Manual testing techniques

Source: Dev.to

Common Manual Testing Techniques

Black‑Box Testing

Tester evaluates the software from a user’s perspective without any knowledge of the internal code.

Unit Testing

Performed by developers during the development stage. Each unit or module is tested after it is built to verify it meets its requirements (also called module or component testing).

Integration Testing

Combines individual units/modules and tests the interactions between them to ensure the integrated system works as expected.

System Testing

Conducted after integration testing to validate end‑to‑end functionality of the entire system.

Smoke Testing

Executed once the tester receives the build from developers to verify that the most critical functions work and the correct software was delivered.

Sanity Testing

A quick check performed during a release to confirm that the main features are functioning as expected.

Non‑Functional Testing

Focuses on attributes such as speed, load, and stress.

• Performance Testing – Determines the software’s speed and scalability, ensuring it responds quickly to user input.
• Usability Testing – Validates that the software is understandable and easy to operate from a user’s perspective.
• Security Testing – Checks that the system is protected against unauthorized internal or external access.

Regression Testing

Run after a bug or defect is fixed to ensure the fix does not adversely affect existing functionality.

Acceptance Testing

Performed by end users together with testers to verify that the functionality meets the requirements.

Exploratory Testing

Testing by exploring the software’s functionality without prior knowledge of requirements or pre‑conditions.

Ad‑hoc Testing

Informal testing where the tester randomly exercises the software based on intuition, without following predefined test cases or design techniques.

Boundary Value Analysis

A test‑case design technique that focuses on values at the edges of input domains.

Decision Table

A technique used to validate test data when there are logical relationships (if‑else conditions) or combinational inputs. Example: both username and password must be correct for a valid login.

The Future of Manual Testing in the Age of AI

Even as AI and automation become more prevalent, manual testing will remain essential. While automation can handle repetitive tasks such as regression and end‑to‑end testing, certain validations—especially those requiring human judgment about correctness and relevance—cannot be fully automated. Human testers provide the critical insight needed to determine whether the software truly meets user expectations.