What is Manual Testing?

An important software testing procedure is manual testing, in which test cases are carried out by human testers. Even while automated testing might be productive and economical, human intervention is still very important, especially when testing usability with real end users. Before automation is used, manual testing is crucial in the early phases of software development. It’s crucial to remember that reaching 100% automation isn’t always practical.

 

Let’s take a closer look at the definition of manual testing and its key ideas in this blog.

 

The Meaning and History of Manual Testing

Let’s now examine manual testing in more detail.

 

Software testers can perform basic manual testing by carrying out test cases by hand without utilizing automated technologies. Its goal is to find errors, difficulties, and flaws in software applications early on, making sure that important issues are resolved at every turn to reduce troubles later on in the development process.

 

Every newly developed application should go through extensive manual testing to determine its viability before automation is put into place. Although it takes more work, manual testing yields insightful data that may be used with automation. Concepts of manual testing are accessible because they don’t require familiarity with particular testing instruments. It’s critical to keep in mind that reaching 100% automation is not feasible.

 

Why is manual testing necessary?

Hand testing is necessary for a number of reasons. New applications frequently have errors, instability, and other issues when they are first released, which can be problematic for end users. It is essential to carry out extensive manual testing in order to avoid such problems. It guarantees that the application is stable, bug-free, and able to provide the customer with a high-quality product.

 

Test engineers who conduct manual testing acquire a distinct viewpoint as end users and become very familiar with the product. Their profound comprehension makes it possible for them to create efficient test cases and give the developers timely feedback. A thorough assessment of the program is made easier by manual testing, which considers user experience, usability, and other important aspects that automated methods could overlook!

 

Manual testing is essential for improving the overall quality of the program since it finds and fixes problems that may negatively affect user happiness.

 

The goal of Manual Testing

Manual testing is done to make sure the software program works flawlessly and complies with the functional requirements. To ensure thorough test coverage, test cases are carefully written during the software application testing process. Once manual testing is finished, developers should correct any faults that the testers found, and the testers must retest the resolved issues.

 

Manual testing’s main objective is to evaluate the application’s quality and provide end users with a flawless final result. Software testers can thoroughly examine the program’s functioning, spot possible problems, and offer insightful input to enhance its overall performance by manually testing the program. This painstaking process contributes to the delivery of a reliable and error-free program.

 

Benefits and drawbacks of manual testing

Even manual testing has two sides to it! These are some benefits and drawbacks of manual testing.

Let us first examine the benefits of manual testing:

1. Accuracy

While automated tools are certainly sophisticated and intelligent, they are not as intelligent as human intuition and practical experience. Some problems are only detectable by a human, experienced tester. As a result, manual testing has a higher chance of finding and catching all software faults and problems.

 

2. Offers Human Perspective:

The human perspective provided by manual testers is invaluable as they mix precision and meticulousness. Humans are drawn to a product’s aesthetics, can easily navigate its visual elements, and can recognize UI and UX problems from the standpoint of the end user. As a result, manual testing contributes to useful information about the usability of the program.

 

3. Flexible

When unforeseen modifications are made to the software, as occurs in ad hoc testing settings, manual testing is shown to be beneficial. Its versatility, as test cases, may be easily redesigned or adjusted by human testers to account for these changes. Because of its adaptability to a wide range of applications, manual testing is a versatile method for guaranteeing thorough test coverage.

 

4. Conserves funds

Although manual testing requires specialized labor, it can be more affordable for your business because it doesn’t require pricey equipment. On the other hand, automation technologies are frequently expensive, require setup and installation, and have learning curves. One can avoid costs and resources related to tool implementation by using manual testing.

 

Let’s now examine the drawbacks of manual testing after reading about its advantages above.

 

1. Resource- and time-intensive

The testing procedure slows down since it is carried out manually by testers (people) without the use of automated tools. Occasionally, a sizable team of knowledgeable testers with excellent analytical and creative skills is needed to test complex systems. As a result, manual testing can be expensive and time-consuming.

 

2. Human Inaccuracy

 

Although there are numerous areas in which humans are more intelligent than robots, human error still occurs. For the testers, manual testing can get tedious and monotonous, which might cause them to lose focus and even make mistakes.

 

3. Not Always the Best Option

Certain forms of testing, such as load and performance testing, are not appropriate for manual testing. In contrast to robots, people are unable to replicate the large number of users needed for comprehensive performance testing. Furthermore, automation is a better option in these kinds of situations because it can handle massive amounts of test data with greater efficiency.

 

4. Not Reusable

Manual testing is not reusable because it cannot record the testing procedure, in contrast to automation testing. For manual testing, distinct test cases need to be created for every new application. On the other hand, reusable scripts provided by automated testing make it easier to modify for other applications.

 

How to Conduct Manual Examination

Even though we observed a variety of manual testing techniques, the general testing procedure is still the same. While some businesses choose to use professional testing companies, others carry out testing internally.

 

Six basic steps are usually involved in the manual testing procedure.

1. Recognize the Summary:

Testers need to have a complete understanding of the project’s requirements and brief before they start manual testing. This entails looking over a number of documents to understand the client’s expectations for the application and software, as well as how it will help end users solve problems. Testers can then select what has to be tested and ascertain the intended behavior of the software/application.

 

2. Get test cases ready:

Once they have a firm knowledge of the requirements, testers design test cases that cover a variety of scenarios, such as evaluating the program’s handling of crashes or its response to an invalid password. These test plans specify the sequence in which the application’s functionality and usability will be examined, contrasting the predicted and actual findings.

 

3. Examine the test cases:

It’s helpful to go over the test cases with team leaders and the customer before running them to make sure they cover everything and make any necessary changes. This cooperative stage addresses any possible gaps or concerns in advance, which ultimately saves time.

 

4. Carry Out Tests:

The next stage is to manually test the test cases using the previously outlined approaches. 

Finding bugs is just one goal; another is to find possible user annoyances and security holes that hackers could exploit for their own gain. The test cases are methodically completed by manual testers, who occasionally use Jira or other bug-tracking software for effective management.

 

5. Document:

The testing team sends a test report with metrics to the development team when bugs are found. Defects, found problems, failed test cases, and test cases that need to be retested are all covered in the report. This makes it easier for the development and testing teams to collaborate and communicate effectively.

 

6. Conducting additional testing

The development team patches any bugs and then sends the program back to the testers. To make sure that the problems have been effectively fixed, testers retest the software utilizing the test cases. 

 

Tools to Automate Manual Testing

There are many automated tools on the market, including Selenium, QTP, LoadRunner, Citrus, JMeter, TestLink, Quality Center (ALM), etc. There are commercial and open-source versions of the automated tools.

 

Conclusion

To sum up, Manual testing in software testing is still a crucial part of the software development process. Although automation offers benefits, human intervention in Testing in manual testing  improves both quality and user experience. It gives testers a chance to use their subject expertise, instincts, and flexibility to find subtle problems that automation would miss.