Agile Testing Tutorial: A Comprehensive Guide With

Examples and Best Practices

Learning Hub Agile Testing Tutorial: A Comprehensive Guide With Examples and Best Practices

CHAPTERS

0. Overview

1. History of Agile

2. Agile Software Development

3. What is Agile Testing

4. Key Agile Concepts

5. Agile Testing Vs Waterfall Testing

6. Advantages

7. Disadvantages
8. Agile Test Plan

9. Life cycle
10. Principles

11. Methods
12. Quadrants

13. Key Skills

14. How to do
15. About LambdaTest Platform

16. Best Practices

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Agile testing is a software testing methodology aligned with the principles of agile
software development. Agile development emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and

continuous iteration, and it is designed to support these principles by providing a

flexible and adaptable approach to testing.

It focuses on early and continuous testing throughout the development process,

emphasizing automated testing and collaboration between testers and developers.
Agile testing aims to quickly identify and address defects to deliver high-quality
software that meets the customer's needs.

History of Agile
The late 1970s saw a shift in technology with the introduction of personal computing.

This meant that you had to meet customer requirements that were changing rapidly.
You cannot rely on the traditional software development approach like Software
Development Life Cycle (SDLC) for your software solutions and delivery.

By the early 1990s, a small group of software industry leaders had started developing
and promoting new approaches that helped them to tackle changing requirements. In
2001, a small group of industry leaders met to introduce new and advanced
methodologies. It was when the term Agile software development was first used. The

set of values for using Agile, known as the Agile Manifesto, came into existence.

Agile Software Development

Agile Software Development is way beyond frameworks such as Scrum, Extreme
Programming, or Feature Driven Development (FDD). It is an approach or mindset
where you approach the software development process in a structured manner. It is
driven by values and principles where you deliver iterative and high value to your
customers.
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One thing that separates Agile from other approaches we use in software development
is the focus on individuals doing the work and how they work together to deliver
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significant value. The self-organizing cross-functional teams work in close
collaboration, which is excellent from a customer delivery perspective.

Core values of Agile software development include:

Focus on people rather than processes and tools. If the processes and tools drive
development, then the team is less likely to be productive and less likely to respond to

change. This means that you cannot meet key customer needs as well.

A working piece of software is preferred over detailed documentation requirements.

While Agile does not eliminate the use of documentation, it streamlines the way

information is provided to the developers. This is where you have user stories that add
significant value to the development teams.

Ongoing collaboration with customers matters the most. Customers are involved

throughout the development process through customer demos, user story mapping
workshops, etc. They also interact with the teams daily to be well aware of the product
progress.

Be responsive to change rather than sticking to a fixed plan. It is all about working and
delivering value in short iterations. The processes can be modified to best fit the
software needs rather than relying on the traditional approach.

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What is Agile Testing?
It is a testing practice that works on the rules and principles of Agile software
development. Unlike the Waterfall method, Agile testing begins right at the beginning

of the project, with development and testing happening simultaneously. It is a

continuous approach where the development and testing teams collaborate closely to

get things done. The objective of Agile development and testing is to achieve high
product quality.

If you have been using the Waterfall model and planning to shift to Agile methodology,
read through this tutorial on moving from Waterfall to Agile testing .

Key Agile Concepts

Agile Development is a set of principles and practices for delivering high-quality

software in a rapid, incremental, flexible, and cost-effective manner. Agile values

software development's "people" aspects, including individuals and interactions over

processes and tools. It embraces change to meet customer needs with rapid

adaptation to market conditions and technological advancements.

Here are some key concepts used in Agile and Agile testing:

User Stories: It helps to divide the work into smaller increments known as user stories.
Each user story adds value to the final product that is being developed.

Daily Meeting: Each day, the entire team meets to discuss the daily progress on the
assigned tasks.

Team: A team in an Agile setup is a small group of people assigned to a module or

feature.
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improve customer value in the long run.

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Agile Testing Vs Waterfall Testing
Below are the major differences between Agile and Waterfall testing:.

Agile Testing Waterfall Testing

It is an unstructured approach compared to The testing process is more structured,

waterfall testing, where you are not doing and a detailed analysis is done during
detailed planning. the testing phase.

The product is tested once the

Since the testing begins at the start of the
development is completed. For any
project, you can identify and fix issues when
issues, you need to go back and fix
needed. This means you are well equipped
those issues. So, a lot of time is
to handle issues encountered during the
invested in performing testing and
project delivery.
validation of those issues.

