Different testing techniques help to create a useful set of tests in an organized way. These tests can then be used to help improve the quality of the software being developed. There are many different test techniques in testing process which can be grouped into categories like:
Below we are going to discuss experience-based test techniques. These techniques rely on different skills, intuitions and levels of tester experience. The skills, knowledge and experience of a tester are crucial in determining success. The approach can be used when there is insufficient or no documentation and/or time for testing is limited.
Commonly used experience-based test techniques are:
Error guessing is a technique used to anticipate the occurrence of errors, defects, and failures, based on the tester’s knowledge, experience and intuition.
This technique can be used at any level of testing. It involves the tester’s ability to predict where errors might occur in a software system. For example, during testing input fields a tester can use empty input, exceed the maximum character limit, use special characters, etc.
Exploratory testing is a technique in which tests at the same time are designed, executed and evaluated while the tester learns about the test object. So, there is minimum planning and maximum test execution.
Exploratory testing is a technique that combines testers' experience with a structured approach to testing. This technique can help you uncover hidden issues and get a better understanding of how a system works. Exploratory testing is a more effective way to test when the tester has experience and domain knowledge. Essential skills, such as analytical skills, curiosity and creativeness, also play a role in success.
Checklist-based testing is a technique where testers create, run and document tests against a set of conditions arranged on a checklist. These checklists can be compiled based on expertise, understanding of what is crucial for the user, or an awareness of why and how software fails. It should include various test types, like functional and non-functional testing. As developers learn to avoid making the same mistakes, certain checklist entries may become less effective over time. Similarly, as new high severity defects are discovered, new entries may need to be added to the checklist. Therefore, it is important to regularly update checklists based on defect analysis.
In conclusion, despite of some disadvantages of these techniques for example like the quality of a test depends on the tester's expertise, hard to value test coverage or it does not suit for systems that require detailed test documentation, experience-based test techniques have a lot of advantages especially if use it with other test approaches and test techniques. There are some of them:
