Testing Techniques Library
48 core techniques below, plus 29 agile-specific techniques — 77 total. Every entry maps to ISTQB and tells you which career level it belongs to.
Popular & Most Practical
The five pages NZ testers return to most — whether job-hunting, on a live project, or building a portfolio.
The technique NZ test leads use every sprint to prioritise what matters most.
The bread-and-butter of every working tester — structured freedom to find what scripted tests miss.
The most common technique in ISTQB exams and NZ QA job interviews.
The skill NZ employers ask for most in job ads. Every modern system has an API.
CV, portfolio, interview prep, and salary guidance — all NZ-specific.
Black Box Techniques
Specification-based. Tests what the system does — no knowledge of internal code required.
Equivalence Partitioning
Divide inputs into groups where all values should behave identically. Test one value per group instead of every value.
Boundary Value Analysis
Test the edges of equivalence partitions. Most bugs hide at the boundary — at, just below, and just above the limit.
Decision Table Testing
Map every combination of conditions to expected outcomes. Essential for complex business logic with multiple rules.
State Transition Testing
Model a system as a set of states and transitions. Ensure every valid path is tested and invalid transitions are rejected.
Use Case Testing
Derive test cases from use case flows — happy path, alternate paths, and exception flows — from the user’s perspective.
Cause-Effect Graphing
Visual technique that maps causes (inputs/conditions) to effects (outputs/actions). Systematic predecessor to decision tables.
Pairwise / Combinatorial
Test all possible pairs of input parameters rather than every combination. Dramatically reduces test count while maintaining coverage.
Domain Analysis
Advanced extension of EP and BVA — analyses input/output domains together to find inter-variable dependencies.
White Box Techniques
Structure-based. Tests how the system works — requires visibility into code or architecture.
Statement Coverage
Execute every executable statement in the code at least once. The most basic white box metric — a 100% floor, not a ceiling.
Branch Coverage
Every branch from every decision point is exercised — both true and false outcomes. Stronger than statement coverage.
Condition Coverage
Each individual boolean condition is evaluated as both true and false, regardless of the overall decision outcome.
Path Coverage
Tests every possible execution path through the code. Theoretically complete but often impractical — exponential path growth.
Experience-Based Techniques
Skill and intuition-driven. Not a replacement for systematic testing — a complement to it.
Smoke Testing
Quick confidence check: does the build work at all? Walk the happy path before committing to deep testing.
Exploratory Testing
Simultaneous test design and execution, guided by learning. Charter-based sessions, not random clicking.
Checklist-Based Testing
Structured lists of things to check — built from experience, standards, and known failure modes. Living documents.
Error Guessing
Anticipate where the system is likely to fail based on experience. Fault lists, defect taxonomies, and intuition.
Management & Process Techniques
The skills that scale a team: planning, estimating, prioritising, and improving.
Risk-Based Testing
Use risk exposure (likelihood × impact) to prioritise test effort. Test the most important things first.
Test Estimation
Forecast effort, duration, and resource needs. WBS, three-point estimation, metrics-based, and expert judgement.
Defect Management
The full bug lifecycle: discovery, classification, prioritisation, reporting, root cause analysis, and closure.
Regression Testing
Verify that changes haven’t broken what was already working. Selection strategies and automation trade-offs.
Test Metrics & Reporting
KPIs, coverage metrics, defect density, test execution rate, and how to present them to stakeholders.
Test Planning
Scope, approach, entry/exit criteria, schedule, resources, risks, and the master test plan document.
Accessibility, API & Security Testing
Testing qualities beyond functional correctness: security, accessibility, and API contracts.
Accessibility Testing
WCAG 2.1 compliance, screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, colour contrast, and ARIA validation.
API Testing
Validate HTTP contracts, status codes, request/response schemas, authentication, and error handling.
Security Testing
OWASP Top 10, injection flaws, broken authentication, information disclosure, and the NZ Privacy Act 2020.
Agile Techniques Library
22 agile practices from Scrum to SAFe — ceremonies, planning, XP engineering practices, agile testing, and scaling frameworks.
ISTQB mapped
to every level
Each level in this bootcamp aligns to an ISTQB certification. The library technique pages show you exactly which syllabus section covers each concept.
This library maps to multiple industry standards beyond ISTQB. BBST (Black Box Software Testing) by Cem Kaner covers exploratory and specification-based techniques in depth. The Ministry of Testing community curates practical technique guides aligned with real-world practitioner experience. The CSTE (Certified Software Tester) qualification from the Quality Assurance Institute covers many of the management and process techniques in this library. Use these alongside ISTQB for a well-rounded certification portfolio.
Technique quick comparison
Use this as a starting point when choosing between techniques. Every project is different — treat this as a guide, not a rulebook.
| Technique | Best for | Watch out for | Effort | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary Value Analysis | Numeric ranges, thresholds, date limits | Misses non-boundary logic bugs | Low | Junior+ |
| Equivalence Partitioning | Input classification, eligibility rules, categories | Partitions can be wrong if spec is ambiguous | Low | Junior+ |
| Decision Table Testing | Complex business rules, multi-condition logic | Combination explosion with many conditions | Medium | Junior+ |
| State Transition Testing | Workflows, lifecycle management, order states | State diagrams must be accurate to be useful | Medium | Junior+ |
| Exploratory Testing | Ambiguous requirements, unknown risk, new features | Hard to demonstrate coverage to auditors | Medium | Junior+ |
| Error Guessing | Experienced testers, edge cases, tight timelines | Depends heavily on tester experience | Low | Senior+ |
| Risk-Based Testing | Time pressure, regulated systems, large scope | Risk misjudgements affect what gets tested | Medium | Senior+ |
| API Testing | Microservices, integrations, mobile backends | UI-only teams lack the skills to start | Medium | Junior+ |
| Accessibility Testing | Government sites (mandatory), public portals | Automated tools only catch ~30% of issues | Medium | All levels |
| Test Planning | Large programmes, regulated delivery, new teams | Over-planning on small projects wastes time | Medium–High | Lead+ |