CHALLENGES OF MANUAL TESTING Posted on May 28, 2012 inShare 3 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 a methodology, 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

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 to write 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 down by 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 the available 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 indepth 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 major challenges 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 reemergence of any previously fixed flaws.

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.