The testing in the Waterfall approach

There is less documentation required. requires detailed and elaborate
documentation.

The features developed are delivered in

The features are shipped to the customer at
one go once the implementation phase
the end of every iteration.
is completed.

Testers and Developers work in There is not much collaboration

collaboration. between developers and testers.

User acceptance is performed at the end of User acceptance can only be performed
every sprint. at the end of the project.

The testing team needs to be proactive and

establish good communication with
developers so that requirements can be Testers can provide effort estimates
analyzed and planned accordingly. The once the development is over.
testing team needs to provide exact testing
estimates in each sprint.
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Advantages of Agile Testing
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Because Agile projects are often used with early release and often release
methodologies, the need for an efficient testing process is crucial. In traditional

projects, the testing process is often overlooked. Agile's focus on quality allows the
team to identify defects early on while they are still easy to fix.

Early detection means that the developers can fix issues before they become costly

and time-consuming issues. With a traditional approach, it might be too late when the

customer discovers a defect because the defect might have been released to
production.

Further advantages of Agile testing include:

The tasks are divided into small iterations, so the project delivery is done within

stipulated timelines.

It is highly flexible and highly adaptable to changing project requirements

You can identify blockers or issues through daily meetings and interactions

The teams are well organized and self-motivated to get the required tasks done on time

You can save a significant amount of time and effort with proper planning and execution

It provides a great way for receiving regular feedback from the end user.

The customers are involved during the entire course of the sprint, which means that
they are well aware of the product requirements that are being developed.

Disadvantages of Agile Testing

Here are some of the shortcomings you must be aware of:

Agile testing is all about being flexible and accommodating changes, but the changes
are not always predicted. It becomes challenging for the users about what new features
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Effort estimation can be difficult because there is a continuous change in requirements.

Emphasis on documentation
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 Repetitive release of the software can result in higher expenses.

Project delivery can be impacted if the resources are unavailable during each sprint or
iteration.

Agile Test Plan

The kind of tests performed in each iteration is included in the Agile test plan. This
consists of the test data needs, architecture, test environments, and different test

results. The test plan is updated in every sprint. The Agile test plan contains the
following aspects:

Scope of testing

New features and functionalities which are required to be tested

Types of testing based on the complexity

Performance testing

Risks and Mitigation Plan

Resource Allocation

Key Milestones

Agile Testing Life cycle

Agile testing life cycle contains five main phases:

Phase 1: Impact Assessment

Phase 2: Agile Test Planning

Phase 3: Release Readiness

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Phase 5: Test Agility Review

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Let us discuss each of these phases in detail:

Phase 1: Impact Assessment

The first phase of the Agile testing life cycle is Impact Assessment. The required

inputs and feedback are collected from users and required stakeholders to execute
the impact assessment phase. This allows the testing team to decide on the
expectations and needs for the next life cycle.

Phase 2: Agile Testing Plan

The second phase of Agile testing is Agile test planning. In this phase, all the required

stakeholders such as developers, testers, business analysts, end-users, and even

customers meet and finalize the testing process strategies, schedules, and
deliverables.

Phase 3: Release Readiness

The third phase of Agile testing is Release Readiness, where the validation of features

and enhancements are done by the testing team. The test engineers review and test
the features to make sure that they are good enough to go live or not. Some of the
features that are not built right need to be sent back to the development team.

Phase 4: Daily Scrums

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The fourth phase of Agile testing is Daily Scrums. This is the daily status update
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discuss potential issues or blockers impacting product delivery. You can raise your
problems or concerns
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Phase 5: Test Agility Review

The final phase of Agile testing is the Test Agility Review. It is about reviewing the key
goals and milestones from a development perspective. It is all about reviewing some
key aspects to ensure the project's progress is on the right track.

Agile Testing Principles

The Agile testing process is driven by some key principles:

Continuous Testing: The testing is continuous and iterative. The Agile team performs
continuous testing as it is the only way to ensure continuous progress and delivery of

the product.

Continuous Feedback Cycle: It is all about continuous and iterative feedback from
relevant stakeholders so that the product meets the required quality and business

needs.

Testing is the Responsibility of the Entire Team: Gone are those days of the traditional
software development life cycle where the testing team was involved in the end-to-end
testing of the product or feature. In Agile testing, we have the developers as well as

Business Analysts that are involved in testing the required product as well.

Clean and Simplified Code: The code quality improves when all the defects raised by
the Agile teams are fixed in the same iteration, which means that your code is clean and
simplified.

