A Complete Guide to Exploratory Testing

Traditional testing approaches can struggle to keep up with the dynamic nature of modern development cycles. While effective in certain contexts, these methods may miss some defects, which can lead to costly fixes, customer dissatisfaction, and damage to the product's reputation.

The problem lies in the limitations of scripted testing, which might lack the flexibility required to identify novel defects. This is where exploratory testing (ET) comes in as a solution -  a method that allows you to adapt to the software's behavior in real-time, uncovering issues that might not be immediately apparent through scripted tests.

This guide will help you discover the principles, techniques, and best practices of exploratory testing and how to implement them within your development process.

Exploratory Testing vs. Scripted Testing

Scripted testing follows predefined actions with corresponding expected results, focusing on requirements and known outcomes. Test cases are planned in advance, and the process is structured, predictable, and often automated. It is primarily aimed at verifying expected behaviors.

On the other hand, exploratory testing is usually more dynamic. During testing, test cases are designed based on system behavior and tester insights. There are no predefined steps, and the focus is on discovering unknowns rather than verifying known outcomes. This approach is unstructured and often aided by tools like the Xray Exploratory App.

The main differences between exploratory and scripted testing are: 

• Scripted Testing is a structured approach that follows predefined actions and expected results based on requirements. Test cases are designed in advance and can be executed manually or automated using tools like Selenium, WebDriver, or Cucumber. The goal is to verify expected, known outcomes, ensuring consistent and predictable results each time. This method focuses on verifying known requirements and produces a pass-or-fail outcome based on whether results match expectations.
  
  
• Exploratory Testing is a dynamic approach driven by the tester's expertise and the system's behavior during testing. It is guided by insights discovered in real-time. While it starts with a general goal or purpose, specific test cases are created during testing. This method uncovers unknowns, often leading to unpredictable, unstructured results that may vary with each session, providing fresh insights with every test.

Benefits of Exploratory Testing

1. 1. Uncovering hidden defects: You can adjust your strategies based on new findings during testing, which helps you find problems that scripted testing might miss. Exploratory testing provides deeper coverage, allowing a thorough exploration of the application's functionality and edge cases.
      
      
   2. Faster feedback loop: Exploratory testing enables immediate discovery of issues as you explore the application, allowing for instant feedback to developers and rapid resolution of problems. This approach also facilitates concurrent testing and learning, where you gain insights into the application as you test.
      
      
   3. Better adaptation to changing requirements: Exploratory testing is well-suited for projects with frequently changing requirements or incomplete documentation - you can quickly adapt to changes without needing to rework test cases. This flexibility also aligns with Agile and DevOps practices, where continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) demand adaptive and responsive testing approaches.
      
      
   4. Effective in real-world scenarios: ET emphasizes a user-centric focus by allowing you to simulate real-world use cases and workflows, which helps uncover issues that actual users might encounter. This approach targets usability and user experience (UX) concerns, as you navigate the application as users would, identifying and addressing usability issues that enhance the overall user experience.

How to perform Exploratory Testing

Mission and goal

The mission of the session is its main purpose, while the goal is what you specifically want to accomplish.

For example, your mission could be to "test how stable the user login feature is with different inputs", and your goal might be to "find any errors or performance issues during login attempts". Clearly defining the mission and goal helps keep your exploratory testing focused and aligned with the overall testing strategy and project objectives.

Create a Charter

A testing charter is a brief document or statement that outlines the scope, objectives, and constraints of the exploratory testing session. It acts as a guide for what to test, how to approach it, and what to look for. A charter template we suggest is the following:

Explore <area, feature, risk>

with/using <resources, restrictions, heuristics, dependencies, tools>

to discover <information>

Adapted from Maaret Pyhäjärvi, Elisabeth Hendrickson

Time-box and take notes

Time-boxing is a key principle of exploratory testing. A specific amount of time is allocated to each testing session, depending on the complexity of the feature and the session's goals. An approach that helps maintain focus and ensures that the testing is efficient.

Make sure you document what you observe, including:

• Observations: Interesting behaviors or unexpected results;
• Issues: Any bugs, errors, or performance problems encountered;
• Ideas: New test ideas or areas to explore in future sessions;
• Questions: Any uncertainties or areas needing further investigation.

Review results

After the testing session, it's important to review and analyze the results, which involves:

• Consolidating findings: Organize and summarize the notes taken during the session. Group similar issues together and prioritize them based on severity and impact.
• Discussing with the team: Share findings with the development and QA teams through a formal report or a more informal discussion. Collaboration helps in understanding the root causes of issues and planning the next steps.
• Deciding on actions: Based on the findings, determine what actions are needed (reporting bugs, requesting changes, planning further testing, or even adjusting the product's design or requirements).
• Reflecting on the process: Consider how the session went and what could be improved in the future.

