Despite the rise of automation, manual testing remains a cornerstone of software quality assurance. This hands-on approach is crucial for uncovering user experience issues and hidden bugs that automated tests might miss. Manual testing allows you to explore software in real-time, offering insights into how well your application performs under real-world conditions. Here's a detailed guide on how to conduct effective manual testing.
Manual testing involves executing test cases without automated tools, allowing testers to interact directly with the software. This method is particularly useful for:
To conduct effective manual testing, it's essential to understand the different testing approaches:
Manual testing is a hands-on process that requires careful planning, attention to detail, and an understanding of the application's goals. With that in mind, here's a step-by-step manual testing guide to help you perform testing effectively.
Writing test cases is the backbone of effective manual testing. It helps you ensure that all the required functions of the software are tested. Think of test cases as your roadmap for testing-detailing each step needed to verify the software's functionality. The key to writing effective test cases lies in referencing two important documents: the User Requirement Document (URD) and the Functional Requirement Specification (FRS).
Start by clearly defining the objective of each test case. What are you testing, and why? For instance, if you're testing the login functionality, the objective might be to confirm that a user can log in successfully with valid credentials. Next, list the steps to execute the test. These steps should be as specific as possible. For the above example, your steps might include:
Each step should be easy to follow and leave no room for confusion. Also, specify the expected result for each step. In this case, the anticipated result is that the user successfully logs into the system and lands on the dashboard.
Now that you've written your test cases, you might think that it's time to execute them.
However, before you execute them, the best practice is to get them reviewed by a QA lead as they can ensure that each test case covers all the aspects while meeting the industry standards and QA methodologies.
You can begin executing the test cases once the QA lead has reviewed them.
To start, follow the steps outlined in each test case, making sure to test every action thoroughly. If your test case concerns logging into the system, you will go through the login process step by step, checking to see if everything works smoothly. Don't skip any steps, even the ones that seem minor. Sometimes, the smallest details can hide the trickiest bugs.
Sometimes, the software might act inconsistently, making it tough to figure out what's going wrong. Using tools like Jira to log and track issues can help.
After running your tests, you will encounter some bugs or issues. This is where defect logging comes into play. In this step, you will document your problems so the development team can quickly address them. Proper defect logging ensures nothing slips through the cracks and keeps everyone in the loop.
When you find a defect, the first step is to describe it clearly and thoroughly. You want to provide a detailed summary of the problem and list the exact steps you followed to encounter it. For example-
Also, make sure to note the environment where the issues occurred, such as the operating system or device. Attaching screenshots or logs is always helpful, as they provide additional context for the developers.
Next, assign a severity level to the defect. Is it a critical issue that prevents the app from functioning or a minor inconvenience that doesn't affect core features? This helps the development team prioritize which defects to address first.
Using tools like Jira, Bugzilla, or Mantis makes defect logging easier and more organized. These platforms allow you to enter all the relevant details, description, severity, and steps to reproduce, and assign the defect to the appropriate developer.
Once you've logged the defects, it's time for the developers to step in and fix them. After receiving your defect report, the development team will prioritize the issues based on their severity and impact on the system. Critical bugs that stop key features from working are fixed first, while minor bugs may be addressed later. The developers will then work on identifying the root cause of the defect, fixing it in the code, and running their tests to ensure the issues are resolved. But the process doesn't end there.
After the bugs are resolved, you need to retest the software to ensure the fixes work as expected and that nothing else was broken. This is known as retesting, where you run the same test case that originally failed. For instance, if the login button was unresponsive, you would follow the same steps again and check if it works as anticipated.
Retesting is essential because even though developers fix the code, you must ensure that the issue is genuinely resolved from an end-user perspective. However, sometimes fixing one defect can unintentionally cause problems in other parts of the system. This is where regression testing comes in.
After retesting the fixed bug, you must run other related test cases to ensure the new code changes haven't impacted any existing functionality. Zephyr and TestRail can help you track the test cases you need to retest and manage your regression testing efforts.
As technology evolves, so do testing methods and practices. Staying ahead of the curve means adopting emerging trends that make testing more efficient and improve software quality in real-world scenarios. With that in mind, here are the top manual testing trends of 2024 that you can follow for better manual testing in the future.
AI in testing involves using AL and ML algorithms to optimize various parts of the testing process. Generative models such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini can help you generate effective test cases, prepare test data, and write test documentation. Rather than replacing testers, AI works alongside them, performing time-consuming tasks faster and more efficiently.
AI can analyze large amounts of code and user data to automatically generate test cases, allowing you to spend more time focusing on exploratory testing. AI can also create realistic test data by identifying patterns in actual user interactions and draft initial test documentation by summarizing critical information.
The Internet of Things connects devices, from smart thermostats to wearable tech, creating a network of interconnected gadgets. The number of connected devices is anticipated to reach 29 billion by 2030. With the explosion of IoT devices, ensuring they work seamlessly together has become a top priority for testers. Manually testing these devices ensures that they communicate properly with one another and perform as expected in a real-world context.
Manual IoT testing allows you to thoroughly test how devices behave under different conditions, ensuring they function reliably for users. By catching real-world issues, you improve the overall user experience and reduce the risk of failures in the field.
QAOps integrates quality assurance into the DevOps cycle, enabling testing to be embedded throughout the development process, rather than waiting until the end. In QAOps, testers are involved in every stage of the development, allowing bugs to be caught earlier and reducing the risk of last-minute surprises.
For manual testers, QAOps means you're more involved in the entire software lifecycle. Instead of waiting for a final product to test, you can provide input as new features are being developed, catching issues early and ensuring they don't grow into bigger problems.
Exploratory testing is an approach where you interact with the software intuitively, without predefined test scripts, actively searching for defects based on your experience and creativity. As apps become more complex, manual testers increasingly turn to exploratory testing to find issues that aren't easily captured by automated tests. You can approach the software as a real user, navigating through different features in unpredictable ways to uncover hidden issues.
Manual testing remains vital in ensuring software quality by uncovering issues that automation might miss. By following the outlined steps and staying updated with the latest trends, you can enhance your manual testing efforts, ensuring better software performance and user satisfaction.
Partner with ThinkSys for thorough, expert-driven manual testing that uncovers hidden bugs, usability issues, and edge cases, enhancing software quality and user satisfaction.
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