Test-Driven Approach: The testing is performed at the time of implementation, giving it

equal importance along with development activities.

Methods of Agile Testing

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Exploratory Testing In exploratory testing, test design and execution are done
simultaneously.
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 different user behaviors and patterns. No documentation is provided to the testing team,
and the focus is on high-risk scenarios to be tested out.

Risk-Based Testing: Under this method, the testing tasks are given priority based on

the risks. This means that the areas that are critical and prone to greater risks are tested
and verified first. Any issues or blockers in such areas can impact product delivery and
quality. The less critical or smaller impact ones are validated at the last so that potential
issues can be rectified easily.

FIT Tests: FIT means Framework Integrated Test. As the name suggests, this method
allows you to integrate tasks of developers, testers, and even customers. The result of
testing in this method can be depicted in three different colors:

Red

Yellow

Green

Behavior-Driven Testing (BDD): In this method, testing is performed based on a

system’s behavior or functionality. The Business Analysts and testers understand each
other’s roles and responsibilities before the development starts and design requirements

are finalized. Test scenarios are created, and the documentation of these scenarios can
help to make informed testing decisions that help build the system's functionality.

Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD): These tests work based on customer

feedback and inputs on how the software should perform. The acceptance tests

showcase the behavior of the users so that the software meets their requirements in the
long run.

Agile Testing Quadrants

There are so many types of tests, such as acceptance testing, regression testing, unit
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or automated testing is better suited for the existing project or not. Gregory and
Crispin introduced the concept of Agile testing Quadrants, which help you to decide
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It is divided into four main quadrants:

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1 - The Automated quadrant contains tests that are designed to improve the code

quality of the product and helps the team to create better outcomes.

Q2 - The Automated and Manual quadrant contains tests that help to improve the

business outcomes related to your product.

Q3 - The Manual quadrant contains tests with timely feedback for tests in quadrants 1

and 2. The required business outcomes can be achieved using comprehensive testing

of the product.

Q4 - The Tools quadrant contains tests to ensure that technology can help the code
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Key Skills for Agile Tester

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Diverse technical knowledge related to Agile and its related concepts.
 Familiarity with different testing tools and automation frameworks.

Ability to collaborate with different stakeholders.

Willingness to work in a challenging environment.

Passion for delivering value in business.

Bringing testing improvements in the long run.

Self-motivated and learning attitude.

How to do Agile Testing?

It is important to understand how teams can perform Agile testing so that they can
derive maximum business value. Some of the key aspects include:

Creating and updating a test plan for each release or iteration.

During the planning phase, testing resources are identified, testing tools are set up, and

the entire testing strategy is finalized so that the entire team is well aware of the
processes that are being followed.

The Agile testing is done along with the development activities. The testing team can

collaborate with developers to be well aware of the functionality changes and testing

scope.

The functionality is deployed in the production environment, users are trained, and
acceptance testing is performed.

The testing team makes sure that required features can be tested if there are
improvements in the long run.

Having the right strategy in place for Agile testing within your teams is important. The
testing team should be well aware of the testing scope and schedule so that they can
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plan their testing accordingly. When done right, Agile testing can greatly impact the
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Simplifying Agile Testing
Agile testing has become an integral part of the application lifecycle and gained

widespread acceptance for delivering high-quality products. This means that the

different teams must work in close collaboration to achieve desired outcomes. This is
where you need the expertise of a unified cross browser testing platform to make sure

that the Agile testing requirements are implemented in real quick time.

Cross browser testing ensures that your web application works seamlessly across
different supported browsers without impacting the overall quality. This is why

LambdaTest has transformed the entire testing ecosystem with a unique set of

features and enhancements.

You can perform manual and automated testing using this platform by utilizing the

cloud infrastructure.

Here are some of the great features that make the LambdaTest a preferred choice for

businesses worldwide:

You can easily analyze the visual elements of the web application.

You can test responsiveness of different screen sizes without compromising the quality

of the website’s appearance.

Run Mobile app test on real device cloud and Mobile emulator online.

You can locally host web application testing so that your application or website can

achieve the desired performance.

Geolocation testing to test from different locations.

You can integrate the LambdaTest platform with your favorite tool, such as Bitbucket,
Slack, GitHub, JIRA, etc. so that you can track the status of your project effectively.

Benefits of LambdaTest Platform for End-Users

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 The end users get timely notifications related to different system tasks so that they can

view the status updates in real-time.

