Testing Strategies: Risk-Based, Requirement-Based, Exploratory, and More
Overview
A testing strategy defines the overall approach to ensure product quality. It's more than writing test cases—it's about deciding what to test, when to test it, and how deeply. Senior QA engineers tailor testing strategies based on product risks, timelines, and business priorities.
This section covers the most common and impactful testing strategies, with real-world use cases for each.
1. Risk-Based Testing (RBT)
Definition
Risk-Based Testing prioritizes testing efforts based on the probability of failure and its impact. High-risk areas are tested more rigorously than low-risk ones.
Use Case:
An online banking app adds a new loan approval feature. QA evaluates:
- Business risk: Payment calculation errors = high impact
- Technical risk: 3rd-party API integration = high likelihood of failure
Focus is placed on edge cases, security testing, and backend validation for this area. Lower-risk features (e.g. static UI content) receive basic regression only.
When to Use:
- Limited time or resources
- Critical or complex applications
- New or high-risk features
Benefits:
- Maximizes value of testing under constraints
- Prevents critical failures in production
2. Requirement-Based Testing
Definition
Requirement-Based Testing derives test cases directly from user stories, acceptance criteria, or specifications. It ensures all documented requirements are validated.
Use Case:
A ride-sharing app has a story:
"As a user, I want to cancel a ride within 2 minutes without charge."
QA writes test cases to verify:
- Cancel within 2 minutes = no charge
- Cancel after 2 minutes = charge applied
- Charge visibility on UI and invoice
When to Use:
- Well-documented projects (Agile or Waterfall)
- Regulatory or compliance-driven testing
- Contracts with traceability requirements
Benefits:
- Complete requirement coverage
- Useful for audits and documentation
3. Exploratory Testing
Definition
Exploratory Testing is an unscripted, adaptive testing approach where the tester actively learns and explores the system while testing it.
Use Case:
QA is testing a newly released B2B dashboard with minimal documentation. During exploratory testing, they:
- Discover filters don’t reset properly after sorting
- Find a UI inconsistency between desktop and tablet modes
- Identify performance lag when switching tabs rapidly
These weren’t covered in predefined test cases.
When to Use:
- Early feature builds or prototypes
- Unfamiliar or changing systems
- UI/UX-heavy applications
Benefits:
- High bug discovery rate
- Encourages creative, critical thinking
- Fills gaps left by aut