Test Guide Adhoc | What should you know ???

Tram Ho

What is adhoc testing ???

Sometimes at work, we still hear colleagues, boss say: “Do ad-hoc testing”. So what is ad-hoc testing, how to recognize them and how to do it – let’s find out together!

Adhoc testing is a kind of unplanned test that doesn’t follow any formal procedures like request documentation, test plan, test cases, etc.

This is a black box test that focuses on both logical and non-logical scenarios at random. Ad Hoc testing uncovers bugs that we couldn’t find while following the formal process.

Testers should be familiar with the product as testing Adhoc is completely dependent on spontaneity and intuition.

It is usually done after official testing, which helps to find vulnerabilities in the application.

This is an unstructured type of software testing.

Adhoc Test Example

Scenario 1: Different browser settings

We can tweak browser settings and test how apps respond or behave.

Assuming we have a working web application, we can disable javascript in another browser and test the application there.

Scenario 2: Cross-platform compatibility

Typically, a formal testing process focuses on testing an application that gets the majority of traffic.

In Adhoc, we can test the application on different platforms and devices which are not normally covered in test cases.

Scenario 3: Validation

The test case designs focus on boundary value analysis and equivalence zoning to validate an application.

In the Adhoc test, we can throw a bunch of valid / invalid input to test how the system responds to that data and how it handles the error.

We can provide invalid input to the app and check if the app responds properly.

The importance of Ad Hoc Test:

Special testing may find loopholes in testing strategies.

It can improve the quality of the testing process at a lower cost.

It helps testers to improve testing process and methodology according to scenario.

It quickly finds errors using a check out of the box.

Types of Adhoc Tests:

Although a special test is an unstructured one, we have to follow certain conditions to get the best results.

Buddy Testing:

In this type of testing, at least two team members perform the test, ideally a developer and a tester will test the same module.

It usually takes place after unit testing. This helps the developer to understand the testing process from which to generate better code, and it also helps testers to avoid wasting time on reporting invalid errors.

Pair Testing:

In this type of test, two testers work together where one performs the test cases and other documents.

They share ideas, perspectives and knowledge about the same product to identify defects and defects from different perspectives based on knowledge and expertise.

Monkey Testing:

In this type of test, a tester performs the test at random with the intention of breaking the system.

It is purely based on tester creativity powered by random inputs, observed output.

The goal here is to find all the bugs and inconsistencies with the planned behavior.

How to do a more effective Adhoc Test:

1. Research: Having a bug analysis of a similar application can increase the chances of finding those bugs in that application. Such preparation can save a lot of time and help testers focus on even weaker points rather than wasting time examining at random.

2. Outline: Although there is no detailed examination plan involved, there is a basic outline of ‘where to start?’ And ‘what are we looking for?’ Can help the team understand what the testing team should do.

3. Session: The test team can verify some features, but they cannot do them all at once. Consequently, sessions can help the group focus and better understand the problem.

4. Focus on undiscovered regions: Areas not covered in test cases can be of great help in reducing redundant situations and helping to cover undiscovered areas application.

5. Additional tools: Tools like a debugger, profiler, and monitoring application can help the team spot more errors.

6. Document Discovery: Keeping a record of these findings can help both developers and testers understand what’s working well and what’s not.

When do we need to do Adhoc testing:

Special testing can be really flexible, it can be done at any stage of SDLC, it applies from unit testing to system testing and it can be done by tester , developer or any other member i.e. anyone with good knowledge of the product can do Adhoc testing.

1. It is only done when the product is stable.

2. It is usually done after formal testing is completed.

3. It is done when the test time is not much time to perform a comprehensive test.

4. It is done when the team does not have any tasks at hand, ie during free time or during system downtime.

5. Sometimes testers record situations during official testing that may have problems and verify them when they have time, which will also be part of the Adhoc test.

Adhoc test best practices:

  1. Testers with good expertise and in-depth product knowledge can make a huge difference in how Ad Hoc test cases are executed.
  2. Focusing on areas not covered in test cases can help uncover basics that have never been found.
  3. The tester should focus on the most important features used by the end user.
  4. Appropriate timelines need to be set in order to use time effectively.
  5. Sorting and prioritizing different areas of the application prior to testing can make the process more efficient.
  6. Although this is an informal test type, documenting the observations will help testers replicate those situations and find the core of the problem.
  7. The effectiveness of the test can be increased by using the right set of tools

Skills required to take the Adhoc test:

  1. The tester should have in-depth knowledge of the product.
  2. Testers must have real-time experience in the application
  3. Testers must have real-time experience in the application
  4. Testers must have real-time experience in the application
  5. The team should focus on prioritizing important features.

6. Make a preliminary plan to give direction for the test process.

  1. Ability to document observations and record defects.

8. Examiners should think of situations.

Advantages of Adhoc Test:

  1. Adhoc testing can be done at any stage of SDLC, anytime, anywhere, testing can be done to spot problems

2. Even developer can work on Ad hoc test, it’s not limited to test group only

  1. Since it does not follow a structured process, testers can start finding errors directly instead of focusing on documentation and other processes.
  2. It helps to find undiscovered areas in test cases, which improves the product’s immunity.
  3. It saves a lot of time as it does not require detailed test planning, documentation, test case design

Disadvantages of Adhoc Test:

  1. Without any test cases and documentation, it can be difficult to reproduce the problem.
  2. The tester must have in-depth knowledge and good understanding of the product, the tester cannot do that.
  3. There is no guarantee that an error will be found.
  4. Exact future scenarios may not be collected by the tester as they are not being recorded.
  5. The tester may not know about repeating the same situations.
  6. This can be time consuming as the amount of time, effort and resources required for Adhoc testing may not be determined.
  7. It is not possible to trace requests with a traceability matrix or any such document, so there is no way to know the exact coverage.

Conclusion:

Adhoc testing can help improve test suite by expanding test coverage and repeating problem areas converted into test cases. It gives testers more freedom to test products without worrying about test case design and documentation. This will be an interesting activity for the testing team as testing Adhoc depends on the creativity and understanding of the product tester.

Article translated from: https://www.softwaretestingmaterial.com/adhoc-testing/

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