What is Manual Testing? What are the benefits and drawbacks of Manual testing? Give some Examples in support of answer?
Published: 2024-03-21 19:02:05

    Manual Testing is a process to test the software where testers evaluate software or application quality manually. This type of testing method is a olden method to find the bugs, issues and defects in the software application without the help of automated tools or other executing test scripts. 

The Manual Testers should has to find the bugs and defects using their creativity ideas and domain knowledge. But, it does require attention to detail and structured testing skills. The tester should play the role of end user where by the most of the application features to ensure correct behavior. These manual testing has to ensure that software applications meet the companies quality standard. The First step in manual testing is to analyze the requirements of software application system under test. This testing has some process given below.

1. Understanding the Requirements of the software
2. Test plan Creation
3. Write the test cases
4. Conduct the cases
5. Defect Logging
6. Defect fix
7. Reverification

Types of Manual testing 

There are different types of manual testing based on how they are performed. We will discuss four common types here:

Functional Testing

Functional testing is a testing type to check the functional requirements and behavior of an application. It involves testing the individual functions and features of the software to ensure that they work correctly and meet the desired specifications. The main goal of functional testing is to validate that the application functions as intended and delivers the expected results. To conduct functional testing, you require full knowledge of functional specifications and input-output data. It further includes compatibility, regression, and integration testing within itself.

Black Box Testing

Black box testing focuses on testing the functionality and behavior of the software without knowing its internal structure, code or implementation details. The tester treats the application as a black box and they evaluate how the software handles various inputs and produces corresponding outputs.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

UAT focuses on evaluating the software’s functionality and usability from the end-user perspective. It involves testing the software in a real-world environment with actual users to ensure that it meets their requirements, business needs and expectations.

System Testing

System testing verifies and validates the behavior, functionality and performance of a complete and integrated software system. It is performed after component testing and integration testing ensuring that all system components work together as per expectations and meet the specified user requirements.

Benefits of Manual Testing

- Cost Effective
- More Flexibility
- Useful for small and large projects
- Easy to remove and add test cases
- Easy for a fresher to implement
- No need of Programming Experts
- More reliable
- Well able to identify underlying user issues
- More focus on Complex problems
- Lower cost in short term projects
- Helpful in User Interface
- Suitable for Exploratory, Usability and Ad hoc Testing
- In Manual testing user/Tester, interacts more with the Application under test(AUT) then it easy to find defects and Tester can provide suggestions to the development team.

Drawbacks of Manual Testing

- Maintaining Manual testers is expensive
- Extremely Time consuming
- Higher chances of Human Error
- Not good for Performance testing
- Considerable testing areas left uncovered
- Less Accuracy
- Executing same tests again and again time taking process
- Not suitable for Large scale projects and time bounded projects
- Graphical user interface object size difference and color combination etc., is not easy to find out in manual testing.
- Actual load and performance is not possible to cover in manual testing for large number of users.
- It is Platform dependent
- Difficult to reuse
- The Running Process is slow

Example of Manual testing

1. Testing the functioning of Shopping Cart
2. Validating the order process
3. Validating the Login page is working properly
4. Testing the correct data is displayed on the search results page
5. Testing the functioning of Ticket booking page 
6. Validating the functioning of Online banking page 
7. Validating the functioning of Bill payment page
8. Validating a Company Website and its product portfolio 

End to end testing is the process of testing an entire software application, at the point at which you first open the software to completing all of the function with in it.