Tag: test planning

Revolutionizing Manual Testing: Top Trends to Watch in 2025

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

Manual testing is vital in the context of software development lifecycle. Although manual testing has undergone significant change over the years, its relevance continues to be of immense value. The manual testing process involves designing test cases on the basis of software specifications as well as requirements.

The year 2025 will definitely mark a transformative phase when it comes to manual testing. Advanced technologies may play a key role in the year. These elements can magnify the importance of manual QA testing services.

Some of the major trends that have been covered in the article are Test Augmentation with AI and ML, Exploratory Testing, Seamless Integration with DevOps, Shift Towards Quality Engineering Mindset, No-Code and Low-Code Testing Platforms, Collaborative Testing with Cross-Functional Teams and Remote and Crowdsourced Testing.

The Current State of Testing

To understand the current state of manual testing, you must understand its role in the Agile Era. Additionally, the current concerns of manual testers cannot be ignored.

Importance of Software Testing in the Agile Era

In the Agile Era, the relevance and importance of manual testing have certainly surged. Without manual testing, it is impossible to think of different aspects of the software development lifecycle, such as usability, exploratory testing, and human-centric design. A trusted manual testing service provider can ensure that holistic testing is conducted to develop well-functional software.

Both manual and automated testing are critical while developing new software. Manual testing can support software quality by leveraging manual skills. Similarly, automated testing is vital to executing diverse test cases by leveraging technology. 

Challenges Faced by Manual Testers Today

At present, Manual Testers face a host of challenges and issues. The common issues that arise include:

  • Manual testing involves considerable time and resources. Thus, the time- and resource-intensive nature of the process can be quite formidable for manual testers.
  • At present, there is a rise in the demand for faster releases. For instance, the popularity of the CI/CD pipeline, which is an automated framework, adds pressure for manual testers. They have to compete with automation which might not be feasible.
  • Scaling manual testing efforts is a daunting task. Hence, the efforts and hard work of manual testers may not be easily recognized.

Top Trends Shaping Manual Testing in 2025

Test Augmentation with AI and ML

Technologies such as AI and ML are certainly revolutionizing the manual testing landscape. Manual testers can use AI-powered tools to perform tests. These tools can certainly assist them with diverse functionalities, including test case design, defect prediction, and test data generation. Some of the main benefits of leveraging advanced technologies are faster and more accurate test planning processes.

Emphasis on Exploratory Testing

In 2025, exploratory testing will undoubtedly take center stage. This is because it can help testers integrate creativity into manual testing to locate bugs. Manual testers who offer manual testing services can certainly improve their exploratory testing skills by understanding the needs of users at a holistic level.

Seamless Integration with DevOps

A top trend that will certainly shape manual testing involves the seamless Integration with DevOps. By fusing the manual testing process with DevOps pipelines and CI/CD workflows, the process can be made more efficient and effective. Furthermore, the trends relating to the application of lightweight tools can support manual testing within agile sprints.

Shift Towards Quality Engineering Mindset

In the near future, there will be a shift towards a quality engineering mindset. Thus, the role of manual testers may change. These testers will definitely become quality advocates within teams. That’s not all! Their role will not be restricted to testing. They will look beyond testing the functionality of the software application and focus on areas such as user experience, performance, and accessibility.

No-Code and Low-Code Testing Platforms

The year 2025 is Lilley to witness a surge in no-code/low-code tools. Such tools can definitely enable ng non-technical testers to execute complex tests efficiently. Using these tools may have numerous implications in relation to manual testing workflows. These workflows are likely to become more streamlined and simpler.

Collaborative Testing with Cross-Functional Teams

Manual testing may undergo change due to the rise in collaboration. Greater collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including developers, testers, designers, and product owners, can strengthen the process. Furthermore, several tools and practices that support seamless teamwork and collaboration, such as Jira, may gain high popularity.

Remote and Crowdsourced Testing

The year 2025 is most likely to witness the rise of distributed teams as well as crowdsourced testing platforms. Remote work can pave a new path for manual testing. Furthermore, manual testers from diverse areas may engage in testing, thereby popularizing the concept of crowdsourced testing. Some of the main advantages of the specific trend include the consideration of diverse perspectives, better flexibility, and an increase in cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion

The manual testing landscape continues to evolve currently. Several trends relating to manual testing have been identified that can reinvent the manual testing process in 2025.

