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Israt Zahan Sathi
Israt Zahan Sathi

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5 Things Every Beginner Should Know Before Starting Manual Testing

Hello DEV Community ๐Ÿ‘‹

This is my first post here after a long time, and Iโ€™m really excited to start sharing my learning journey.

Currently, Iโ€™m working on building my skills in Software Quality Assurance (SQA), especially focusing on Manual Testing.
As a beginner, I realized that manual testing is not just about clicking buttons โ€” itโ€™s about thinking like a user, understanding requirements, and ensuring software quality.

So today, I want to share 5 important things every beginner should know before starting manual testing.

โœ…1. Manual Testing Is More Than โ€œJust Checkingโ€

Many people think manual testing is only about trying the app and finding bugs.

But actually, manual testing is about:

  • Understanding the feature
  • Validating user experience
  • Ensuring the product meets requirements

A testerโ€™s job is to make sure the software works correctly in real-life scenarios.

โœ…2. Requirements Are Your Best Friend

Before testing anything, always ask:

  • What is the expected behavior?
  • What problem is this feature solving?
  • What are the acceptance criteria?

Even simple testing becomes much easier when you clearly understand the requirement.

๐Ÿ“Œ Good testing always starts with good understanding.

โœ…3. Always Think in Positive and Negative Scenarios

Beginner testers often test only the โ€œhappy path.โ€
But real users donโ€™t always behave perfectly.

Example for a login page:

  • โœ… Positive Test: Login with correct credentials
  • โŒ Negative Test: Login with wrong password
  • โŒ Negative Test: Leave fields empty
  • โŒ Negative Test: Enter invalid phone number

Testing both scenarios helps find real issues.

โœ…4. Test Cases Help You Stay Organized

Writing test cases is one of the best habits for QA engineers.

A simple test case includes:

  • Test Steps
  • Expected Result
  • Actual Result
  • Status (Pass/Fail)

Even if you are new, test cases help you test systematically and avoid missing important checks.

โœ…5. Bug Reporting Is a Skill (Not Just a Message)

Finding a bug is not enough โ€” reporting it properly is equally important.

  • A good bug report should include:
  • Clear bug title
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs Actual result
  • Screenshot or video evidence
  • Severity/Priority (if applicable)

A well-written bug report saves developers a lot of time.

๐ŸŒฑ Final Thoughts
As a beginner in SQA, Iโ€™m learning that manual testing builds the foundation of quality assurance.

It improves:

  • Attention to detail
  • Analytical thinking
  • Communication
  • Product understanding

Iโ€™ll keep sharing more beginner-friendly QA topics as I continue learning.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Letโ€™s Connect!

If youโ€™re also learning QA or working in software testing, feel free to share your thoughts:

๐Ÿ‘‰ What was the first thing you learned in manual testing?

Thanks for reading! ๐Ÿ˜Š

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