Error Guessing In Software Testing

Error guessing is a software testing technique in which testers use their experience, intuition, and knowledge of the system under test to predict and test for errors or defects that they think are likely to occur in the software.

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What Is Error Guessing In Software Testing?

Testers who use error guessing as a testing technique often rely on their own knowledge and experience to identify potential problems in the system. They may use a variety of techniques to identify these errors, such as reviewing the system’s design or requirements documents, examining the code, or exploring the system through trial and error.

Once potential errors have been identified, the testers will create test cases to verify whether these errors actually exist in the software. These test cases are designed to exercise the system in ways that are likely to cause the predicted errors to occur, in order to confirm that the errors have been identified and can be addressed.

While error guessing can be a useful testing technique, it should be used in conjunction with other testing methods to ensure comprehensive testing coverage. This is because error guessing is based on the tester’s personal knowledge and experience, and may not uncover all possible errors in the system. Therefore, it is important to use a variety of testing techniques to ensure that the software is thoroughly tested and any errors are identified and corrected.

Error guessing is best used testing technique, but it is not a replacement for other testing techniques. It is best used in combination with other testing techniques such as functional testing, unit testing, integration testing, and regression testing.

Error guessing is particularly useful in exploratory testing, where testers explore the system under test by using their knowledge and experience to find potential defects or issues that may not have been covered by other testing techniques.

It can also be used in situations where there is limited time or resources for testing, as it allows testers to quickly identify potential defects and prioritize their testing efforts accordingly.

However, it is important to note that error guessing is based on the tester’s personal experience and intuition, and may not uncover all possible errors in the system. Therefore, it is important to use a variety of testing techniques to ensure that the software is thoroughly tested and any errors are identified and corrected.

Error Guessing Technique

Error guessing is a software testing technique that relies on the tester’s experience and intuition to predict and test for errors or defects that are likely to occur in the software. Here are the steps involved in using the error guessing technique:

Identify potential error-prone areas: Testers should review the system’s design or requirements documents, examine the code, and explore the system through trial and error to identify potential error-prone areas.
Create test cases: Once potential errors have been identified, testers create test cases to verify whether these errors actually exist in the software. These test cases are designed to exercise the system in ways that are likely to cause the predicted errors to occur.
Execute test cases: The identified test cases are executed to confirm whether the predicted errors exist in the software.
Record and report defects: If an error is found during the execution of the test cases, testers should record and report the defect to the development team for correction.
Iterate: The process of identifying potential errors, creating test cases, executing test cases, and reporting defects may need to be iterated until all potential error-prone areas have been covered.

It is important to note that error guessing should be used in conjunction with other testing techniques to ensure comprehensive testing coverage. Additionally, it is important to document and communicate the test results to the development team, so that they can understand and address any defects found during testing.

Error Guessing Testing Example

Here is an example of how error guessing could be used in software testing:

Suppose that you are testing a mobile application for a bank that allows users to transfer money between accounts. You decide to use error guessing as a testing technique to identify potential defects that might occur during a funds transfer.

Identify potential error-prone areas: You review the system’s design and identify areas that could potentially cause errors. For example, you notice that the application allows users to enter their account numbers manually, which could lead to errors if the user enters an incorrect account number.
Create test cases: Based on the potential error-prone areas you identified, you create a set of test cases to simulate scenarios that could cause these errors to occur. For example, you create a test case that attempts to transfer funds to an account with an invalid account number.
Execute test cases: You execute the test cases you created to confirm whether the predicted errors exist in the software. In this case, you attempt to transfer funds to an account with an invalid account number and confirm that the system correctly identifies the error and prevents the transaction from completing.
Record and report defects: If an error is found during the execution of the test cases, you record and report the defect to the development team for correction.
Iterate: You continue the process of identifying potential errors, creating test cases, executing test cases, and reporting defects until all potential error-prone areas have been covered.

In this example, error guessing was used to identify potential defects that could occur during a funds transfer in a mobile banking application. By using this technique, the tester was able to identify potential errors and ensure that the software was thoroughly tested for these issues.

What Is Error Guessing In Software Testing MCQ

Here are a few multiple-choice questions related to error guessing in software testing:

Q 1. What is error guessing in software testing?

a) A technique used to guess the source code of a software system
b) A technique used to identify potential errors or defects based on the tester’s intuition and experience
c) A technique used to test software performance in different environments
d) A technique used to test software security vulnerabilities

Answer: b

Q 2. Which of the following is true about error guessing?

a) It is a standalone testing technique that does not require any other testing techniques to be used
b) It is only used for testing small software systems
c) It is based on the tester’s personal knowledge and experience
d) It is a formal testing technique that requires a lot of documentation

Answer: c

Q 3. When is error guessing most useful?

a) When there is limited time or resources for testing
b) When the software system is very complex
c) When the testing team does not have any technical expertise
d) When the testing team has limited knowledge of the software system

Answer: a

Q 4. Which of the following is a potential drawback of error guessing?

a) It can lead to a high number of false positives
b) It is not useful for identifying functional defects
c) It is a time-consuming testing technique
d) It requires a lot of technical expertise