Rapid Software Testing

How does rapid testing work?

Instead of explicit algorithms and instructions, we emphasize skill development and heuristic methods.

A core skill is the ability to think critically. Thus, we discuss and practice the art of being skeptical and of separating observations from inferences. This is a thread that runs throughout the class. We will listen to you report bugs and challenge you to explain the relationship between your conjecture that something is amiss and the observations you made. A good tester thinks like a scientist or a detective.

Rapid test design is an organized process, driven by a set of concise heuristics (think of them as guidelines) designed to assure that you don't forget to test anything important. For new testers, the heuristics provide basic guidance. For experienced testers, the heuristics help you organize and access your experience, so that even under pressure, you perform like an expert and feel like one, too. With practice, you get better and better at testing rapidly while still being fully accountable for your work.

Another element we emphasize is exploratory testing, which is the opposite of pre-scripted testing. There are often good reasons to pre-script tests, but there are also many situations where defining and recording tests in advance of executing the would take far too long and find far too few bugs. In exploratory testing, the tester designs and executes tests at the same time.