You need to understand that the manual testing process continues to be highly relevant and important. It continues to play a catalytic role in the software development lifecycle process. Testers from the top manual QA testing services company need to embrace these trends so that they can adapt and conduct high-quality manual testing.

This is a guest post by: Harshil Malvi

Author Bio:

Harshil Malvi, Founder & CEO of TabdeltaQA, is an expert in software testing. He leads the company with a focus on delivering high-quality testing services that help businesses create smooth and reliable digital experiences. With skills in automation testing, performance testing, and quality assurance, Harshil is dedicated to making sure software works perfectly and meets the needs of users.

Agile Testing Strategies for Successful Software Development

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

Agile software development has become the modern gold standard in programming and tech innovation. Known for its dynamic and flexible methodology, Agile is rooted in customer satisfaction, consistent delivery, teamwork, and the capacity to adapt to changes.

However, central to the Agile methodology is a component that often goes unappreciated – testing.

No matter how elegant or efficient the code is, thorough testing is necessary for it to succeed. This post will dive into the critical role of testing within Agile, demonstrating how it aligns with programming & source control best practices, such as using Git, implementing effective web development strategies, and leveraging Azure. By exploring various testing strategies, we aim to shine a light on enhancing your software development process for success.

Understanding Agile Testing

Agile testing is a critical part of the Agile methodology. Unlike traditional testing methods, it is integrated into every stage of development rather than being a separate phase. This approach ensures that issues are identified and resolved quickly, facilitating a smoother development process.

The key principles of Agile testing include:

  1. Continuous Testing: Test early; test often. Agile testing happens continuously throughout the development process.
  2. Team Involvement: Everyone on the Agile team participates in testing, not just designated testers.
  3. Feedback and Improvement: Agile testing thrives on feedback, adapting, and improving as the project progresses.

Unlike traditional testing methods that usually occur after coding is complete, Agile testing runs concurrently with development. This continuous, intertwined process allows for rapid adjustments, reduces bug accumulation, and ensures that the final product aligns more closely with user needs. Agile testing’s essence is flexibility, frequent communication, and adaptability, instrumental to successful software development.

Agile Testing Strategies

Navigating the dynamic waters of Agile software development requires robust, adaptable testing strategies. These methods facilitate quality assurance, swift error detection, and effective communication, all while keeping the user’s needs at the forefront.

Read More »

How to Decide if You Should Automate a Test Case

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

Test automation is imperative for the fast-paced agile projects of today. Testers need to continuously plan, design and execute automated tests to ensure the quality of the software. But the most important task is to decide what to automate first.

In my article published on the TestRail Quality Hub, I have compiled & shared a list of questions to help you prioritise what you should automate next and guide your test automation strategy.

Here is a checklist of questions to ask yourself as you decide on automating a Test Case–

*******

Is the test going to be repeated?

Is it a high-priority feature? 

Do you need to run the test with multiple datasets or paths? 

Is it a Regression or Smoke Test?

Does this automation lie within the feasibility of your chosen test automation tool?

Is the area of your app that this is testing prone to change?

Is it a Random Negative Test?

Can these tests be executed in parallel, or only in sequential order?

Are you doing it only for the reports?

********

For the detailed explanation of each of these points, read the complete article here –>

Read Along- ‘Agile Testing’ Chapter-17

Nishi Grover Garg2 Comments

“Iteration Kickoff”

  • Most teams kickoff their new iteration with a planning session. – where they discuss one story at a time, writing & estimating all of the tasks needed to implement it.
  • Task cards need to be written along with development task cards and estimated realistically.
  • When writing programming task cards, make sure that coding task estimates include time for writing unit tests and for all necessary testing by programmers.
  • Testers should help make sure that all necessary cards are written and they have reasonable estimates.

Your job as a tester is to make sure enough time is allocated to testing and to remind the team that testing & quality are the responsibility of the whole team. When the team decides how many stories they can deliver in an iteration, the question isn’t “How much coding can we finish?” but “How much coding and testing can we complete?”

