Exploratory Testing is not the antithesis for structured testing

good read from http://arborosa.org/2015/01/02/exploratory-testing-is-not-the-antithesis-of-structured-testing/

• is, like ‘traditional testing’, not also based on risk analysis, requirements, quality attributes and test design techniques. It does not ignore or oppose these approaches. 

•  just also reaches beyond that and is also based on modeling, using oracles, using heuristics, time management, providing stakeholder relevant information, and much more.

•  doesn’t spent unnecessary time on writing specific stepwise test cases in advance. It rather works with test ideas which it critically investigates while keeping an open mind on what is observed during execution. 

• uses the information to create new and additional test ideas, change direction or raise bugs. But it always aims to use the results to provide relevant information to stakeholders that enables them to take decisions or meet their targets. And that can be a verbal account or a brief note but is more likely to be stakeholder specific test execution accounts, showing test results related to achieving the stakeholders acceptance criteria, (business) goals and mission It accounts how much is done, could not be done and how much still should/needs to be done both in terms of progress and coverage.

• is no free pass to click around in the software. Exploratory testing is both highly structured and flexible and it is flexible enough to change along the way so it can provide the most value information possible to the stakeholders.

• To do exploratory testing well you have to work structured, disciplined and flexible at the same time. That’s what makes exploratory testing hard to do but lots of fun at the same time.