The use of automated testing is growing more common as technology develops. However, in many situations, automated testing is insufficient, necessitating the creation of manual test cases. Writing manual test cases, a crucial component of any software quality assurance effort can be challenging. Here are a few tips to help you get through the procedure.

Efficiency

There may be a widespread belief that doing more tests could result in increased coverage. But a lot of badly written test cases waste time and money on the project. Less time and money are spent on more coverage when there are fewer successful cases. Dividing a test case into digestible sub-sets (that can even be typical for various test scenarios) might help increase its effectiveness.

Simplicity

A test case ought to be simple to comprehend, with no complexities regarding the things it is checking for, its inputs and outputs, etc. Using a template is an effective method to ensure that everyone has a comparable perspective on each test case, which will ultimately simplify things.

Understanding

Some of the most popular methods that are guaranteed to reveal bugs can be used to gain insight into what works and what doesn't in the product you are testing (unless handled specifically). This includes inserting the incorrect kind of material, forcing division by zero, and excluding blank entries from a form, among other things.

Reusability

Nothing prevents us from using the QA team's earlier work, even if we are required to develop manual testing in software testing cases. As a result, utilize the test cases that are provided and write your own using the lessons you've learned, if any, to make them better. When creating your own test cases, bear in mind that they may be utilized in a different project, a different situation, etc. Making test cases reusable also benefits later on.

Regression testing

Old tests should be rerun whenever the software is updated to ensure that nothing has changed and that the results are what was intended (or modified in accordance with planned modifications). The test policy should include this regressive testing, which needs to be planned out in the written test cases. When tests are rerun, some may produce unexpected results. These might not always be the consequence of incorrect code modifications, but rather of a test case that is inappropriate in the context of the changed scenario. Consequently, when modifications are made, it would be easier to rerun and recreate a test case if regressive testing was kept in mind.

Self-review

After writing a test case, make sure to run it through as if you were a tester. Examine whether the case would be simple to carry out and if it adequately handles the problem. Ensure that the tester can comprehend the case and that the outcomes have significance.

End-user orientation

To deliver the best possible software to the user, testing is done. During testing, errors that they might encounter and report are eliminated. Consider the end-user and how the test case's failure to cover a scenario the end-user would encounter would impact the end-user's experience while creating a manual test case.

Not-features

The majority of tests are conducted to evaluate a software's functionalities. Testing in manual testing for "not-features," or software capabilities that shouldn't be there and could be exploited to abuse the program or data, is also essential. Additionally, this enhances the software's security. 

You should attempt to carry out operations that the creator did not intend for you to be able to conduct in order to look for these non-features.

Organization

Using the right tools and techniques for organization is crucial for practically all tasks. Because the number of instances performed might quickly increase, it is much more crucial when it comes to test cases. It can be challenging to manage these enormous numbers if an organizational structure is not developed from the beginning. To handle test cases more efficiently, there are specialized tools available for every budget, while some individuals still utilize basic spreadsheets.

Pair testing

No matter how many times they go over something, one individual can still miss certain details when checking it. 

You might want to write your test cases with a friend in tow, going over the test case and its outcomes before running the test.

Backwards

You might want to take into account a reverse flow of data and information while creating a test case. This implies that you might consider what the inputs could be for a given outcome rather than what the output would be for a given input. Next, you may attempt to obtain the same result by entering incorrect data or by omitting certain necessary stages.