Exploratory testing is a black box testing technique which gives testers the freedom to think outside-the-box with a minimal dependency on pre-designed answers and checklists in order to improve the quality of an application. Exploratory testing is a detailed series of testing conducted by exploring the platform, designing test cases, executing those test cases, and measuring the results. The rule of thumb for exploratory testing is minimum planning and maximum execution.
Exploratory testing is a crucial aspect of software testing as it is not a script-based test – it involves the art of being creative and productive. Nowadays, this type of testing is preferable as it doesn’t define a fixed set of methodologies which a tester has to follow. The tester is completely free to follow their own path, to play with an application, and to identify potential bugs. This is actually a process that simultaneously carries out the activities of test design and test execution without formally documenting the test cases and test conditions.