Learn Manual Testing : Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners (2023)

Table of Contents

What is Manual Testing?

Manual testing is the process of manually testing software to identify bugs and other issues. It involves manually executing test cases, comparing the results with the Client's Expected Requirements, and reporting any issues that are found.

Importance of Manual Testing:

Manual testing is important for several reasons:

• It helps to ensure that the software is of high quality and meets the requirements of the end-users
• It helps to identify bugs and other issues that may not be caught by automated testing
• It allows testers to gain a deep understanding of the software, which can be useful when designing automated tests
• It helps to ensure that the software is compatible with different configurations and environments

Types of Manual Testing:

• Unit Testing: Unit testing is a method of testing individual units of code, such as functions and methods, to ensure that they function correctly. The entire unit testing is done by developers. It is the testing of each and every line of code in the program. Developers do unit testing and send the software to the testing team. 

• Integration Testing: The method of testing how different units of code work together. Testing the data flow or interface between two features is known as integration testing.

• Functional Testing: Functional testing is a method of testing an application to ensure that it meets its requirements. Also called component testing. Testing each and every component thoroughly (rigorously) against requirement specifications is known as functional testing.

• Acceptance Testing: Acceptance testing is done by end users. Here, they use the software for the business for a particular period of time and check whether the software can handle all kinds of real-time business scenarios/situations. 

• Usability Testing: Usability testing is a method of evaluating the user interface of an application. To verify how user-friendly the application is we perform usability testing.

• Exploratory Testing: Exploratory testing is a method of learning about an application by exploring it. It is done based on the tester's understanding of the application and executing them manually.

• Regression testing: When the development team gives a build, chances are there they would have done some changes. That change might affect unchanged features. So, Testing the unchanged features to make sure that it is not broken because of the changes is called Regression Testing.  

• Smoke Testing: Testing the basic or critical features of an application before doing thorough testing or rigorous testing is called smoke testing. 

• Performance testing: It is performed by putting the application under stress to check its performance. here we perform Load Testing, Stress Testing, & Volume Testing

• Security testing: This type of testing involves testing the software to ensure it is secure and protected against potential threats.

The Software Development Life Cycle and Testing:

Manual testing is typically performed during the testing phase of the software development life cycle. The testing phase follows the development phase and occurs after the software has been coded and before it is released to end users.

Creating a test plan:

Creating a test plan is an essential part of manual testing. A test plan is a document that outlines the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of the testing process. It should include:

• The objectives of the testing process
• The scope of the testing, including the software to be tested and the types of tests to be performed
• The approach to the testing, including the methods and techniques to be used
• The resources required, including the tools and personnel
• The schedule for the testing, including the start and end dates and milestones

Advantages of Manual Testing:

Manual testing, where people test software without using specialized tools, has many benefits that make software better. 

Let's take a look at the benefits of Manual Testing:

1. Exploratory Testing: Manual testing allows testers to explore the software and find issues that may not be caught by automated tests. They can use their knowledge and creativity to discover problems and test different scenarios.

2. Adaptability and Flexibility: Manual testing can easily accommodate changes in requirements or test environments. Testers can quickly respond to updates, modify test cases, and detect new conditions as needed.

3. User perspective: Manual testers can put themselves in the users' place to check whether the software is easy to use and meets their expectations. They can identify issues that could affect user satisfaction, such as a confusing interface or unclear workflows.

4. Visual and UI issues: Manual testing is good at detecting problems related to the appearance and layout of the software. Testers may find visual inconsistencies, alignment errors, or problems with colors and fonts.

5. Complex scenarios: Manual testing is useful for testing complex scenarios that are difficult to automate. It can handle scenarios that involve human decision making, complex calculations, or specific situations.

6. Debugging and Defect Analysis: When testers find a problem, they can investigate it further and provide detailed information to the developers. They can capture logs, error messages, and steps to reproduce the problem, helping developers fix it faster.

7. Cost-effectiveness: Manual testing can be a more economical option, especially for smaller projects or early stages of development. It does not require expensive automation tools or extensive test script development.

8. Human insight and knowledge: Manual testers bring their experience and understanding of the business and industry to the testing process. They can provide valuable feedback and suggestions based on their expertise.

9. Continuous Learning: Manual testing provides opportunities for testers to learn and improve their skills. They gain practical experience, expand their knowledge and stay updated with evolving technologies.

Click on the below Topics and Learn More about Manual Testing:

Software Testing Fundamentals:

• What is SDLC?

• Waterfall Model

• V - Model

• Agile - Scrum Methodology

• Test Cases in Software Testing

• What are Bug, Error, Defect and Flaw

• Smoke Testing

Test Case Design Techniques:

• Equivalence Partitioning

• Boundary Value Analysis

• Decision Table Testing

Defect Tracking:

• Bug Life Cycle

• Root Cause Analysis

Software Testing Process:

• What is STLC?

• Alpha & Beta Testing

Manual Testing Interview Questions

Read More: Software Testing Interview Questions

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