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This is a very popular question to be asked during an interview. However, not all beginners know that it is exploratory testing and are not prepared to do it right way.

Usually, QAs do write test cases for a product by having the requirement document of that product. In case the requirement document is not available and they are simply writing test cases they will go with exploratory testing.

So, what is exploratory testing? According to definition on guru99 it is a type of software testing where test cases are not created in advance but testers check the system on the fly.

They may note down ideas about what to test before test execution. The focus of exploratory testing is more on testing than a “thinking” activity.

If an interviewer asks you to write the test cases for a pen you have to cover all the features of the pen and write test scenarios of the pen.

User interface test cases:

1. Verify the length and the diameter of the pen to match requirements
2. Verify the outer body of the pen (metal, plastic or other possible material)
3. Verify the color of the outer body of the pen
4. Verify brand’s logo or/and text to be clearly visible and readable

Functional test cases:

1. Check the type of the pen (it could be a ballpoint pen, ink pen or gel pen)
2. Check if a user can write clearly on the different types of papers
3. Weight of the pen should match requirements
4. Verify the pen is with / without a cap
5. Check the ink color of the pen
6. Check how the ink is visible on the different types of surfaces (wooden surfaces, metal so plastic etc)
7. Verify the pen’s ink does not leak when you write something down
8. Verify the pen’s ink does not leak at the higher altitude, for example while traveling in the mountains or on airplanes
9. Verify the user can easily change or refill the pen

Negative test cases:

1. Check the functioning of the pen at extreme temperatures
2. Check the functioning of the pen under high pressure while writing
3. Verify the user can write on unsupported surfaces like glass or plastic etc

Performance test cases:

1. Verify how fast a user can write with the pen on the supported surfaces
2. Verify the performance of the pen being used non-stop
3. Check the number of characters that could be written without a single refill

This is not the full list of possible test cases for the pen. Use your imagination and creativity and try to add your own cases to the list. Good luck!

WRITTEN BY: Alex Kulko, Speroteck QA team.