Session-Based Test Management (SBTM) is an exploratory testing approach that divides testing into focused sessions with defined charters, enabling structured yet flexible testing without traditional test cases or metrics. It emphasizes the importance of simultaneous learning, test design, and execution while encouraging creative problem-solving. Key components include setting clear objectives for each session, using various testing frameworks like personas and tours, and maintaining thorough notes for effective reporting and follow-up.

1. Session-Based Test Management
An approach to testing with
– No test cases
– No expected results
– No pass/fail metrics
Testing on a project is divided up into focussed
“sessions” of exploratory testing.

2. Before we start…
• I’m no expert
• A lot to cover. I will circulate links with more detail
• Definitions/opinions are as per “Context-Driven
Testing”
– No best practices, depends on context
– Very influenced by social sciences and related fields
– All testing is “sapient” and exploratory, or it’s not testing
– “Good software testing is a challenging intellectual process”

3. What problem is this solving?
• Exploratory testing the most valuable and powerful
approach – especially in Agile
BUT
• Perceived as vague, unstructured, unmanageable
– Hard to gauge coverage
– The tester themselves may not be able to clearly explain
what testing they did
– Managers want metrics, estimates and line-graphs (even if
these can be meaningless)
• “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”

4. Exploratory Testing – the CDT view
• Defined as “Simultaneous learning, test design and
test execution”
• An experimental, scientific approach
• Fits the natural human approach to learning or
problem-solving
• Exploratory testing is not random
• Exploratory testing is not a luxury
• Exploratory testing is not what you do if you have
spare time after executing all the test cases

5. Session-Based Test Management
• Formulated by Jonathan and James Bach
• Manages and tracks Exploratory Testing
• Testing tasks on a project divided into sessions
• A test session:
– A dedicated and uninterrupted period of exploratory
testing
– Focussed on set objectives defined in a “Charter”
– Generates notes and lightweight reporting on the
testing carried out
• The testing task is expected to change and evolve

6. Session-Based Test Management:
Planning

7. PLANNING: The Charter
• Each test session is described by a Charter
• A single sentence that sets the scope of the testing
– What you’ll test
– How you plan to test it
– The information you hope to provide
• That scope should be achievable in around 90 mins
• Charters are basis of estimation and coverage

8. PLANNING: Drawing up Charters
• Charters can come from many sources:
– What are the elements to be tested? What are the
requirements? What are the risks?
– Backlog/sprint planning meetings
• Elisabeth Hendrickson’s “Explorer” format:
“Explore [target]
with [resources, techniques]
to discover [information valuable to the project]”
Eg. “Explore unexpected failures
with power and network interruptions
to discover if the product recovers gracefully”

9. PLANNING: Drawing up Charters
……Read Chapter 2 of “Explore It!” By Elisabeth
Hendrickson.
(It’s only 13 pages)
Examples….

10. Session-Based Test Management:
Testing

11. TESTING: Focus
• Charter as scope
– Some flexibility possible
• A dedicated and uninterrupted period of testing
– No meetings, no email, no drive-bys
• Session length will vary but perhaps 90 mins

12. TESTING: Test Ideas
• Use testing experience or instinct; use your domain
knowledge
• Test scenarios could be ok, but not pre-scripted steps
Remember it should be a fluid process …
• Use the software, observe it and be alert to new
questions or test ideas
– Follow those new thoughts now?
– Note them as ideas for follow-up?

13. TESTING: Test Idea Frameworks
• Personas
• Tours
• Heuristics
(Could be with the “with” part of your Charter)
• Encourage thinking beyond specific features or tasks
in isolation.
– how parts of the software work together
– user flows

14. TESTING: Idea Frameworks - Personas
• Fully imagine and describe users of the software. Be
that person while you test the product
– Role
– Age
– Education
– What devices do they use?
– What environment do they use your product in?
– What are their goals in using the product?
– What motivates them, What annoys them?
– What websites would they use? What TV programmes would they
watch?

15. TESTING: Idea Frameworks - Tours
• Mike Kelly: touring an application
– Claims tour
– Configuration tour
• James Whittaker: exploratory testing tours
– The Museum tour
– The Supermodel tour
– The Bad Neighbourhood tour

16. TESTING: Idea Frameworks - Heuristics
• Shortcut approaches to complex questions or
problems which are usually based on experience.
They’re usually effective, but not guaranteed to be.
– Eg. “Trial and error”
• In Testing:
“Test at the boundaries” ; “CRUD” ; “Some, none, all” ;
“OFAT (One Factor At a Time)” ; “Break the rules” ; “The
Iceberg Heuristic”
You will have your own ….
• Test Heuristic Cheat Sheet

17. TESTING: Note Taking
• Notes on your testing are crucial
• Not just a Pass/Fail count
– What you did. Why you did it. What you saw. What
questions and ideas you had. Any frustrations/blocks.
• Style of note taking can be personal to you
– I tend to use Rapid Reporter or just pen/paper
• You need to be able to summarise and discuss the
notes from your session

18. Session-Based Test Management:
Reporting

19. REPORTING: Session De-brief
• Tester reviews session findings with Test
Manager/Test Lead/Other Tester
– A bit like reporting in a stand-up
– Is more testing needed in this area?
• May lead to ideas for more charters
– Are there issues or blocks affecting the testing?
– Are there questions which need to be referred to a
product owner?
• Raise bugs as normal
• In my case: lightweight reporting

20. REPORTING: Project Status
• Managers can have metrics on ET, including:
– Charters/Sessions completed and remaining
– Sessions completed per day or week (velocity)
– Product areas/functionality coverage
– Bugs raised
– Time spent testing vs setup, admin etc
• See links to articles by Jonathan Bach and Rob
Lambert

21. The End
To summarise - in SBTM:
• Testing described in session charters, not test cases
• Exploratory Testing is not random
• Exploratory Testing is creative and requires intelligent
thought. A number of techniques and approaches are
available.
• More information in the links I’ll distribute
• For anyone interested, I can demo the Rapid Reporter
note-taking tool