Agile testing is a software testing practice that follows the principles of the agile software development framework. In this methodology, testing is carried out simultaneously during the development phase, ensuring continuous feedback on quality.
Due to its multiple advantages, this methodology has often been explored and discussed in agile conferences worldwide. However, despite its efficiency, agile testing comes with its own set of challenges. Nevertheless, overcoming these challenges might be easier than expected.
Main Challenges In Agile Testing And How To Overcome Them
Changes In Requirements
In agile projects, it is rather common to be informed of changes in requirements during the sprint. And in such cases, the work done already may need to be changed or entirely discarded, which in turn affects the scope of testing.
Solution: Testers should be aware that changes are common in agile projects, and be prepared to respond to such changes. When informed of such changes, testers should provide the team with all the information regarding what tests have been run so far and which aspects of the application haven't been tested yet. This information will enable the team to make an informed decision.
Lack Of Enough Details
Sometimes, the team may be provided with a one-line user story which provides an idea of the feature but lacks specific details of the requirement. This can pose a challenge for testers as building comprehensive test cases isn't possible due to the missing information.
Solution: Testing is possible even in the absence of in-depth details. Instead of waiting to get the full details, testers can think up some high-level scenarios to test the story’s concept.
Ensuring Multi-Browser Compatibility
Ensuring that the application runs as expected across different browsers and devices is no less than a challenge for testers.
Solution: Running automated tests simultaneously on multiple browsers can help address this issue.
Inadequate Technical Skills
Testers working in an agile environment need to possess the technical competence to help developers conduct integration testing, API testing, and create UI automation scripts. This may pose a challenge for testers coming from a purely exploratory or manual testing background.
Solution: Testers need to upskill themselves to stay relevant in the current industry. In addition, every team should have experienced testers for specialised testing areas like security or performance testing.
Gaps In Communication
In case there are gaps in communication among the team members, the agile testing process won't work.
Solution: There should be continuous communication among all the team members to ensure that everyone is on the same page at all times.
Summing Up
Agile testing helps make the software development process faster and more efficient, while also ensuring higher quality of applications. While the process does come with some challenges, these can be easily overcome with the right approach.
