Exploratory Testing & Operational Profile — Revision Questions

Format: Explain in your own words, give brief examples

Question 1: ET vs OP Fundamental Difference

What is the fundamental difference between exploratory testing and operational profile-based testing?

Question 2: Scripted + Exploratory = Coverage

Why does the lecture say “scripted + exploratory = coverage”? What types of defects does each approach find?

Question 3: ET vs Ad-Hoc Testing

How does exploratory testing differ from ad-hoc testing?

Question 4: Coupon System Example

Explain the coupon system example. Why couldn’t scripted testing find those bugs?

Question 5: Charter Definition

What is a charter and why is it important for exploratory testing? Give the template format.

Question 6: Hendrickson’s Heuristics

Describe three of Hendrickson’s heuristics and give an example for each.

Question 7: Session-Based Test Management

Explain Session-Based Test Management (SBTM). Why was it created? What are its four pillars?

Question 8: Whittaker’s Five Districts

What are Whittaker’s five districts and what does each focus on?

Question 9: Five Levels of Exploration

Describe the five levels of exploration (Ghazi 2017). When should you use each?

Question 10: ET Effectiveness Evidence

Summarize the empirical evidence for ET effectiveness. Include defect detection rates, efficiency comparisons, and industry adoption.

Question 11: Defending ET to Management

A manager says “ET is just ad-hoc testing.” How would you respond with evidence?

Question 12: ET Coverage Paradox

Why does ET achieve lower coverage but comparable defect counts to scripted testing?

Question 13: Operational Profile Definition

What is an operational profile? Give a concrete example with probabilities.

Question 14: Function vs Operation vs Run

Explain the difference between a function, an operation, and a run (Musa 1993).

Question 15: Operational Modes

What is an operational mode? Give three examples.

Question 16: Profile Probabilities Sum to 1.0

Why must operational profile probabilities sum to 1.0? What happens if the sum is greater or less?

Question 17: 6-Step OP Procedure

Walk through the 6-step OP procedure (Musa 1999) using a university enrollment system as an example.

Question 18: Tabular vs Graphical Representation

When should you use tabular vs. graphical representation for an operational profile?

Question 19: OP Calculation (Practical)

Calculate the operational profile for this system:

Endpoint	Rate/hr
GET /users	4,000
POST /orders	2,500
GET /products	3,000
PUT /users	500

Question 20: AT&T and HP Results

What were the results of OP adoption at AT&T and HP?

Question 21: Operational Coverage

Explain operational coverage with a worked example. How does it differ from traditional coverage?

Question 22: Android Cloud Profiles

What are Android Cloud Profiles and why do they matter? What percentage of methods do users exercise?

Question 23: Saturation Handoff

Why do OP and ET complement each other? Explain the “saturation handoff.”

Question 24: Two-Phase Testing Strategy

Describe the two-phase testing strategy. Why should OP come first?

Question 25: Startup Testing Decision

A startup has limited testing time. Should they build an OP or train testers in ET? Why?

Question 26: Accountability Mechanisms

Compare the accountability mechanisms of SBTM and operational profiles.

Question 27: Banking App Strategy (Practical)

Design a testing strategy for a banking mobile app using both OP and ET. Include specific charters and tours.

Question 28: Operational vs Traditional Coverage

Why does operational coverage give a more useful signal than traditional coverage?

Question 29: Cloud Profiles Validation

Explain how Android Cloud Profiles validate the claim “you cannot assume how users will use your software.”

Question 30: Lecture Summary

Explain the entire L07 lecture in 5 minutes. Cover ET, OP, and how they bridge together.

Topics Covered

Topic	Questions
ET vs OP overview	Q1, Q2
Exploratory testing	Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9, Q10, Q11, Q12
Operational profile definition	Q13, Q14, Q15, Q16
Developing operational profiles	Q17, Q18, Q19
Evidence & modern OP	Q20, Q21, Q22
ET + OP integration	Q23, Q24
Cross-cutting & practical	Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q29, Q30