Exploratory Testing FAQs

I’ve come across a number of Frequently Asked Questions about Exploratory Testing and I’ve got what I hope are pretty good answers.

Exploratory Testing FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about exploratory testing. Got a quick question? Get a quick answer.

Yes, there are many examples where people have used tools to enable and enhance their exploratory testing.

Is all testing exploratory?

No. Not unless you change the definition of testing to specifically exclude testing done by machines.

What is Exploratory Testing?

ET is an approach (or style) to testing that emphasizes the individual tester focusing on the value of their work through continuous learning and design.

Is Exploratory Testing used in Agile teams?

Yes. ET is about optimizing the value of your work given your context and so it’s a natural fit in agile projects and agile teams.

What is the definition of Exploratory Testing?

Exploratory Testing is a style (approach) of software testing that emphasizes the personal freedom and responsibility of the individual tester to continually optimize the value of her work by treating test-related learning, test design, test execution and test result interpretation as mutually supportive activities that run in parallel throughout the project.

Is Exploratory Testing a test design technique?

No. You can design tests in an exploratory or scripted way (to a degree each way). This is why it’s called an approach. But ET itself is not a technique (a way to group, design and interpret results of similar kinds of tests).

Does Exploratory Testing require charters?

No, but charters can certainly be helpful.

Does Exploratory Testing require a timebox?

No, but a timebox can help you create similarly sized sessions for Session Based Test Management.

Over time I hope to add to these.

Last Updated: 03/07/2022

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