Let’s go deeper into the core concepts of Manual Testing so you can build a strong foundation.

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📌 Manual Testing Concepts

1. Software Testing Basics

• Definition: The process of evaluating software to ensure it meets requirements and works correctly.
• Goal: Find defects and improve quality.
• Testing vs Debugging:
  • Testing = Finding defects.
  • Debugging = Fixing defects.

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2. Verification vs Validation

• Verification → “Are we building the product right?” (checking documents, design, code).
• Validation → “Are we building the right product?” (checking actual software).

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3. SDLC & STLC

• SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) → Phases of software development (Requirement → Design → Coding → Testing → Deployment → Maintenance).
• STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle) → Phases of testing within SDLC:
  1. Requirement Analysis
  2. Test Planning
  3. Test Case Design
  4. Test Environment Setup
  5. Test Execution
  6. Defect Reporting
  7. Test Closure

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4. Types of Testing

A. Based on Knowledge

• Black Box Testing → Focus on inputs/outputs (no knowledge of code).
• White Box Testing → Test internal logic and code paths.
• Gray Box Testing → Partial knowledge of code.

B. Based on Purpose

• Functional Testing → Does the software do what it should?
• Non-Functional Testing → Performance, load, security, usability.

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5. Levels of Testing

1. Unit Testing → Smallest part (function/module).
2. Integration Testing → Interaction between modules.
3. System Testing → Full application as a whole.
4. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) → Tested by client/end users.

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6. Test Case & Test Scenario

• Test Case = Step-by-step instructions with input, action, and expected result.
• Test Scenario = High-level idea of what to test (broader than test case).

👉 Example:

• Scenario: Verify login functionality.
• Test Case: Enter valid username/password → Click login → User should land on dashboard.

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7. Defect / Bug

• Defect/Bug → A mismatch between expected and actual result.
• Bug Life Cycle (Status Flow):
  New → Assigned → Open → Fixed → Retested → Closed/Rejected/Deferred

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8. Testing Techniques

• Equivalence Partitioning (EP) → Divide inputs into valid/invalid groups.
• Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) → Test at boundaries (e.g., age input: 17, 18, 100, 101).
• Error Guessing → Tester uses experience to find defects.

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9. Regression vs Retesting

• Retesting → Testing the same defect after it is fixed.
• Regression Testing → Checking that fixing one bug didn’t break other areas.

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10. Entry & Exit Criteria

• Entry Criteria → Conditions before testing starts (requirements ready, environment setup).
• Exit Criteria → Conditions to stop testing (all planned tests executed, major bugs fixed).

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11. Manual Testing Tools (Supporting, not automation)

• Bug Tracking Tools → JIRA, Bugzilla, Mantis.
• Test Management Tools → TestRail, Quality Center, Zephyr.

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✅ In Summary:
Manual Testing concepts cover STLC, levels of testing, test case design, bug life cycle, verification vs validation, regression vs retesting, and test techniques.