Exploratory Testing Trivia 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main criticism of relying solely on scripted test cases without any exploratory testing?
- Scripted tests run too slowly for modern CI/CD pipelines
- Scripted tests can only find bugs the writer anticipated, missing unexpected defects (Correct answer)
- Scripted tests require expensive tooling to maintain
- Scripted tests are too difficult for non-technical testers to execute
Correct answer: Scripted tests can only find bugs the writer anticipated, missing unexpected defects
Scripted tests are limited to scenarios the author imagined, while exploratory testing leverages tester judgment to discover unanticipated defects.
Question 2: In exploratory testing terminology, what is a 'charter'?
- A legal document authorizing testing activities
- A brief statement defining the goal and scope of a testing session (Correct answer)
- A list of all known bugs to retest
- A formal sign-off from the product owner
Correct answer: A brief statement defining the goal and scope of a testing session
A charter is a concise statement—often in the format 'Explore X with Y to discover Z'—that guides the focus of an exploratory testing session.
Question 3: Which of the following metrics is commonly collected during SBTM to assess session quality?
- Lines of code covered
- Percentage of time on task vs. overhead (Correct answer)
- Number of test cases executed
- Defect escape rate
Correct answer: Percentage of time on task vs. overhead
SBTM tracks how session time is divided between actual testing (on-task), setup, and bug investigation to gauge productivity and efficiency.
Question 4: What is the 'Intellectual Tour' in exploratory testing?
- Testing the application using only its official documentation
- Using the most complex and difficult inputs to challenge the application (Correct answer)
- Reviewing code alongside running the application
- Testing with international character sets and localization
Correct answer: Using the most complex and difficult inputs to challenge the application
The Intellectual Tour involves deliberately using the hardest, most complex inputs and workflows to challenge the application's logic and robustness.
Question 5: According to James Bach, what three elements combine to define a 'test'?
- Input, execution, and result (Correct answer)
- Setup, action, and verification
- Coverage, depth, and breadth
- Charter, session, and debrief
Correct answer: Input, execution, and result
James Bach defines a test as having three parts: the input (what you do), execution (running it), and result (what you observe and evaluate).
Question 6: What does the 'FedEx Tour' heuristic in exploratory testing focus on?
- Delivery and shipping module features
- How data moves through the application from input to output (Correct answer)
- Testing integration with third-party delivery APIs
- Tracking and logging functionality
Correct answer: How data moves through the application from input to output
The FedEx Tour follows data as it travels through the application, observing how it is received, processed, stored, and ultimately delivered or displayed.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'concurrent exploratory testing' in a team setting?
- Multiple testers exploring different areas simultaneously and comparing findings (Correct answer)
- Running automated and manual tests at the same time
- Two testers sharing one computer in rotation
- Testing the same feature repeatedly in parallel sessions
Correct answer: Multiple testers exploring different areas simultaneously and comparing findings
Concurrent exploratory testing involves multiple testers independently exploring different areas of the application at the same time, then sharing findings to maximize coverage.
Exploratory Testing Trivia 5
What is the main criticism of relying solely on scripted test cases without any exploratory testing?