Software Testing And Quality Assurance Questions
Ad hoc testing and exploratory testing are both informal testing techniques, but they have some differences:
1. Approach: Ad hoc testing is an unplanned and spontaneous testing approach where testers randomly test the software without any specific test cases or test plan. Exploratory testing, on the other hand, is a structured and systematic approach where testers explore the software, learn about it, and design test cases simultaneously.
2. Documentation: Ad hoc testing does not require any documentation as it is performed without any predefined test cases or plans. Exploratory testing, however, involves documenting the test cases, test ideas, and observations made during the testing process.
3. Timeframe: Ad hoc testing is usually performed for a short duration and is often used to quickly identify critical defects or issues. Exploratory testing is a more time-consuming process as it involves learning, understanding, and exploring the software thoroughly.
4. Test coverage: Ad hoc testing may have limited test coverage as it is performed randomly without any specific objectives. Exploratory testing aims to cover as much functionality and scenarios as possible, ensuring comprehensive test coverage.
5. Test design: Ad hoc testing does not involve any test design or planning. Testers perform tests based on their intuition, experience, and knowledge. In exploratory testing, testers design and execute tests based on their understanding of the software, its requirements, and user expectations.
Overall, ad hoc testing is more spontaneous and unstructured, while exploratory testing is a more planned and systematic approach to testing.