What Is an Ad Hoc Testing?

After the formal testing is completed and the system has been validated, ad hoc testing is conducted informally to find out whether there are any loopholes in the system.

Ad hoc testing has:

• No Documentation.
• No Test cases.
• No Test Design.

The following are characteristics of ad hoc testing:

• Ad hoc testing is random testing, which occurs after formal testing and does not require any documentation, test cases, or test designs.
• It follows an unstructured approach to testing and is much faster than other testing methods.
• It is useful for finding bugs and inconsistencies described in test cases.

Ad hoc testing should be done when:

In the absence of sufficient time for elaborate testing, ad hoc testing can be conducted. Usually, ad hoc testing is done after the formal testing. 

There are five practices to follow when conducting ad hoc testing:

• Good Software Knowledge.
• Identify Error-Prone Areas.
• Prioritizing test areas.
• Planning a rough test plan.
• Usage of the right tools.