Testing in Agile Exploratory Testing in Agile

Agile Tester Traits

Last updated: Mar 31, 2020 | 2 mins read
From Waterfall to Agile
Agile Testing Mindset Exploratory Testing is an important activity in an agile environment as it can help software
Agile Testing Challenges testers to keep up with the rapid development pace of agile software projects.
Whole Team Approach
First, a brief intro on agile methodology and exploratory testing:
Agile Exploratory Testing
Testing Without QA In agile methodology, software is released in small iterations. Each iteration goes through
planning, estimation, development, integration, testing and release. Because of frequent
Leading Agile QA releases, test automation becomes ever so important as developers need to get quick
Setting up a QA Function feedback on the status of the application. The automated checks serve as regression tests to
Agile Test Strategy ensure that with each release the software has not regressed.

No Test Plan
Exploratory Testing is defined as simultaneous learning, test design and test execution. It is
No QA Team
an approach to testing that values the tester as an integral part of the test process and
No QA Manager
shares the same values as the Agile Manifesto:

Further Reading Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

All Agile Articles >> Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

Exploratory Testing is also complementary to test automation; that is while automated

checks are checking for regression issues, Exploratory Testing focuses on new features which
have been developed. This is important because each sprint typically lasts only couple of
weeks, which doesn’t allow sufficient time for scripting tests cases and executing them later
against the application. On the other hand, exploratory testing in agile environment allows
testers to get familiar with the domain and the application and on each iteration, that
understanding is enhanced and hence testers become more efficient.

According to Brian Marick’s testing quadrant, there are two sides to testing, ones which
support programming, i.e. support writing code (unit tests) or provide an indication of when
the programmer might be finished (acceptance tests) and the ones which critique the
product, i.e. “look at a finished product with the intent of discovering inadequacies.” It’s here,
in the area of critiquing the product, where exploratory testing can play a major role in agile
project.

In agile projects, the tests that support programming are mostly done by developers and are
almost always automated and is an indication of done from a programmer’s point of view,
whereas exploratory tests aim to find possible issues which are beyond automated
programmer tests. The exploratory testers focus on areas where existing automated tests
might come up short.

Effective exploratory testers working on agile projects use the tactics of exploratory testing to
help inform the project team about possible issues with the product. Their testing can be
unstructured and freestyle or be managed using charters and test sessions. Also due to the
short intervals of development, testing inherently becomes risk based, and exploratory
testing can focus on high risk areas to find potential problems.

Agile methodologies and exploratory testing are complimentary methods which, when
employed together, can create excellent synergy within the testing experience.

agile
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