Manual testing is a type of testing in which test cases are executed by the tester manually, without the use of automation tools. The purpose of manual testing is to find bugs in the application. This is one of the simplest techniques.
Any application must be manually tested before automating the process. This is necessary in order to determine whether it is advisable to implement automation at all. To conduct manual testing, you do not need to be able to use any tools. One of the fundamental principles of testing is that 100% automation is impossible. Therefore, manual testing is inevitable in every project.
In this guide to manual testing for beginners, we will go over all the basic concepts in detail.
Purpose of Manual Testing
The main goal of manual testing is to make sure that the application has no errors and that it works in full accordance with the requirements.
To do this, test cases are created at the testing stage, which should cover (ideally) 100% of the functionality of the application under test.
Also, the manual tester checks that the bugs found are fixed by the developers and retests what has been fixed.
In general, manual testers check the quality of the application being developed and ensure that the application is delivered in the highest possible quality to end users.
Types of manual testing
Types of Software Testing
- Black Box Testing
- White Box Testing
- Unit testing
- Integration Testing
- System Testing
- Acceptance Testing
How to conduct manual testing
- Create draft test cases that cover the requirements described in the documentation
- Make a review of written test cases with a team lead
- Run test cases
- Report bugs found
After the bugs are fixed, re-run test cases that did not work before in order to make sure that after the developers’ fixes they work.
Myths of Manual Testing
Below we have collected common myths and facts related to software testing:
Myth: Manual testing is easy. Anyone can test the application manually.
It is not true. Testers today must have a wide range of skills.
Myth: Testing guarantees 100% absence of bugs in the application.
It is not true. Testers try to find as many bugs as physically possible. Finding all possible bugs is almost unbelievable.
Myth: Automated testing is better than manual testing.
It is impossible to automate testing 100%. For the highest quality testing of the product, manual testers are also needed.
Myth: Testing is very easy.
It is not true. Testing can be very difficult. Testing an application with a large number of use cases with a minimum number of test cases requires strong analytical skills.
Manual testing is an integral part of the development process. The people involved in the testing process work with the application in the same way as end users work with it. It is impossible to automate the testing process 100%, so manual testers will always be in demand in the labor market.