Step 1: Understand Project Requirements

Manual testing starts with an understanding of what the software is supposed to do.

• Functional Requirements: Understand the software’s features, like a login page verifying user credentials correctly.
• Non-Functional Requirements: Check performance, usability, or security, such as ensuring the login page loads in under 2 seconds.
• User Stories & Design Documents: Study how users will interact with the software to meet their expectations.
• Stakeholder Input: Work with clients, product managers, or designers to resolve any unclear details.

Step 2: Creating a Test Plan

Creating a test plan is the next step in manual testing. A well-crafted test plan guides manual testing to ensure clear goals.

• Scope: Defines what to test, like flight search and booking features, and what’s excluded, such as a third-party payment gateway.
• Objectives: Setting goals, like confirming core functionality or ensuring a user-friendly experience.
• Resources: Lists team members, tools (e.g., browsers or mobile devices), and testing timelines.
• Testing Techniques: Includes methods like functional testing, usability checks, or exploratory testing to uncover issues.
• Environments: Specifies setups like staging or production-like environments for accurate testing.

Step 3: Design Test Cases

Test cases are clear, step-by-step scripts that ensure thorough manual testing. Test cases act as detailed guides for testers, ensuring every scenario is checked. Each test case includes:

• Test ID: A unique code, like TC_001, for easy tracking.
• Description: The goal, such as verifying with valid inputs.
• Preconditions: What’s needed before starting, like being on the search page.
• Steps: Actions to take, like pick tomorrow’s date, and click “Search.”
• Expected Result: The desired outcome, like a list of flights sorted by price.
• Postconditions: The system show the results page.

Read More: How to Write Test Cases?

Step 4: Set Up the Test Environment

The test environment copy the production setup where the software will run. This step involves:

• Installing the applications which is need for the testing purpose.
• Configuring settings according to your project.
• Ensuring access to test data which is need for the project verification.
• Verifying hardware/software requirements.

Step 5: Execute Test Cases

Execute test cases by steps and interacting with the application as a user.

• Actual Results: What happens during execution.
• Pass/Fail Status: Whether the actual result matches the expected result.
• Observations: Any unexpected behavior or usability issues.

Step 6: Log and Report Defects

When a test fails or unexpected behavior occurs, log defects with:

• Defect ID: Unique identifier.
• Summary: Brief description about the what the actual defect it is.
• Steps to Reproduce: Detailed steps to trigger the issue.
• Actual vs. Expected Results: What happened vs. what should have happened.
• Severity: Impact check it is critical, major or minor?
• Attachments: Screenshots, logs, or videos for proof of the defect.

Step 7: Track and Verify Defects

After logging defects, developers fix them, and testers verify the fixes which they did:

• Track Status: Monitor defect status in the tracking tool its in-process or its done.
• Retest Fixes: Re-run the failed test case to confirm the defect is resolved.
• Update Defect: Mark as “Closed” if fixed or “Reopened” if the issue persists.

Step 8: Conduct Regression Testing

Regression testing ensures that defect fixes or new changes haven’t broken existing functionality.

• Affected areas check after resolving bugs.
• Critical features checks.
• Integration points checks where they are working as before.

Step 9: Prepare Test Closure Reports

Once testing is complete, calculate the results against the test plan’s objectives and create a test closure report for the same:

• Summary: Overview of testing activities.
• Test Results: Number of test cases executed, passed, and failed.
• Defects Found: Total defects, their severity, and resolution status.
• Outstanding Issues: Any unresolved defects or risks.
• Lessons Learned: Insights for future testing.

Step 10: Provide Feedback and Recommendations

Analyze testing outcomes to provide actionable feedback to stakeholders, such as:

• Software quality.
• Process improvements.
• Future testing strategies.
• User experience insights.

Manual Testing Process is known as a process of verifying the working on a software/application is expected or not with the help of creating test-cases. It re-check that the software functions are meets the requirements without errors, bugs, or any other issues and provides the expected output to the user.