Accelerating Acceptance Testing With Pair Testing

The Problem Statement

Without the right support and experience, the user can get frustrated after testing. If the system being tested also arrives late or is of very low quality, both delay and frustration can occur. Users know their business and testers know their examination method. It is only when they work together that both worlds are best used.

The Solution

The solution is pair testing and means that a tester and a user work together. Pair testing is used in other contexts, not just acceptance tests. The most common use occurs when one tester works closely with another tester, such as in exploratory testing where one tester performs the test and the other examiner documents the results. In test automation, it is also common to use pair testing, together with a tester and a developer to create automated tests.

What is Pair Testing?

The use of pair testing is an intelligent way to derive a tandem approach that involves the expertise of two diverse fields, thus saving time and gaining strong insights.

Pair testing may include a tester at the acceptance testing level to render improved quality assurance services.

How To Perform Pair Testing

Plan pair testing in 1-2 hour shifts, called session-based testing. The tester and the user will work together during the session. The user's task is to run tests and propose concrete new test cases based on their experiences. 

The Advantages of Pair Testing 

1. They will learn the system quickly. On the other hand, the user will help in analyzing things from a commercial point of view, and it helps a lot for the tester.

2. Pair testing is a very efficient practice as they will not need to spend more time on testing than other techniques of testing. 

3. The user will quickly become familiar with large parts of the system and this may mean that user training may not be required.

4. Users will like the system, making the process feel more important and central and at the same time have the opportunity to make a difference.

Some benefits are common to both users and testers. The two roles will transfer their ideas about testing to each other. Work becomes more challenging when you work together instead of working by yourself, but when both worlds meet then both parties will gain a precious understanding of complexity.

The Challenges With Pair Testing 

1. When working with pair testing you will usually execute the test during the pair session. You will write a bug report only after the session is over.

2. It is not easy to show management what proportion of tests have been performed.