Error guessing

Error guessing is a type of software testing technique, where the tester tries to introduce the error that he/she has faced earlier in the similar software. As opposed to other more formal techniques, error guessing is a rather informal technique that is based on the tester’s experience, creativity, and intuition. The approach is based on the assumption that some parts of the system are more likely to fail than others, and the tester uses his or her knowledge of typical faults and errors in similar systems or situations.

How Does Error Guessing Work?

In error guessing testers do not have set of rules or procedures to follow as is the case with other testing techniques. Rather than this, they use their experience and knowledge to identify possibilities of faults and failures in the software. For instance, a tester may choose to concentrate on part of the code that is complicated or where the input may be improperly handled or on areas that have caused problems in similar systems.

The goal of the tester is to discover the errors that can not be discovered by other testing approaches and are not visible on the surface. Ethical hacking is a technique of thinking like a user and trying to predict how the system may behave under certain circumstances or when given certain inputs thus making the tester to be able to identify weaknesses that may have been overlooked.

The Value of Error Guessing in Software Testing

Error guessing is very useful in identifying defects that would have been hard to identify using other testing methods since the tester has to use his or her intuition to come up with potential errors.

But, the efficiency of error guessing is entirely based on the tester’s expertise and knowledge. An individual who has a good knowledge of the software under test and possible failures that can occur will be better placed to find such defects. This makes error guessing a very effective and quite complicated method of software testing that can be effectively used along with other testing methods to achieve maximum results.

Conclusion

Error guessing is a rather liberal and creative approach to testing that is based on the tester’s knowledge of the software system in order to find defects in it. Through concentrating on the areas that are most prone to mistakes, the testers can be able to identify problems that may not be visible when using other forms of testing. However, it is not an easy technique to perform and demands a high level of expertise to do so; nonetheless, error guessing is an effective technique for enhancing the reliability and robustness of software systems; mostly during the last stages of testing.