What is Manual Testing? What are the benefits and drawbacks of manual testing?

What is Manual Testing?

Manual testing is a type of Software testing where test cases are executed by the tester manually without using automated tools.
This is done keeping in mind the end user and with the end user prospective.
It identify the bugs, issues and defects in the application and insures that the application is bug free.
It plays an important role in product lifecycle. It is necessary for every recently built software before the automation testing.

Here are some benefits of manual testing-

1. Manual testing is crucial for usability testing, where the focus is on evaluating how easy the software is to use, and how well it meets the needs of the user.

2.Manual testing is very cost effective for small projects as less paid software are required for manual testing.

1. It brings the human prospective of testing that is only done when human interference is there.

2. It easily detects the ui/ux issues as It uses the human brain, like what is the colour, font size, context etc.

3. Manual testing is important in evaluating and testing the user experience.

4. Manual testing is well-suited for exploratory testing, where testers can actively explore the application to find defects that may not be covered by automated tests. Testers can use their creativity and domain knowledge to uncover unexpected issues.

Drawbacks of Manual Testing-

While manual testing has a lot of benefits, it also comes with certain drawbacks, especially in the context of modern software development. Here are some of the limitations and drawbacks of manual testing:

1. Manual testing is very time consuming with reference to the automated testing, as It requires a lot of human interference.

2.Manual testing may not cover all possible test scenarios, especially in large and complex applications.

1. Test results in manual testing can be subjective and dependent upon tester's individual skill, experience and knowledge. It may not cover all possible test scenarios in the application.

2. While manual testing may be cost-effective for short-term or small projects, it can become expensive in the long run, especially when considering the need for repeated testing during each development cycle or release as repeated testing can be easily done by automated testing.

3. Manual testing becomes challenging to scale as the size and complexity of the software grow. As the application evolves, the number of test cases and the effort required for manual testing can become frustrating.

So these were some benefits and drawbacks of manual testing.