Chlngs in Manual Test

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CHALLENGES OF MANUAL TESTING

Posted on May 28, 2012

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Everything in this world is like the two sides of a coin with two

different aspects and views. It can either be positive or negative,

possesses both advantages and disadvantages. But one thing, which remains

constant with everything whatever it may be, is that it has to face

challenges. This is perfectly true for technology and its process. Manual

testing being an integral part of technology is also bound to face

challenges. Before we go through the challenges lets define manual testing

in simple terms.

Manual testing is the process of manually testing software for the errors

and bugs in it. It needs a tester to play the role of an end user, and use

and exploit all the features and functionalities of the software to its

maximum level to ensure correct functioning of the software.

To ensure its completeness, the tester follows a written test plan that

leads him through a set of important test cases as remembering and

following the whole testing process is not feasible relying on human

memory. It will also make sure that no important test case is missed.

In todays technologically sophisticated world, most of the software

engineering projects rely on manual testing only as it involves a

demanding and accurate testing procedure, despite the advent of many

modern testing technologies.Manual testing works in a more detailed manner

to find out the defects, as it demands strict attention to the procedures.

Manual testing involves choosing a high-level test plan where we choose amethodology, and resources such as skilled people, computers, and software

licenses are identified and acquired. Detailed test cases are written,

identifying steps to be taken by the tester clearly and concisely, with

the expected outcomes. The test cases are assigned to the testers, who

follow the steps manually and record the results. At the end a detailed

test report is prepared to determine whether the software can be released,

and if not, it is used by engineers to identify and correct the problems.

CHALLENGES FACED IN MANUAL TESTING

Most of the challenges faced in manual testing are because of lack of

judgement in analyzing skills. The challenges faced are:

People

Wise selection of team members: Problem Description The biggest challenge

when selecting a team for a particular job is selecting the right people

for the job as it is a very important factor in deciding whether you will

be embracing success or not. Solution All the testers selected should be

skilled in their work. Testers who are unskilled can make a procedure

complex instead of simplifying it which can delay the process. They may

also use methods that can cause faulty and inappropriate testing.Manual


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testing requires people who are skilled in this area, the main

requirements being trouble shooting, analyzing and communication.

Domain knowledge (Writing the correct test cases) Problem Description

Another big challenge which we face during the process is to know

everything about the process we are performing. This is the sole reason

that domain knowledge has gained power over technical skills and

knowledge. Solution One of the major factors that we face in testing is towrite the correct test conditions. This requires lot of analysis of the

requirements and also a level of domain knowledge. Domain knowledge is

important to get the real idea of the product, how it is working, it

enhances the test skills. We have to gain at least basic domain knowledge

before testing a product. This will help you to investigate the major

logical flaws if any. Domain knowledge is important to grasp as many

concepts as you can. Try to understand the product as if you are the

customer and what customer will do with application. Nowadays you can see

the professional being hired in different companies are more domain

experts than having technical skills.

Process Every tester has his/her own methodologies and test plans that

might be slightly different from the company defined processes. Therefore,

it is important to have complete information about the processes laid downby the company, and then too these processes need not be strictly followed

which can lead to incomplete software testing.

Selecting the Right Test Case and Prioritizing them Problem Description

Once you are through with writing your test cases you might tend to relax

that now you are on the right path. But we need to remember that even

after writing our test cases correctly we might commit mistakes in

selecting and prioritizing them. So this process is also equally critical

for the success of software testing. Solution A test case has components

that describe an input, action or event and an expected response, to

determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. There are

levels in which each test case will fall in order to avoid duplication

efforts.

Level 1: In this level you will write the basic test cases from theavailable specification and user documentation.

Level 2: This is the practical stage in which writing test cases depend on

actual functional and system flow of the application.

Level 3: This is the stage in which you will group some test cases and

write a test procedure. Test procedure is nothing but a group of small

test cases maximum of 10.

Level 4: Automation of the project. This will minimize human interaction

with system and thus QA can focus on current updated functionalities to

test rather than remaining busy with regression testing. Writing effective

test cases is a skill and that can be achieved by some experience and in-

depth study of the application on which test cases are being written.

Paying attention on company processes without dependence on it.

Changes in the Requirements Problem Description One of the majorchallenges in manual testing is that the requirements of the software due

to various reasons which are both apparent and in apparent. The real

obstacle lies in addressing these reasons successfully. Solution

The main reason that the requirements of the software keep on changing

from time to time is due to the emergence of many errors and bugs which

makes it difficult to carry on the testing process. So in such cases

Regression Testing method is employed to test for any new faults or re-

emergence of any previously fixed flaws.


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Regression means retesting the unchanged parts of the application. Test

cases are re-executed in order to check whether previous functionality of

application is working fine and new changes have not introduced any new

bugs.

Follow these Steps for effective Manual Testing

Best Practices for Manual Testing are:

Be thorough in test design and documentation

Be thorough in test design and documentation

Manage the test activities well

Rank test cases in order of importance, by impact on quality, by risk, by

how often the feature tested is used, or some other related metric

Have a separate budget with proper funding allocated for testing.

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Chlngs in Manual Test