Understanding Rapid Testing and Rapid Testing Practice

Rapid testing is the testing software faster than usual without compromising on the standards of quality. It is the technique to test as thorough as reasonable within the constraints. This technique looks at testing as a process of heuristic inquiry and logically speaking it should be based on exploratory testing techniques.

Although most projects undergo continuous testing, it does not usually produce the information required to deal with the situations where it is necessary to make an instantaneous assessment of the product's quality at a particular moment. In most cases the testing is scheduled for just prior to launch and conventional testing techniques often cannot be applied to software that is incomplete or subject to constant change.

It can be said that rapid testing has a structure that is built on a foundation of four components namely:
- People
- Integrated test process.
- Static Testing
- Dynamic testing
There is need for people who can handle the pressure of tight schedules. They need to be productive contributors even though the early phases of the development life cycle. It should also be noted that dynamic testing lies at the heart of the software testing process, and the planning, design, development, and execution of dynamic tests should be performed well for any testing process to be efficient.

Rapid Testing Practice
It would help us if we scrutinize each phase of a development process to see how the efficiency, speed, quality of testing can be improved keeping in mind:
- Actions that the test team can take to prevent defects from escaping.
- Actions that the test team can take to manage risk to the development schedule.
- The information that can be obtained from each phase so that the test team can speed up activities.
If a test process is designed around the answers to these factors, both the speed
of testing and quality of the final product should be enhanced.

Some of the aspects that can be used while rapid testing are:
- Test for link integrity.
- Test for disabled accessibility.
- Test for default settings.
- Check the navigation.
- Check for input constraints by injecting special characters at the sources of data.
- Run multiple instances.
- Check for interdependencies and stress them.
- Test for consistency of design.
- Test for compatibility.
- Test for usability.
- Check for the possible variability's and attack them.
- Go for possible stress and load tests.