Table of content

• What is Agile Testing?
• Some method for Agile Testing
• Advantages of Agile Testing:
• Disadvantages of Agile Testing:
• Waterfall Vs Agile Testing:
• Summary

Agile Testing is a software testing technique but not like typical testing where the testing begins only after the software has been developed or at least modules of software are ready to be unit tested. In fact, agile testing is less or more done by everyone, at different levels much earlier of the development of the software.

Agile testing is developed keeping in mind, that there can be different types of software which are comparatively small and may be tested during the developmental phase itself.

The main goal behind the agile test are as follows:

Making the testing phase simpler:

When the testing is carried out during the development of the software itself, then although the test time is much longer than the traditional testing method, still it appears to be simpler to everyone in the team, as the people in much lower position also get the chance to carry out a test, at least once.

Agile testing is much more reliable for the software which is small and the testing is required during the developmental phase itself and customers and users may start to use the software much earlier.

Now, when the users are using the software, in this phase itself, the software team will be adding new functionality, features, etc which updates the software from time to time.

Now in such cases, the software developing team will not be waiting to initiate the process of testing once the complete features and functionalities are built. Instead, they have to test it every time, as the issues, such as performance, usability, security is to be maintained even with minimal functionalities.

Therefore, in the case of bigger projects also, the test looks simpler because it's done in all the steps.

To make the testing process transparent.

The other goal accomplished by agile testing is to make the testing process by distributing the tasks with all other personnel in the team as well as the people not belonging to the core team.

As the testing is done by everyone, who is working on the project, therefore everyone is aware of the validity, authenticity and the progress of the test.

To make the test accessible to all levels of software developers.

This is one of the important goals adding to the list of goals for agile testing. The test is made accessible to all levels of developers. All the persons will not have a similar mindset and everyone thinks differently even when they belong to the same team of software development.

Therefore, this is ensured that all the minds collaborate, they carry out better tests. As one will always try to find defec0ts and errors in other's report of resting. This will increase the efficiency and quality of testing from time to time.

Since everyone is accessible to the testing process, the process becomes continuous and takes less effort. It may be seen in some of the cases, that the testing time is reduced very efficiently by relating everyone with the test process.

To make the testing less expensive.

As the testing is done in a distributive way, therefore the cost, effort and time also reduced. This testing is done in multiple levels and all the bugs and errors can be fixed in the earlier stages of testing, which helps in reduction of cost making the test process much cheaper compared to the traditional one.

To Decrease the time of response:

Since it is clear that the response or feedback is carried out during the test itself and thus feedback can be easily acquired from the developers or even from the users of the software.

This is done so that, there is no burden of iterating the test after the complete test is carried out, instead response can be made real-time. This short-term feedback system also increases the reliability of the software to a great extent, as all the requirements are analyzed very frequently.

To reduce the documentation:

The documentation is reduced to a great extent. In the traditional model or the waterfall model of testing, each and everything has to be very precisely documented. Since everyone one in the team of a traditional model of testing is not aware of the testing progress or status.

Therefore, when the testing has to be handed to any other person, all the documentation has to be made available to that person, and then only the testing can be continued.

This is not in the case of agile testing. In Agile testing, the testing is framed as per a short-term process with a valid conclusion. Therefore, if things are not documented, then also the other person is able to understand that, the tested part was iterated and was concluded well, and now can be continued.

To make the testing process interactive:

The other property of agile testing is to make the testing process more interactive. This is done by directly launching the product with the part of the software which is developed and tested. Then the team keeps adding new features and functionalities and update the software after testing perfectly.

Now, the customers are always seeing a product which is updating frequently. Therefore, if no major defects or bugs are found, then also the customer or the user can notify the team about certain developments or features which could be modified.

To allow everyone to perform the test:

This is another way of making the team all-rounder by letting every one perform the test. One with least idea about testing may not be able to perform the test fully or a major part of the test. But they can pick up module which suits there the area of interest or experience and they can perform the test in that area.

