Scope of Manual Software Testing (2024)

Manual testing is a preferred method of software testing even in this dynamic world of automation expansion. The reason behind this is that manual testing plays a crucial role in validating that software is end-user-ready. Human testers can easily step into the shoes of users and test the software’s functionality. Manual testing ensures that software is working extraordinarily and without any sort of bugs or risk factors. Therefore, it is not inaccurate to say that the scope of manual testing is still very relevant in the 21st century!

Is Manual Testing Dying?

Some experts may believe that the future of manual testing is bleak. This is because the rise of automated tests in recent years has solved several issues with manual testing. These issues are related to time, deadlines, and human labor. Automation testing has made everything faster involving less manual labor to test the functionality of a software.

According to the latest research, around 73% of the software development companies (globally), have shifted or imbibed automation testing to ensure their products are flawless. In layman’s terms, automation testing is now the choice for software testing for the majority of the industry. With such a massive rise in the adaptation of automated testing tools, it is not difficult to believe that the future of testing is headed toward AI.

On the other hand, manual testing on software throws a lot of challenges in the developmental cycles. On several occasions, it has become the main reason for delays in deployment. Since manual testing is solely dependent on human labor, the lack of it can delay the process of deployment. When the project is large and complicated, manual testing may take a lot of time to finish the testing procedure. And on top of that, fixing the bugs and re-testing the software afterward can prove to be extremely inefficient. Given these scenarios, automation testing is way ahead of the game, be it a large, complicated project or simply a project that lacks a big team of testers, automation tools can still ensure that the job is done!

However, there are still areas in software testing where manual testing is still very relevant. For instance, manual testing is highly valued in performing exploratory testing, usability testing, and ad-hoc testing. In these kinds of testing the testers can utilize their age and experience to figure out if there is any bug in the system.

Is Manual Testing a Good Career?

Even though the rise of automation is pushing the future of manual testing into darkness, the demand for manual testers is rising exponentially in the software development industry. According to a recent study, the demand for software testers and QA testers is expected to face a 25% hike in the coming decade. Therefore, if you are thinking about whether to opt for a career in manual testing, we think it is just the right time for you!

The basic skills that one requires to become a manual tester are curiosity, interest, and a thirst for knowledge in the field. Once you have that you can easily develop other skills like attention to detail, strong communication, a problem-solving attitude, a high success rate in identifying bugs, creating reports, etc. And since there is a rise in the usage of automation tools, candidates must also familiarize themselves with the use of different automation testing frameworks.

Another aspect of manual testing is that it is the only efficient way to attempt exploratory testing. For automation testing, one has to produce a test script that guides the tool on how to perform a particular test. But, it can never perform an exploratory test as it lacks human intuition. In exploratory testing, the tester uses his/her intuition, knowledge, and experience to behave like the end-user. And in that method, he/she figures out whether the software is ready or it still has some risk factors in it.

Since manual testers need to base a lot of their work on their intuition, it gradually opens up the door to other major roles in quality assurance. With enough experience and knowledge base, a manual tester can step up to become a testing analyst, testing manager, domain specialist, and so on. 

Also Read: Top 100 Manual Testing Interview Questions And Answers

What Is The Future of Manual Testing?

Observing the recent trends in the software development industry, manual testing does not seem to be going extinct. There will be a lot of scenarios where nothing but manual testing will work. And most importantly, with the advancement in technology, there will always be the rise of newer challenges and problems. Manual testers will always be needed on the scene to solve those issues and keep the testing procedure going. 

The scope of manual testing will remain relevant in the coming years as long as the manual testers are improving their skills and are up-to-date. For instance, in an environment of fast changes and quick actions, human testers and their perspective will always shine through. Whenever there is a new challenge, automation testing will come to a pause and wait for a new test script to deal with the issue. Whereas, the quick shift of environment can only be dealt with, with the help of smart, on-the-go, and experienced manual testers.

This is the reason why manual testers must keep on adapting, learning, and adding skills to their resume. As the software development industry is changing rapidly, more than ever, it is unpredictable what challenges one may have to encounter. So it is advised that if you are wanting to thrive in the field of manual testing, be a part of as many forums as possible, read journals on the latest technologies, attend seminars, and keep expanding your horizon of knowledge.

So the future of manual testing may not be as bleak as it is predicted to be. As long as dedicated and enthusiastic manual testers are taking the responsibility of bearing the flag of its relevance.

Conclusion

So, to conclude, I would summarize the whole scenario of the future of testing. Though on the surface it looks like manual testing is losing its relevance, it is not. Automation technology can come as it may, but it can never replace human intelligence, perspective, intuition, creativity, and even problem-solving. The demand for manual testers will only keep on rising even with the advent of automated tools as they are the only efficient people to deal with complex situations.

However, to be up-to-date and become more relevant in the field, manual testers can opt for a more holistic approach. They can use automated tools to reduce the time consumed in regression testing, performance testing, and more. Since the software is ultimately built for people, it is only a human tester who can provide the final validation on whether the software is ready for seamless use or not. So in my opinion, manual testing can only become more relevant with the help of the rising automation tools.