This document discusses four insights into exploratory testing: 1) The trade-off between manual and automated testing and the testing pyramid, with more automated unit tests and fewer manual UI tests. 2) Session-based test management which organizes testing into time-boxed sessions with topics, notes, and debriefings. 3) Test charters which define what is being explored, with what resources, and what information is being discovered. 4) Using heuristics drawn from factors like a product's history, comparable products, and intended purpose to guide exploratory testing. The document encourages questioning what is known and not known to discover more through deliberate exploration.

1. Exploratory
Testing –
For devs, testers,
and you
Markus Gärtner
@mgaertne
it-agile GmbH

2. ... I know
Knowledge
... I don‘t know
Ignorance
Unconcious
knowledge
Second order
ignorance
Iknow...Idon‘tknow...
... what ...
http://dannorth.net/2010/08/30/introducing-deliberate-discovery/

3. Four of the most liked insights
of our courses...
! trade-off manual and automated testing
! session-based test management
! test charters
! heuristics

4. Trade-off manual and
automated testing

5. Testing Pyramid
UI
API-level Tests
Unit-Tests
manual
see http://
www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/
blog/the-forgotten-layer-of-the-test-
automation-pyramid

6. Session-based test
management

7. Session-based test management
! Topic
! Time-boxed
! Notes
! Debriefing
Adapted from James und Jon Bach: http://www.satisfice.com/sbtm/

8. Test charter

9. Test charter
Explore <target>
With <resources>
To discover <information>
target – feature, requirement or module
resources – tools, data set, techniques
information – does it work? security, performance, reliability
(from Elisabeth Hendrickson – Explore It!)

10. Heuristics

11. Heuristics
! History
! Image
! Comparable Products
! Claims
! User Expectations
! Purpose
! Product
! Standards and Statuses
After Michael Bolton:
http://www.developsense.com/articles/2005-01-TestingWithoutAMap.pdf and
http://www.developsense.com/blog/2012/07/few-hiccupps/
! Familiar Problems
! Explainability
! World

12. Four of the most liked insights
of our courses...
! trade-off manual and automated testing
! session-based test management
! test charter
! heuristics

13. ... I know
Knowledge
... I don‘t know
Ignorance
Unconcious
knowledge
Second order
ignorance
Iknow...Idon‘tknow...
... what ...
http://dannorth.net/2010/08/30/introducing-deliberate-discovery/

14. Questions?
Markus Gärtner
@mgaertne
it-agile GmbH