Commit Conservatively – It is always better to bring in another story later than to drop a picked story.

  • Working closely with customers or customer proxies is one of the most important activities as an agile tester. Good communication usually takes work.
  • We want “big-picture” tests to help the programmers get started in the right direction on a story. High level tests should convey the main purpose behind the story.
  • Don’t forget to ask the programmers what they think you might have missed. What are the high-risk areas of the code? Where do they think testing should be focused?

When Testability is an issue, make it the team’s problem to solve.

One beneficial side-effect of reviewing the tests with programmers is the cross-learning that happens.

High level test cases along with executable tests you’ll write during the iteration will form the core of the application’s documentation.

People unfamiliar with agile development often have the misconception that there’s no documentation. In fact, agile projects produce usable documentation that contains executable tests and thus, is always up to date.

Read Along- ‘Agile Testing’ Chapter-16

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

“Hit the Ground Running”

  • Testers in agile must be proactive. Instead of waiting for work to come to them, they get up and go look for ways to contribute.
  • Working on stories in advance of the iteration may be useful for teams that are split across different geographic locations. By working ahead, there’s time to get information to everyone and give them a chance to give their input.
  • If we make our iteration planning go faster and reduce the risk of the stories we’re going to undertake, it’s worth doing some research and brainstorming before we start the iteration.

The Pre-Planning Meeting

  • Go Over stories for the next iteration
  • The Product owner explains the purpose of each story – business conditions of satisfaction.
  • Team brainstorms about potential risks and dependencies, asks questions and figures out the simplest path.
  • Pull in customers to answer questions, get a better idea.
  • Experiment with short Pre-Iteration discussions and Test-Writing sessions
  • Invest preparation time when it’s appropriate. There is a risk to ‘working ahead’.
  • To go Fast – We need to Slow Down First!

Teams that are distributed in multiple locations may do their iteration planning by conference call, online meeting or teleconference. ( And Cut to 2020 – Coronian Times – Every one of us is doing that!! )

  • One practice that Lisa’s team used was to assign each team a subset of the upcoming stories and have them write task cards in advance.

(I, too, have used this practice – only the Task Cards were in fact story Sub-tasks being created in JIRA for our user story items created by the PO)

  • If the customers aren’t readily available to answer questions and make decisions, other domain experts who are accessible at all times should be empowered to guide the team by determining priorities and expressing desired system behavior with examples.

(I have experienced that – our Product Owners essentially did this job for us)

  • Examples are an effective way to learn about and illustrate desired functionality. Using Examples, you can write high level tests to flesh out the story a bit more.
  • Mock-ups are essential for stories involving UI or a report. Ask your customers to draw up their ideas about how the page should look.
  • Before the next iteration – triage the outstanding issues with the customer. Those deemed necessary should be scheduled into the next iteration.

The Value of Risk-Based Testing from an Agile ViewPoint

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

When I first heard about risk-based testing, I interpreted it as an approach that could help devise a targeted test strategy. Back then I was working with a product-based research and development team. We were following Scrum and were perpetually working with tight deadlines. These short sprints had lots to test and deliver, in addition to the cross-environment and non-functional testing aspects.

Learning about risk-based testing gave me a new approach to our testing challenges. I believed that analyzing the product as well as each sprint for the impending risk areas and then following them through during test design and development, execution and reporting would help us in time crunches.

But before I could think about adopting this new found approach into our test planning, I had a challenge at hand: to convince my team.

In my recent article published at Gurock’s blog site , I have written about my experience on exploring risk based testing and convincing my agile team about its importance and relevance using their own sprints’ case study.

Using the analysis of a sprint’s user stories, calculating Risk Priority Number (RPN) and the Extent of Testing defined, I was able to showcase in my own team’s case study, ways our testing could benefit and better itself by following risk based approach in a simplified manner.

Risk Priority Number

To read the complete article, Click Here–> 

In the article I talk about–

  • Tackling the Agile Challenges
  • Benchmarking Risks and a Focused Approach
  • Improving Test Process and Results

Do share your thoughts on Risk Based Testing!

Cheers

Nishi