Experience based tests are adept at identifying defects that the other testing techniques might have missed, thus acting as checks on comprehensiveness of the test techniques that were employed.

But it poses challenges to the test management team as well. So the Test Manager must know about the advantages and also the challenges of experience based testing methods, especially exploratory testing.

Determining the coverage of these tests is difficult because the advanced preparation done is usually bare minimum. If you need to reproduce these tests, you need to pay extra attention to test management, especially if more than one tester is being used.

Test sessions

If you are focusing on exploratory testing, an effective way to handle experience based testing would be to split the job into small periods known as test sessions of thirty minutes to two hours.

Test sessions enable the testers to focus on test that should be executed and the manager to schedule and monitor the test being conducted. Each test session must cover a single test charter that has been defined by the Test Manager / QA Manager verbally or in writing.

The charter outlines one or more test conditions to be tested in each session, enabling the testers to focus on the job at hand even more. It also avoids overlapping if more than one person is doing the exploratory testing concurrently.

Experience based testing may also be managed by incorporating such spontaneous and self-directed testing techniques in the traditional predefined test sessions.

For instance, testers may be allowed and given time to test beyond the inputs, defined steps and projected results. If these test sessions succeed in detecting defects or possible areas for more testing, they may be incorporated into the predefined tests.

• At the onset of exploratory test session, testers are responsible for confirming and executing the required setup activities for these tests.
• While carrying out the tests, the testers gain information about the application and then design tests and execute tests accordingly.
• The testers record the information gained regarding the application as well any defect investigation if it has been done and its results.
• If the testers feel that they or another set of testers may need to repeat the defect tests conducted by them, they also capture test inputs, test conditions and test events in the log.

Usually a debriefing takes place after the test session to decide how subsequent test sessions should be held.

The next article covers a very important topic – What is Risk Based Testing? Identifying, Assessing, Minimizing & Managing Risks

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