How to Plan and Execute Pair Testing With Perfection?
Pair testing is a kind of software testing technique in which two members of agile teamwork upon the same feature together at the same time using the same system with continuous interaction, Idea exchange, and feedback. A very unique technique is usually preceded by pair programming. It is also known as buddy testing. This software testing technique is often categorized as exploratory testing.
What is Pair Testing and Who Can Perform It?
Two individuals are paired together and are held responsible for different tasks to guarantee functionality is working as expected in cable pair testing standards. While one person might be executing the test they are in control of the mouse and keyboard and the other person is responsible for reviewing and analyzing the process.
The second member can then take notes, create a scenario on the run to be executed, and document the results. In a practical setup, industry pairing is more likely in between a tester and a business analyst. It can also be between a test and a developer or two testers.
As mentioned, all pair testing is more of an exploratory technique and was adopted to complement formal testing procedures. it is not a replacement for formal testing techniques. So a pair of team members involved in this type of testing should be experienced and can use this technique effectively with an experienced person from the team.
How to Conduct Pair Testing?
Pair testing should ideally take the following steps:
1. Collaborate with the Right People: Find two persons who are comfortable working together. The two persons should understand each other's working styles, be able to communicate effectively, and agree on project goals.
2. Allocate Space: For one or two hours, the couple should have access to a quiet space where they may discuss (without disturbing anybody else) as well as the necessary machine.
3. Establish Goals: Although all pair testing is a type of ad hoc testing, testers should not approach it in an uncontrolled manner. Create a list of software areas to cover at the very least. Assume a couple is evaluating a new functionality with several components. Testers should arrive prepared with a list of components to cover, expected outcomes for each, and an explanation of what the test seeks to achieve.
4. Determine Roles: Before you begin, establish who will run the equipment (the driver) and who will direct the session. The navigator walks the driver through the test steps, suggesting situations, taking notes, and exchanging opinions. However, all sides should offer ideas, proposals, and thoughts in equal measure to expand the test cases.
5. Log Bugs and Take Notes: After the session has ended, log any bugs that have occurred. Additionally, create comprehensive bug reports and make note of any unanticipated inconsistencies or abnormalities that may have arisen.
What is Pair Testing
When Should You Use Pair Testing?
Pair testing can be useful in the following situations:
- Short pair testing design between team members to quickly evaluate software components and facilitate future collaboration.
- Pair tests are good as a learning opportunity. Assigning a new member or junior tester to a senior tester might assist the latter in catching up on the development lifecycle.
- Pair tests are also useful for fostering teamwork across diverse roles and broadening the scope of QA operations. Testers can collaborate with designers to gain an understanding of the software's visual importance and create appropriate test scenarios. Similarly, testers and business analysts can collaborate to determine how a customer-facing function might be improved to increase revenue streams and brand confidence.
- When faults are discovered, pair tests are ideal for introducing objectivity into the debugging process. With the second set of eyes on the work, it became far less likely that faulty code would go undiscovered.
The Advantages of Pair Testing
Here are some advantages of pair testing:
1. Dismantles Silos for Improved Collaboration: Because pair testing design necessitates collaboration between members of the same and distinct teams. Hands-on knowledge exchange and test activities help to break the ice between teams or individuals, encourage new viewpoints into QA, and keep everyone up to date on overall project progress. It also promotes stronger inter-team interactions.
2. Increases Accuracy: A tester may overlook a problem if they are too familiar with the functionality from its early development stages. Technical employees might lose sight of how actual end-users will interact with the product. Cable pair testing standard allows testers to collaborate with someone less technically minded (business analysts, product owners) to catch obvious problems. A new set of eyes can help them avoid the "curse of knowledge" and stay connected to end-user issues.
Even if they partner up with a tester from another team, the individual unfamiliar with the product can provide significant feedback. Pair testing, in essence, gives QAs a pair of fresh eyes to evaluate the software with, which tends to uncover considerably more defects than a single tester working alone.
3. Promotes Knowledge Sharing: While this may not be a concrete advantage, its significance should not be overlooked. With specialists from various teams/roles collaborating, both persons will have a deeper understanding of how various software development procedures operate. Naturally, this facilitates communication and aids individuals in gaining a more thorough grasp of team dynamics. In the long term, this leads to people who work well together (always a good thing).
4. Better Bug Reports: When two individuals examine software for defects, bug reports tend to be more thorough, which allows engineers to resolve issues more quickly. Furthermore, defects are assessed from not only technical but also customer-facing and financially important viewpoints, thanks to input from members of various teams.
Conclusion
All pair testing must be performed on genuine browsers and devices. Because emulators and simulators do not provide the real-world user circumstances that software must operate in, the results of any testing done on them are erroneous. Consider testing websites and applications on a real device cloud, especially one that provides the most up-to-date devices, browsers, and operating systems. This is true for both human and automated testing.