Traditional Testing Vs Agile Testing

May 16, 2018

With the rapidly advancing world, that is adapting to new and modern trends frequently, the realm of the software industry is also changing its approach. The traditional and old ways, which were being practiced since centuries, are giving way to new and agile methods, which ensure better results and offer greater advantages to the client as well as the end users. Traditional Testing and Agile Testing are two such methods that are used by software testers to test the credibility, reliability, quality, functionality, and other important components of the software. Therefore, it is important for us to understand the importance of these two techniques in software testing life cycle (STLC).

Defining Traditional Testing:

One of the most common methods of performing software testing, traditional testing is performed in a phased manner and the end result is not released until all the defects in the software are fixed, rectified, or resolved. To test a particular software, the team follows a top-down approach, wherein completion of one phase of testing leads to another phase. This, though, helps to validate the quality of the product, makes implementing changes in the software difficult.

Features:

It is managed by the project manager.
Client’s involvement is required in the initial phase of testing.
It is executed with the assistance of predefined steps.

Advantages:

Offers full coverage of the software.
Allows one to detect maximum number of defects.
Ensures the quality and effectiveness of the product.

Disadvantages:

Requires excessive time and efforts.
Is mostly dependent on documentation.
As changes are implemented only at the end of testing, it can impact the speed of product delivery.
Has minimal to no interactions between various software testers.

Defining Agile Testing:

Agile software testing follows the agile methodology of software development, wherein the team works together to find defects and bugs in the software while validating its effectiveness, quality, performance, reliability, and more. Moreover, to achieve better as well as accurate results, the team collaborates with the end users and collects effective feedback after the completion of each sprint of testing cycle.

Features:

Iterative model, that is flexible to changes in the requirements.
It requires minimum documentation.
There is a collaboration with the end users.
Agile testing can also be performed with the assistance of automated tools.

Advantages:

Involves rigorous planning, analysis, and testing.
Offers effective and efficient risk management.
Promotes face-to-face interactions.
Feature driven development.
Ensures rapid product delivery, along with optimum quality.

Disadvantages:

As the documentation in this testing is scarce, it can be difficult to specify and communicate certain design or testing components of huge projects.
Assessing the efforts, required for a particular testing, is quite difficult at the beginning of the project.

Traditional Testing vs Agile Testing:

Since the advent of agile testing technique, there has been a huge switch and testers are now more inclined towards performing agile testing to validate the quality and functionality of the software. Therefore, following is a comparison of these two testing methods, to signify their importance as well as the benefits that they offer to the team of testers as well as the clients and end users.

Traditional Testing	Agile Testing
1. Traditional testing follows a top-down approach and a more predictive model, wherein testing is executed step-by-step.	1. Whereas, the process of agile testing follows an iterative approach and an adaptive model.
2. Here, testing is performed once the process of software development is accomplished/completed.	2. Agile testing follows a philosophy of test first, wherein defects are fixed during each sprint and then released.
3. Team tests different modules of the software separately first.	3. Here, the team works together and collaborate in an open workspace.
4. The requirements stated in traditional testing are concrete and are not easily modified.	4. Has fixed, yet flexible requirements that adapt to changing business & user requirements easily.
5. If any changes or modifications are implemented, they are done in the next release of the module.	5. Unlike traditional testing, in agile testing modifications are implemented during the next sprint of the software testing cycle.
6. Here, unit testing is executed for each module followed by integration and system testing.	6. The agile team is integrated with the Scrum team, which helps get more accurate results.
7. Tools are considered a luxury in traditional testing, as the focus is majorly on performing manual testing.	7. Tools are used frequently to keep up with the pace of development and to deliver results quickly.
8. Risk management is quite averse.	8. Ensures efficient, effective, and timely risk management.
9. During this types of testing, feedbacks are mainly taken from end users once the process of testing is completed.	9. Accurate and efficient feedback is offered, which provides a better understanding of the testing process and ensures the quality of the product.
10. The interaction among team members is scarce as testing is executed in phases.	10. Most importantly, there is a continuous interaction among team members.
11. Requires comprehensive and extensive documentation and reporting.	11. Requires minimum documentation and reporting.
12. Traditional testing is a time consuming process, which usually costs more efforts and money.	12. Agile testing prevents expenditure of excessive time, efforts, as well as money.
13. Though ensures the quality of the product, it leads to delay in product delivery.	13. Ensures rapid delivery as well as quality of the software.

Conclusion :

Both, agile testing and traditional testing are immensely effective and efficient testing techniques, which offer various advantages to the user as well as the testers. Though one might seem more beneficial than other, implementing them solely depends on the requirements of the client as well as the project. So, whether a tester opts for agile testing or traditional testing, it will for sure help them get results, as this choice will be based on the necessity of the project and will be decided after the approvals of the project managers and leads.