The end users can view dashboards based on the different data trends.

Let us try and understand the different testing approaches implemented using the

LambdaTest platform:

Live Testing: This can be performed for websites and applications on different mobile
and desktop browsers.

Online Selenium Test Automation: This is another great feature offered by the

LambdaTest platform where you can run your Selenium test automation scripts across

the online Selenium grid of desktop, Android, and iOS mobile browsers.

Subscribe to the LambdaTest YouTube channel and stay updated with the latest

tutorials around Selenium testing, Cypress testing, CI/CD, and more.

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Automation testing is all about improving the system performance by automating

repetitive tasks. This is where you can choose the Automation feature from the
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LambdaTest platform for testing your web
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 provides you the functionality to manage your automated builds so that you can check
the progress in real-time.

Follow these steps if your team has no automation requirements in place:

1. Identify the skill set of the entire team.

2. Identify the gaps in your existing testing strategies.

3. Implement and execute automation requirements slowly.

You can click on the Automation tab on the left navigation panel, which provides the

following options:

Builds

Test Archive

Analytics

You can also migrate your test suites or scripts on LambdaTest from other cloud-

testing platforms to get started. If not, you can select a language or testing framework
from the available options in UI.

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 by configuring the required details.

For Agile teams, it is important to have some form of automated testing in place.

Without it, testing can be challenging and impact how you deliver high-value features.
So, make this decision by involving all the required stakeholders.

How to Perform Application Testing Using LambdaTest Platform?

LambdaTest gives you the flexibility to perform comprehensive testing using different
brands and devices for your web and mobile applications:

LambdaTest gives you the flexibility to perform comprehensive testing using different
brands and devices for your web and mobile applications:

The following two options are available under App Testing:

iOS

Android

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2. Enter the app source URL or upload a zip folder based on the data requirements

3. Select the device type from the available options.

4. Select the required device.

5. Select the operating system.

6. Once all the required details are entered, click Start.

Agile Testing Best Practices

Agile testing can be challenging if not performed considering some of the Agile testing

best practices.

Agile development is not just about programming, it extends to all aspects of the
software life cycle. As a result, Agile testing best practices vary from other testing

methods in some fundamental ways.

Each phase has its purpose and time frame, and it is up to the organization to decide

which activities
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Follow the following best practices to avoid Agile testing challenges:

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Maintaining code austerity
Agile software development relies on many principles and techniques to produce

high-quality software. One of the most important is code austerity, which means
keeping your code clean and simple by pruning away unnecessary elements.

Repetitive Tests

As you create your test cases, you'll inevitably find that some tests must be

repeated for each new feature or bug fix. The same test case might need to be run
for every build type, branch, and environment. A test case with many variations is a

sign of bad design.

Communication with Developers

Agile has made testing more critical than ever. With frequent deployments, ensuring
that your software is always in a deployable state and working as expected is

important. This requires well-tested and maintained code. To achieve this, Agile

teams must make sure they have clear communication between their testers and
developers.

Communication is essential in Agile because the team constantly adjusts its sprint

priorities based on changing requirements. Both testers and developers must be

able to adapt to these changes quickly, so they must always be in sync about what

each team member is working on at any given time.

One Functionality at a Time

When you test one functionality at a time, it is easier to figure out what went wrong
and why something did not go according to your expectations. If you have already

tested a certain functionality, then you know that this particular feature works fine,
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We discussed different aspects related to Agile testing in this blog. Agile testing is an
iterative and incremental testing approach that helps to add great business value to

customers. It is a smarter approach than other traditional testing procedures where

you are well equipped to handle changes in requirements or scope. LambdaTest

platform simplifies the way organizations approach Agile testing.

LambdaTest comes with flexible pricing options that you can choose based on your
requirements. You are required to do free signup, and then you can explore the

different sets of features. Customer experience has been the topmost aspect of the

LambdaTest platform, which is why you will see more and more features that will solve
complex customer problems or pain points.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Agile testing in QA?

A software approach called agile QA testing aims to incorporate the ideas of agile software
development into the QA testing process. Agile testing emphasizes the iterative nature of
agile and CI/CD development cycles and tries to match QA with the release cadence.

What are the challenges in Agile testing?

Changing requirements, Inadequate information, Continuous testing, Technical expertise,
Frequent regression cycles, Lack of communication, Lack of quality measurement

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 Agile teams are being helped to identify where to concentrate testing efforts in each step of
the product life cycle, including sprint zero, construction iterations, deployment, and
production.

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