This way, the total team is also trained. This is important to note, that few brains cannot think all the aspects of a software's features or the elements that might require a test.

Therefore, there is a necessity that, all the minds collaborate to come up with better solutions for testing.

Behaviour Driven Testing:

In this method, we are concerned about the people who are related to the software in a business way.

For example, the stakeholder, the investors or the company manager who has nothing to deal with except profit.

For this, the different situations are written as different scenarios. The scenarios are nothing but the different ways the software can be deployed in a different environment or how different input parameter set can affect the output of the software.

This process is totally based on the behavior of the software in different types of environment, extremes or normal. Based on the behavior the test is carried out with an objective that, the test would show positive results when the software is deployed in a real-world environment.

Acceptance Test Driven Testing:

In this technique, the acceptable behavior of the customer, the developer, and the tester is analyzed and the testing is carried out. This is based on the psychology that, the customer or the user will focus on the problem.

The developer will focus on how to solve the problem. The tester is seeing it pessimistically, that is whether new problems, bugs or errors are arising.

Acceptance Testing

Exploratory Testing

In this technique, the tester will itself explorer the software. The tester will use the application as if it the real user or the customer is performing the test or using the application.

This is done for the reason, tester wants to directly see how the application looks while the software is in run-mode because the same will be experienced by the user or the customer at the time of its usage.

This is totally a practical approach, the software is explored live and all the defects sorted in real time as far as possible. Exploratory testing can be changed easily from time to time. In this testing approach, the emphasis is laid mainly on the functionality of the software.

• Reduce the cost of testing.
• Improves the transparency of testing within the developing team.
• Increase the effectiveness of testing.
• It relies on real-time feedback and thus the burden for testing after implementation is removed.
• Since this process is totally done in collaboration, so better creativity can be applied to the test.
• Daily meetings are carried out so that all the tester or the developers can have a get-together and discuss.
• Reduces documentation to a much lower extent.
• Very cost, time and effort effective for small projects.

Frontend Testing

• Create a mess when applied in bigger or larger projects.
• The less documentation policy may sometime result in chaos which may not be recoverable.
• Agile testing requires very trained personal and stable mentality, otherwise, it might not work.
• Some quality may be compromised with cost.
• Not good for the project which may require more time as the absence of documentation may lead to information loss.
• The software is made public at the very beginning which may lead to a business loss if not handled properly.

Backend Testing

In the Waterfall Testing, bigger projects are good to handle. On the other hand, in agile testing, the small projects are good to handle.

In the Waterfall Testing, documentation is more. On the other hand, in agile testing, the documentation is very less as the things are done by collaborating with all the people and thus all are aware and updated what is happening. But both are good as per their boundary of handling projects.

In the Waterfall Testing, testing can be performed only at the end of the project. On the other hand, agile testing is carried out any phase of software development or even inside the waterfall testing.

In the Waterfall Testing is very formal and strategic testing. On the other hand, agile testing is a quick process where things are to be fixed as bugs or errors are encountered.

In the Waterfall Testing, the user acceptance or any issues of comfortability is fixed at the end of the software. On the other hand, in Agile testing, this is done from time to time whenever necessary.

In the Waterfall testing, the testing is carried out in the presence of testers only. On the other hand, in Agile Testing, the testing is carried out with everyone, by everyone. It's a democratic approach.

Frontend Testing

Agile Testing is a software testing, in which there are no formal rules that are followed. Agile testing is like, testing part of the software arbitrarily. This testing is carried out when there is not time to carry out formal testing or carrying out formal testing requires a lot of money and effort.

Agile testing can be very much useful when only a small part of the software should be checked and not the entire software. It may be noted that, to carry out agile testing, the tester should be trained and intelligent enough to deploy the test cases, which not formal test cases but informal test cases.

Phases for agile can be designed by the company just following a simple set of global and country standards. This testing may not follow a waterfall model. It may follow its own model.