Exploratory testing is a form of software testing in which test design and execution are done concurrently. Therefore, it will depend on the knowledge and ability of the person performing the test instead of the previously created Test case and checklist.

What is exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing is different from other types of scripted testing (it requires higher thinking, digging and exploration). Scripted testing can be viewed as a train, it will run on an available track (Test case). With Exploratory testing, it is like a car, also going from point A to B, but will not follow a certain route, but can run many different routes to get to B.

Exploratory testing is popularly applied in the Agile model, because: It provides quick system feedback to the development team Highlight the differences in testing perspectives of all project team roles and members Enhance discovery, investigation, and insight into the software under test.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• Useful when project specification documentation is not available or only partially, rather sketchy.
• It involves investigating to find more bugs than normal testing.
• Detect and find bugs that other testing techniques have missed (because it approaches the system by going deep and analyzing every smallest part of the application).
• Combine as many test types as possible, covering different scenarios.
• Quick system feedback for the development team.
• Encourage the creativity and intuition of testers
• Generate new ideas during testing.

Restrictions

• Since test cases are randomly generated and executed, it is difficult to exhaustively list which ones have to be executed.
• Test results are highly dependent on the knowledge, skills and experience of the tester.
• Cases can be missed if testers have little knowledge of the system.
• Not suitable for long-term deployment projects.

Conclusion

The purpose of exploratory testing is not the scope of quality assurance but to find defects that are not detected by other forms of testing. Its essence is to focus on parts of the system that are outside of normal usage and interaction and are less likely to be thoroughly tested.