complements automated regression testing by focusing on complex and high-risk areas that automated tests might overlook.
Example: After applying a critical bug fix, perform manual regression tests on related functionalities to ensure no unintended consequences.
Image: In TestRail, you can triage risks faster by monitoring the progress of all your regression testing activities in one place.
Hybrid testing approaches
Combining manual and automated testing approaches maximizes testing efficiency and effectiveness. Strategies for implementing hybrid testing include:
Risk-based testing
Prioritize manual tests based on criticality and impact in order to focus resources where they’re most needed. This ensures comprehensive coverage of both functional and non-functional requirements.
Example: Before any major release, conduct thorough manual tests on high-risk areas such as security modules or data-intensive operations.
Exploratory/automation balance
Strike a balance between exploratory manual testing, which uncovers unique scenarios, and automated tests for repetitive validations. This dual approach is essential for thorough application testing, covering typical workflows and edge cases effectively.
Example: Use automated tests for repetitive tasks while using manual tests to explore edge cases or simulate real-world user interactions.
Test data management
Ensure test data availability and relevance for both manual and automated processes. Effective management supports usability, API, and system testing, as well as maintaining consistency and reliability across testing activities.
Example: When testing a feature involving customer data manually, ensure the test environment mirrors production data accurately to validate real-world scenarios effectively.
Integrating manual testing strategically into agile and DevOps workflows ensures that your manual and automated testing efforts are aligned with project goals and delivery timelines, supporting efficient development cycles and high-quality software releases.
Overcoming challenges in manual testing
When addressing challenges in manual testing, especially with diverse technologies and large-scale applications, it’s essential to have strategies in place:
Testing modern architectures and technologies
- Microservices testing: Ensure each microservice functions independently and integrates smoothly with others. Manual testing allows you to explore edge cases that automated tests might miss, ensuring effective communication across your system.
- Cloud-based applications: Validate scalability, performance, and resilience under varying conditions using manual testing to simulate real-world scenarios.
- IoT device testing: Verify functionality, security, and communication among interconnected devices through manual testing to ensure seamless integration across diverse environments.
Managing scalability and performance testing
Efficient manual testing is crucial for scalability and performance under varying loads and conditions:
- Load testing: Create scenarios mimicking user behavior to gauge application performance under different levels of activity. Manual testing reveals performance thresholds and identifies bottlenecks affecting user experience.
- Stress testing: Apply extreme workloads to evaluate system stability under peak conditions. Manual testing pinpoints critical failure points, ensuring application stability.
- Performance tuning: Optimize system components based on insights from manual tests and metrics, enhancing responsiveness and efficiency.
Ensuring data integrity and security
Maintaining data integrity and addressing security concerns are critical in manual testing:
- Data privacy and compliance: Implement measures to safeguard sensitive data during testing and ensure adherence to regulatory standards. Manual testers rigorously verify that personal data is handled securely and in compliance with legal requirements.
- Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Utilize manual security testing techniques to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in software systems. DAST involves simulating real-world attacks to uncover security threats that automated tools may overlook. Manual testers conduct comprehensive assessments, including penetration tests and vulnerability scans, to fortify security measures effectively.
- Integration testing challenges: Conduct meticulous integration tests to validate data integrity and consistency across interconnected systems and interfaces. Manual testers ensure seamless data flow between systems, guaranteeing overall coherence and accuracy.
Image: With TestRail Enterprise’s test data management features, you can add new test data values, view and edit existing data, and import or export test data via CSV. Plus, TestRail Enterprise delivers enterprise-grade security and compliance features to make it easy to comply with regulatory requirements and pass audits.
Trends in manual testing
Manual testing is evolving with technological advancements to enhance effectiveness and efficiency:
AI and machine learning
AI-driven tools are being used for predictive analysis, anomaly detection, and optimizing tests. Generative AI can improve testing coverage and accuracy by creating test cases based on historical data.
Big data testing
Strategies focus on ensuring accuracy and compliance with data governance when testing large datasets. Manual testers employ specific methodologies to verify data integrity in data-driven applications.
Blockchain testing
These techniques are used to validate transactional integrity and smart contract functionality. Manual testing ensures secure and compliant blockchain transactions.
Intelligent testing techniques:
These intelligent testing techniques optimize testing efforts:
- Test automation augmentation: Integrating manual testing with tools like Selenium for comprehensive test coverage and faster testing cycles.
- Predictive testing models: Using analytics to forecast defects and prioritize testing efforts. Manual testers focus on critical areas based on risk assessment.
- Context-driven testing: Adapting strategies based on real-time user data to simulate diverse scenarios and meet user expectations.
Continuous improvement and adaptation:
Manual testing methodologies evolve to meet Agile demands:
- Agile and DevOps integration: Strengthening collaboration and feedback loops among development, testing, and operations teams throughout the lifecycle.
- Shift-right testing: Monitoring and improving product quality post-release. Manual testers validate performance in production environments promptly.
- Exploratory testing evolution: Adapting techniques to align with dynamic software development practices and user needs.
Bottom line
Manual testing remains essential for ensuring software quality alongside automation. By leveraging AI tools, predictive analytics, and agile methods, manual testing enhances its effectiveness in dynamic development environments.
Explore these advanced strategies to elevate your QA process and deliver reliable software with comprehensive testing coverage. Start with a free TestRail trial today to experience the impact firsthand.
