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🧪 Types of Manual Testing – Explained with Real-Life Examples 🖋️ By Khushboo | Manual Tester | Blogger | Educator

 

👋 Welcome Back Testers-in-the-Making!

In the previous post, we talked about "What is Manual Testing?" – remember how we compared it to checking if your lunchbox has all the right items before you leave for school?

Today, let’s go a level deeper. Manual Testing isn’t just clicking around and reporting bugs – it has types, and each type has a specific goal.

Let me explain this in a way that even your inner 5-year-old will get. 💡

🧩 1. Functional Testing – Does It Even Work?

✅ What It Is:

We check whether each feature of the application works as expected.

📱 Real-Life Example:

Imagine you're using a shopping app like Amazon.
You tap on “Add to Cart” – does it actually add the item?
That’s functional testing!

💡 Think of it like:

Turning on each button on your TV remote to see if it changes channels, volume, etc.

🔁 2. Regression Testing – Did We Break Something?

✅ What It Is:

After making changes or fixing bugs, we retest the application to make sure nothing else is broken.

🧃 Real-Life Example:

A juice company adds a new flavor. But now customers say the packaging on old juices looks weird.
Testing all existing flavors again is regression testing.

💡 In Tech Terms:

If the developer fixed a bug on the login page, we still retest the signup, forgot password, and home page to make sure they’re not broken.

🔥 3. Smoke Testing – Is It Even Worth Testing?

✅ What It Is:

A quick round of testing to check if the build is stable enough for deeper testing.

🍜 Real-Life Example:

You order noodles. First, you check if it's hot and smells okay before you dive in. That’s smoke testing.
No one wants cold, weird-smelling noodles!

💡 Why It Matters:

If smoke test fails – we stop right there. No point testing further.

🎯 4. Sanity Testing – Small Check for Big Impact

✅ What It Is:

After a bug fix or small change, we check only the related functionality to ensure it's working.

🍕 Real-Life Example:

You asked for extra cheese on your pizza. You don’t need to recheck the whole menu – just your cheese.

💡 In Testing:

If we fix the “Add to Wishlist” feature, we just check that, not the whole cart or payment gateway.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 5. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – Do Users Love It?

✅ What It Is:

This is the final test done by real users to validate if the product is ready to go live.

🧁 Real-Life Example:

You bake cupcakes for a party. You give one to your friend to taste before serving everyone.

💡 In Testing:

The client or end-user tests the app to ensure it solves their real-world problems.

🔍 6. Exploratory Testing – Play Around, Find Bugs!

✅ What It Is:

No test cases. Just your brain, instincts, and curiosity. You explore the app like a new user and try to break it.

🎮 Real-Life Example:

You just got a new video game. No instructions. You press all buttons to see what happens. That's exploratory testing!

💡 Why It Rocks:

It often finds bugs that structured testing misses. Testers use their experience and creativity here.

📋 7. Integration Testing – Do the Parts Work Together?

✅ What It Is:

We test how different modules or systems interact with each other.

🚕 Real-Life Example:

Imagine booking a cab via Ola:

  • The map shows your location ✅

  • Payment connects with UPI ✅

  • SMS confirms your driver’s details ✅
    Testing this combo is integration testing.

🧪 BONUS: Ad-hoc Testing

No plan. No documentation. Just a random test to find unexpected issues.

✨ Wrapping Up

Manual Testing isn’t just manual clicking – it’s intentional, creative, and user-focused.
Each type of testing plays a key role in building bug-free, user-loved software.

Whether you’re a curious fresher or a career-switcher, knowing these types will make you sound like a pro QA engineer in interviews and your workplace.

🎁 What’s Next?

👉 In the next blog, we’ll talk about:
“How to Write Test Cases (with FREE templates!)”
– because every tester needs to know this secret sauce!

🧠 Stay Curious, Keep Testing.

💬 Found this helpful? Drop a comment!
📩 Questions? Reach out to me via LinkedIn or email.
📌 Bookmark this blog for your learning journey.
🔗 Follow the blog for more real-world testing content from a working professional – me, Khushboo 😊

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