In this chapter, we will see some significant attributes of Agile Testing.
Agile Testing Benefits
The benefits of Agile testing are: 1. Improved customer satisfaction with a quick, continuous, and thoroughly-tested product, as well as obtaining customer feedback. 2. Collaboration between customers, developers, and testers, resulting in a reduced cycle time. 3. Agile testers are involved in defining requirements, offering their testing expertise to focus on what is workable. 4. They are also involved in estimation, assessing the testing effort and time. 5. Early test design with Acceptance Criteria taken into consideration. 6. The entire team consolidates the testing requirements, avoiding any drawbacks. 7. Quality of the product is continuously monitored by the whole team. 8. The Definition of Done status reflects the successful completion of tests. 9. Any delays or blockages are immediately identified and addressed with the entire team’s help. 10. Changes in requirements can be quickly responded to and implemented. 11. Continuous integration-driven regression testing. 12. No delays between development and testing, with a test first and continuous testing approach. 13. Automation testing is implemented early in the development lifecycle, reducing the overall testing time and effort.
Best Practices in Agile Testing
In order to follow the best practices, it is important to include testers with expertise in all types of testing at all levels. This will ensure that the testing is comprehensive and thorough. Furthermore, it is essential for testers to participate in the definition of requirements, and collaborate with the customers on the expected behavior of the product. This will help ensure that the product meets the customer’s expectations. Additionally, testers should share feedback continuously with developers and customers, so that any issues can be identified and fixed quickly. In addition, it is important to use test first and continuous testing approaches to align to the development work. This will help ensure that any issues or bugs are identified and resolved quickly. It is also important to track test status and test progress promptly and constantly, with a focus on delivering a quality product. Automation testing should be used early in the development lifecycle, as this can help reduce cycle time. Additionally, automation testing can be used effectively for regression testing.
Challenges in Agile Testing
Business and Management are often unfamiliar with the Agile approach and its limitations, leading to unrealistic expectations. Test First Approach requires Developers to rely on feedback from Testers when coding, but Developers are more used to coding according to the Requirements from the Customer or Business. The Agile Team is accountable for the Quality Product, yet Developers may not prioritize quality in the initial stages as they are focused on implementation. Continuous Integration necessitates Regression Testing, often automated, but this requires considerable effort. Testers must be able to adapt to changes with the Agile mindset, but accommodating and testing the resulting changes during a Sprint may not be achievable. Early Automation is beneficial in order to reduce Manual Testing Effort and Time; however, finding the Tests that can be automated and automating them requires Time and Effort.
Agile Testing Guidelines
1. Participate in Release Planning to identify the required Testing activities and come up with the initial version of test plan. 2. Participate in estimation session to arrive at testing effort and duration so that testing activities are accommodated in the iterations. 3. Participate in User Story Definition to arrive at Acceptance Test Cases. 4. Participate in every Sprint Planning Meeting to understand the scope and update Test Plan. 5. Continuously collaborate with the Development Team during the Sprint to ensure Testing and Coding are successful within the Sprint. 6. Participate in Daily Stand-up Meetings and report any delays or blockages that may arise during Testing to receive immediate resolution. 7. Track and Report Test Status, Test Progress and Product Quality regularly. 8. Be prepared to accommodate changes, responding with modifications to Test Cases and Test Data. 9. Participate in Sprint Retrospectives to understand and contribute any Best Practices and Lessons Learned. 10. Collaborate in obtaining Customer Feedback at each Sprint.