Common Mistakes Manual Testers Make and How to Avoid Them – In the constantly evolving field of software development, quality assurance is critical. While automated testing has grown in popularity, the need of manual testing
remains unwavering. Manual testing, when performed by qualified testers, adds a
human touch and critical thinking that automated systems cannot. It is an important
milestone for identifying errors, validating functionality, and ensuring a great end-user
experience.
Manual testing is an important component of software development that entails
thoroughly inspecting and testing software programmes to assure their quality and
dependability. The Manual testing procedure is carried out manually by human testers
with the objective to identify and correct any faults or issues within the software
product prior to the production deployment. In the next section, we’ll look at all the
different facets of manual testing.
Manual testing can provide essential insights into the functionality of the
project and assist in identifying user experience concerns that automated techniques
cannot. Exploratory tests provide greater detail of how the software performs when
unrestrained by predefined parameters. The ultimate objective is creating software
that serves its intended purpose and surpasses customer expectations in real world
circumstances. We can guarantee that our software offers a seamless run through for
all users by continuing to value and prioritising manual testing. As humans, we have
unique perspectives and experiences that enable us to identify potential bottlenecks
in the user experience, but however we also tend to make some errors and unforeseen
mistakes over time. Here are some of the most common mistakes that testers do in
manual testing.
Common Mistakes in Manual Testing:
• Poor Definition of Expectations: Not defining expectations properly during
manual testing can lead to testers missing in important details which could also
mean they are going to spend time on the irrelevant details. It is thus essential
to discuss beforehand with the development team and achieve a common
ground on what needs to be tested and what outcome is expected. Defining
expectations in manual testing will also include the part where testers should
have the basic understanding of the software or they may end up performing
tests based on assumptions, which might not yield the desired result.
• Contrast in Test Cases: Manual Testers often tend to write the same and similar
test cases over and over, which will apparently bring out the same pattern of
outcomes, that could lead to burnout of the testers over the course of time. On
the flip side to the testing pattern in manual testing, we can try writing a mix
and mashup of test cases to test the same functionality which will provide us a
more wider outlook and approach towards the software.
• Step wise Boundary Planning: A common error encountered manual testing
is the omission of well-defined boundaries for the steps within a process. It is
essential to establish clear and explicit boundaries for each step in the testing
process, ensuring clarity and effective execution. This oversight can lead to
testers spending excessive time on individual steps or absently avoiding the
crucial ones. It is crucial to recognize that manual testing is in itself time
consuming, so testers should set manual practical deadlines and allocations to
avoid inefficiency in project potential.
• Progress Tracking and Documentation: This omission of documentation within
every step can create challenges for other manual testers attempting to follow
the process and may result in confusion. Documentation plays a vital role in
manual testing and should be prioritized accordingly. This also leads to the lack
of change tracking which can result in repetitive testing of the same build,
leading to the inefficient utilization of time and resources.
Implementing a welldefined process for change tracking is crucial to ensure that only new or
modified functionality is tested, minimizing redundancy and optimizing testing
efforts.
• Automating Irrelevant Test Cases: A frequent error in manual testing is
attempting to automate irrelevant test cases. This can lead to wastage of time
and effort in automating tests that do not contribute to the overall quality of the
software. It is essential to carefully evaluate the significance and relevance of
test cases before attempting to automate them, ensuring that automation
efforts are focused on meaningful and valuable tests. The effectiveness of test
results in testing relies on the proficiency of manual testers and in how the test
cases are written.
Steps to avoid mistakes and enhance manual testing:
• Thoroughly review the specifications and seek clarification from the
development team to eliminate any ambiguities or uncertainties that may lead
to misunderstandings in the manual testing process. By ensuring a clear
understanding of the requirements, testers can mitigate risks and ensure
accurate and focused manual testing efforts.
• Develop a comprehensive manual testing plan that clearly defines the scope,
objectives, and test cases. By having a detailed test plan in place, testers can
effectively allocate resources, streamline their efforts, and ensure thorough
coverage of the testing process.
• It is vital to document test cases, steps, and expected results in manual testing.
Accurate documentation ensures clear understanding and facilitates
knowledge sharing among team members.
• Consistent and regular communication with the development team plays a
pivotal role in mitigating misunderstandings and fostering seamless
collaboration, and to address inquiries and sharing information.
• In addition to following a planned testing approach, try out exploratory testing
methods to discover unexpected problems or flaws. By exploring the software
in a more flexible and spontaneous way, testers can uncover issues that may
not have been anticipated.
• When reporting bugs, make sure to provide accurate details such as the steps
to recreate the issue, the expected outcome, the actual result, and include
helpful screenshots or logs if possible. Clear and detailed bug reports help
developers understand and fix the problems more effectively.
• Using variety of practical and realistic data for manual testing that includes
different scenarios, covering extreme and critical conditions. This approach
ensures that the manual testing is covering a wide range of possibilities and
aids in identification of potential problems.
Ultimately, manual testing is essential for assuring the dependability and quality of
software systems. Testers may significantly improve their efficacy and efficiency by
avoiding typical errors including vague expectations, a lack of grasp of the system,
and a lack of change tracking. The effectiveness of manual testing initiatives is also
influenced by good communication, careful planning, and correct documentation.
Testing professionals may provide high-quality software that satisfies end users’
demands and expectations by adhering to best practises and advancing their
knowledge and skills on a constant basis. When painstakingly and intelligently carried
out, manual testing is a vital cornerstone in the software development lifecycle that
enables the development of reliable and resilient software solutions.
