Here are best practices & top tips for exploratory testing

1.
Best Practices In Exploratory
Testing
March, 2017

2. Overview
Exploratory is described as simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution. Here, test
cases are not created in advance. The test design & execution is done simultaneously or at the
same time. Exploratory testing gives software testers the freedom to design & execute the tests
while exploring the product. The tester uses the data gathered from the execution of his first
set of tests to conduct the next set of tests.
Exploratory testing is highly beneficial in finding critical bugs in a short span of time. Unlike
documented test cases, exploratory testing does not rely on a pre-set test design or rules.
Testers with sound knowledge of the business goals, end users and the technology explore the
application. By browsing through & using the application like a real user, testers are more likely
to find issues that customers might face.
When To Do Exploratory Testing
This form of testing is highly useful in cases where test cases to be run cannot be determined
in advance, a scenario that often arises in the early stage of product development when the app
is not stable & prone to changes. Exploratory testing is useful in all cases where testing
scenarios cannot be determined in advance like the following cases:
​When you have to provide rapid feedback on product quality in a short span of time.
​When the product is in early development stage when the system is not stable.
​When you want to explore the scope & variations of a defect that is found.
​When scripted tests are not detecting many errors.
​ ​When the requirements for the project are vague & it is difficult to determine test cases to be run.

3. Challenges In Exploratory Testing
Although exploratory testing has many advantages, it is not suitable for every scenario and it
comes with its own challenges in execution.
Key Challenges Involved :
​It is a highly skilled activity that requires access to experienced software testers for planning &
execution of the test cycles.
​It requires careful documentation for reproducing & fixing the bugs found.
​It is not effective in all scenarios especially in case of a large project where coverage is the focus.
Crowdsourced Exploratory Testing
The challenge of getting the best talent in software testing can be met by relying on crowd
testing platforms. Skilled crowd testers with expertise in requisite domains can successfully
plan & execute exploratory test cycles for clients. Execution of an effective exploratory testing
skill requires a good testing strategy.
Merits Of Exploratory Testing Powered By Crowd:
​Access to skilled testers.
Greater device coverage.
​Coverage across multiple locations.
Saves money & time.
Benefits of Exploratory Testing
Manual exploratory testing can be used for early stage products before their release and it can also be
used to overcome the limitations of existing scripted tests. Exploratory testing is a cognitively structured
approach that is effective in finding bugs. Testers have the freedom to investigate even the smallest
aspect of an app, enabling QA teams to uncover issues that were missed during the scripted tests.
Exploratory testing thus enables product improvement in the following ways:

4. 1) Better Analysis of Product
Exploratory testing gives testers the freedom to execute more test cases and cover different testing
scenarios. Creativity is encouraged and testers are likely to find more realistic bugs from an end user
perspective. By collecting different data & analysing different aspects of the software, they can provide
new insights to developers to improve the technology and minimise the business risks.
2) Quick Feedback
As different tasks are executed simultaneously, this form of testing saves time & enables quick feedback
to developers for product improvement. There is no need to create test documents or designs to execute
exploratory test cycles. The shorter feedback loop implies that the management can identify business
risks faster and fix high priority issues in time.
3) Find Critical Bugs
Exploratory testing enables management to find the most crucial bugs in a short span of time. Chances of
finding new bugs with the same scripted tests are lesser. With exploratory testing, testers can explore
new scenarios where programs are most likely to fail.
4) Effective for Testing Dynamic Products
Exploratory testing involves investigation of the entire software architecture. Testers don’t have to follow
any series of scripted tests or rules before moving to a new feature. They can explore different test
environments, which speeds up the process of bug detection. Testers can hence carefully observe &
analyse the product behaviour.
5) Improve Efficiency of Scripted Tests
With exploratory testing, it is possible to improve existing test designs & create better test scripts. It acts
as an additional check to ascertain the accuracy of scripted tests. Inputs & data collected from
exploratory testing can be used to improve existing tests & diversify testing.

5.
Best Practises In Exploratory Testing
Exploratory testing involves investigation of the software beyond the normal requirements. To
get the most out of exploratory test cycles, here are some top tips:
1) Understand The App & The Business Goals
Although exploratory testing gives complete freedom to testers to test any aspect of the app, it is
time-consuming & ineffective to try & cover everything in one shot. Understanding the technology, the
business requirement & the purpose of the app will help in identification of key areas that needs to be
tested. Factor in the development goals, the lifespan of the app, any laws that govern the app & the end
user expectations arising from using previous versions of the app or similar software products. By
understanding the app & focusing on the business goals, QA teams can optimize exploratory test cycles
to identify bugs in features that matter the most.
2) Don’t Script The Tests
The aim of exploratory testing is to find defects that are not detected through other forms of testing, by
exploring the product. The objective is to find unknown bugs that are missed out by detailed test scripts.
Real users don’t have a scripted document while randomly using a feature in the app.
Try new approaches like a real user to test scenarios that are different from the standard scripted
expectations. For this form of investigation, it is more effective to plan the tests & explore various aspects
of the app without creating scripts in advance. If you do need a few notes to plan your tests & update the
stakeholders, you can use one-liners instead of detailed test cases. These are short test cases in a single
line that state the purpose of the test. Plan & list out your ideas, instead of creating scripts for executing
the tests.

6. 3) Select The Right Testing Technique That Meets Your Goals
Choose a testing technique that makes it easy for the tester to execute the tests & the stakeholders to
interpret the results. Factor in the availability of time, testing tools & resources for execution of the test
cycles.
4) Empower Developers In Fixing Issues
A short feedback loop during the exploratory test cycles will empower developers with the quick feedback
they need to fix the bugs that are found. A collaborative environment that enables testers to work closely
with developers will help in sharing test results and information faster. This in turn would help the
development team to fix issues and improve product quality easily.
5) Document Findings Clearly
It is crucial to document the findings of exploratory testing in a clear & concise manner. This enables
developers to reproduce & rectify the bugs found. Note down the purpose of testing, the way the test was
executed & the details on issues found. Tracking the purpose and findings of the tests will help in easy
identification of business risks, if any.
6) Use Exploratory Testing Along With Automated Tests
While automated tests are scripted to verify the accuracy of expected behaviours or patterns in the
software, exploratory testing helps in finding critical issues, undetected in scripted tests that could
potentially break the software. A testing strategy that encompasses both automated testing & exploratory
testing can help in achieving both adequate coverage & also in gaining end user insights on product
quality. If defects are found in exploratory, steps can be added to automate & prevent the issue from
occurring again.

7. 7) Make Performance & Non- Functional Testing Exploratory
Performance & non-functionality testing can also be made exploratory. Testers can check if the app is
responsive enough on slow devices used by end-users. Further, the exploratory method can be used for
non-functional tests including for compatibility testing, security testing, usability testing, reliability testing,
compliance testing & localization testing. Checks can be made to ensure that the app is secure, user
friendly, translatable and works well on multiple device & browser configurations.
8) Know The Distinction Between Exploratory Testing & User Acceptance Testing
Avoid confusing user acceptance testing & exploratory testing. While both forms of testing focus on
finding bugs, they are distinct. User acceptance tests are high level tests conducted to verify if specific
user requirements are met. You can use exploratory testing in user acceptance testing.
Conclusion
With effective exploratory testing, product managers can know what their product is capable of & where it
lags behind. Exploratory testing is highly effective for finding critical bugs in a short span of time and is
ideal in an agile environment for releasing high quality software products.
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