Finding defects quickly and efficiently brings great benefits. Developers can correct problems while code is still fresh in their head. Management can make more informed decisions about the state of the software. Defects are less likely to make it to customers.

Honing the skills to find defects quickly is part of becoming a better tester. What was the complexity in the feature delivered? Who worked on the feature, and what are they likely to overlook? Are there cross-cutting concerns that are often overlooked? Where is the greatest risk? What has already been tested?

The naive approach is to look at the set of test cases and work your way through them one by one, top to bottom. Applying judgement to both select which test cases to execute first, and which are worth covering is part of what experience brings.

If a feature has been delivered for a web application, and the developer lets you know they have done a certain set of tests in Chrome, and your experience with the developer is they actually do the tests they say they did, you almost certainly want to start elsewhere with your testing. Start in another browser, and with test cases or more complex scenarios that they have not covered.

This more thoughtful approach will help you improve your personal process, and help you find bugs earlier. Observe what methods and approaches work best for you, apply them, and share.

Key Point

  • Finding bugs quickly and efficiently greatly improves the development process.

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