Writing manual tests

As we are developing our feature, the product manager should also be defining manual tests. Manual tests are required because not all requirements can be automated, and some may require real user data (for example, usability testing). For example, part of the acceptance criteria may be that "95% of users are able to find the settings page within 5 seconds". In these scenarios, manual testing is required.

Although we cannot automate this process, we can formalize it in a structured way. Instead of writing down the requirements in a text document, we can use test case management tools, such as TestLink (testlink.org), as well as proprietary alternatives, such as TestRail (gurock.com/testrail/), qTest (qasymphony.com/software-testing-tools/qtest-manager/), Helix TCM (perforce.com/products/helix-test-case-management), Hiptest (hiptest.net), PractiTest (practitest.com), and many more. These test case management systems help you define, run, and record test cases.

Each test should contain a set of clear, unambiguous steps to follow. A group of testers, who, ideally, have no prior knowledge of the platform, would then be given the instructions, the expected results, and be asked whether the results obtained match the expected ones.