Exploratory Testing Bug Hunting Techniques 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'error guessing' as a bug hunting technique in exploratory testing?
- Using experience and intuition to hypothesize where defects are likely to occur and then testing those areas (Correct answer)
- Randomly clicking through an application hoping to find bugs
- Reviewing error logs to find already-known production defects
- Using static analysis tools to identify coding errors before runtime
Correct answer: Using experience and intuition to hypothesize where defects are likely to occur and then testing those areas
Error guessing leverages a tester's domain knowledge and experience to predict likely failure points and design targeted tests around those hypotheses.
Question 2: Which exploratory testing technique involves testing the system with values at the extremes of valid input ranges?
- Boundary value analysis (Correct answer)
- Equivalence partitioning
- Decision table testing
- State transition testing
Correct answer: Boundary value analysis
Boundary value analysis targets the edges of valid input ranges where software defects commonly occur due to off-by-one errors and range handling bugs.
Question 3: What is 'attack-based testing' in the context of exploratory bug hunting?
- Deliberately applying known classes of threats or error conditions to stress the system and expose vulnerabilities (Correct answer)
- Simulating denial-of-service attacks on production servers
- Testing a competitor's product to identify weaknesses
- Using automated vulnerability scanners to test web applications
Correct answer: Deliberately applying known classes of threats or error conditions to stress the system and expose vulnerabilities
Attack-based testing uses cataloged attack patterns — such as James Whittaker's software attack catalogue — to deliberately stress the application at known weak points.
Question 4: What does 'spiking' mean as a bug hunting technique in exploratory testing?
- Rapidly testing a specific area with many varied inputs to find unexpected behaviors quickly (Correct answer)
- Creating automated load tests that spike server traffic
- Filing multiple bug reports for the same defect from different perspectives
- Testing a feature immediately after a code change is deployed
Correct answer: Rapidly testing a specific area with many varied inputs to find unexpected behaviors quickly
Spiking means rapidly probing a specific area with diverse inputs and actions to surface unexpected behavior in a short burst of focused effort.
Question 5: Why is 'user perspective testing' an effective bug hunting technique?
- It surfaces usability defects and workflow issues that technical testing often misses (Correct answer)
- It replaces the need for performance testing in exploratory sessions
- It guarantees that all edge cases in the codebase are covered
- It is required by accessibility compliance standards in the US
Correct answer: It surfaces usability defects and workflow issues that technical testing often misses
Testing from the user's perspective reveals workflow breaks, confusing UI behaviors, and usability defects that technical testers focused on functionality may overlook.
Question 6: What is the 'tour' metaphor in exploratory testing, as described by James Whittaker?
- A structured way to organize exploratory testing by imagining different types of visitors exploring a city (Correct answer)
- A walkthrough of the application by the development team before release
- A guided tutorial mode built into the software for new users
- A type of regression testing that follows a fixed path through the application
Correct answer: A structured way to organize exploratory testing by imagining different types of visitors exploring a city
Whittaker's tour metaphor frames exploratory testing as different tours of a city — the money tour, garbage collector tour, tourist tour — each focusing on different aspects of the application.
Exploratory Testing Bug Hunting Techniques 1
What is 'error guessing' as a bug hunting technique in exploratory testing?