Mid-LevelQA Methodology & Strategy
What is exploratory testing and how does it complement automated testing?
- exploratory testing
- session-based testing
- manual testing
Answer it first, then compare. Nothing here is saved or scored.
Model answer
Exploratory testing is simultaneous learning, test design, and execution, you explore the app, form hypotheses, and test them in real-time. It finds bugs that scripted tests miss: usability issues, unexpected edge cases, integration problems, and "what if" scenarios. Structure with session-based testing: time-boxed sessions with a charter (e.g., "Explore the checkout flow focusing on payment error handling"). Automation handles regression; exploratory testing handles discovery. Both are essential - neither alone is sufficient.
What interviewers listen for
- Risk-based prioritisationYou can defend skipping coverage on a path because the risk maths supports it.
- Test design fluencyYou apply equivalence partitioning and decision tables to concrete inputs in real time.
- Metric judgmentYou distinguish between metrics that drive learning and metrics that drive theatre.
- Strategy under constraintYou can produce a defensible plan when the team has half the time and twice the scope.