Exploratory Testing Bug Hunting Techniques

Question 1

What is 'error guessing' as a bug hunting technique in exploratory testing?

Accepted Answer

Using experience and intuition to hypothesize where defects are likely to occur and then testing those areas

Answer

Randomly clicking through an application hoping to find bugs

Answer

Reviewing error logs to find already-known production defects

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Using static analysis tools to identify coding errors before runtime

Question 2

Which exploratory testing technique involves testing the system with values at the extremes of valid input ranges?

Accepted Answer

Boundary value analysis

Answer

Equivalence partitioning

Answer

Decision table testing

Answer

State transition testing

Question 3

What is 'attack-based testing' in the context of exploratory bug hunting?

Accepted Answer

Deliberately applying known classes of threats or error conditions to stress the system and expose vulnerabilities

Answer

Simulating denial-of-service attacks on production servers

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Testing a competitor's product to identify weaknesses

Answer

Using automated vulnerability scanners to test web applications

Question 4

What does 'spiking' mean as a bug hunting technique in exploratory testing?

Accepted Answer

Rapidly testing a specific area with many varied inputs to find unexpected behaviors quickly

Answer

Creating automated load tests that spike server traffic

Answer

Filing multiple bug reports for the same defect from different perspectives

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Testing a feature immediately after a code change is deployed

Question 5

Why is 'user perspective testing' an effective bug hunting technique?

Accepted Answer

It surfaces usability defects and workflow issues that technical testing often misses

Answer

It replaces the need for performance testing in exploratory sessions

Answer

It guarantees that all edge cases in the codebase are covered

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It is required by accessibility compliance standards in the US

Question 6

What is the 'tour' metaphor in exploratory testing, as described by James Whittaker?

Accepted Answer

A structured way to organize exploratory testing by imagining different types of visitors exploring a city

Answer

A walkthrough of the application by the development team before release

Answer

A guided tutorial mode built into the software for new users

Answer

A type of regression testing that follows a fixed path through the application