When to use Exploratory Testing

1. Unclear or evolving requirements: When project requirements are unclear, frequently changing, or documentation is incomplete, exploratory testing is essential. ET adapts to changes and explores the application based on the latest understanding of its functionality.

2. Testing complex or critical features: When working with complex, interaction-heavy, or critical features, exploratory testing is vital. ET helps uncover edge cases and interactions that are hard to predict in advance, ensuring thorough exploration and reliability.
   
   
3. Limited time for testing: When under a tight deadline with limited time for detailed test cases, exploratory testing is crucial. ET allows for quick identification of major issues without the need for extensive test scripts.
   
   
4. New or unfamiliar applications: When testing a new or unfamiliar application, exploratory testing is key. ET enables quick understanding of the software’s functionality and identification of potential issues without relying on extensive documentation.
   
   
5. Post-fix verification: After a bug fix, especially one that could impact other parts of the system, exploratory testing is essential. ET verifies the fix and checks for any new issues that the fix might have introduced.
   
   
6. High-risk areas: When parts of the application are high-risk due to complexity, criticality, or potential impact, exploratory testing is crucial. ET ensures these areas function correctly and do not introduce significant issues.
   
   
7. Agile and Continuous Integration (CI) environments: In Agile or CI environments, Exploratory Testing often aligns well with the need for adaptive testing. While ET is effective for these settings, it may not replace other approaches entirely; certain projects may still benefit from the structured coverage of scripted testing, especially for repeatability and long-term documentation.

How to spark creativity during Exploratory Testing

1. Use Personas

Personas are fictional characters that represent different types of users who might interact with the software. By adopting various personas during exploratory testing, you can approach the software from multiple perspectives, uncovering issues that may not be apparent when testing from a single, generalized viewpoint.

Consider an e-commerce website. You can create exploratory testing personas such as “Tech-Savvy Tim”, who is comfortable navigating complex features, and “Cautious Cathy”, who is less familiar with online shopping and more concerned about security. Testing the website through the lens of these personas can help you identify usability issues, security concerns, or accessibility challenges that could affect different user groups.

2. Explore risks

By identifying and prioritizing risk areas of the application, you can direct your creative energies towards parts of the system that have the greatest potential for failure or negative impact.

For instance, in a financial application, risk areas might include transaction processing, data encryption, and user authentication. A creative tester will think about the various ways these areas could fail (through edge cases, unexpected inputs, or unusual user behaviors) and design tests that explore these possibilities.

Incorporating risk analysis into exploratory testing will encourage you to think critically and strategically, pushing you to explore beyond the obvious and consider “what if” scenarios. This leads to more thorough testing and also helps in identifying vulnerabilities that could have serious consequences if left undetected.

3. Apply Heuristics

Heuristics are rules of thumb or guidelines that help you think about different aspects of the application during exploratory testing. These heuristics are mental shortcuts that prompt you to consider areas you might otherwise overlook.

A common set of heuristics used in exploratory testing is the SFDIPOT mnemonic, which stands for Structure, Function, Data, Interfaces, Platform, Operations, and Time. Each element encourages you to explore different facets of the software:

• Structure: How is the software organized? Are there structural weaknesses?
• Function: Does each function perform as expected? What happens if they fail?
• Data: How does the application handle different types of data? What if the data is malformed?
• Interfaces: How do the various components of the system interact? Are there integration issues?
• Platform: How does the software behave on different platforms or environments?
• Operations: How is the software used in real-world operations? Are there operational risks?
• Time: How does the software behave over time? Are there performance issues under prolonged use?

With heuristics, you can systematically explore different aspects of the application. It’s a structured yet flexible framework for testing that increases creativity by offering multiple pathways for exploration.

4. Embark on Test Tours

Test tours are metaphorical journeys through the application, each with a specific focus or theme. They allow you to explore the software in novel ways, often leading to the discovery of unique issues.

There are several types of test tours that can be used to stimulate creativity:

• The Supermodel Tour: Focus on the most visible and flashy parts of the application. How well do they work? Are there hidden flaws behind the facade?
• The Money Tour: Concentrate on areas of the application that directly impact revenue, such as payment processing or ad delivery. Are there any bugs that could affect profitability?
• The Landmark Tour: Explore the application's key features or “landmarks.” Are these features reliable and robust, or do they hide subtle issues?
• The Museum Tour: Investigate the application's oldest parts, the “legacy” code. How well do these parts integrate with newer features? Are there outdated practices that could cause problems?

By treating the testing process as a series of themed tours, you can approach the software with fresh eyes and a sense of adventure.

It's your turn

To take your exploratory testing to the next level, consider using appropriate tools that can enhance your testing process by providing a structured way to document your findings, collaborate with your team, and integrate seamlessly with your existing testing workflows.

Try the Xray Exploratory App and see how it can improve your testing approach.