Write and execute test charters
Write three exploratory testing charters for a login page using the format: Explore [target] with [resources] to discover [information]. Execute one of the charters for a focused 45-minute session, keeping a written record of what you tried, what you found, and any bugs or questions that emerged.
Why this matters
Scripted test cases tell you whether the system does what you specified. Exploratory testing tells you whether the system does what users need. The charter format is a discipline that keeps sessions focused without over-specifying what to do; good explorers follow threads, bad ones wander. Writing the bugs you find is the output that creates accountability.
Before you start
- Access to any web application with a login page (open-source apps like GitLab or Gitea work well)
- A text editor for notes; structured notes are the output of the session, not the login
- 60 minutes of uninterrupted time
- No prior testing experience required; this exercise teaches the fundamentals
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Write three charters
Apply the format: Explore [target area] with [specific resource or technique] to discover [what information you are seeking]. Example: Explore the login form with invalid credential combinations to discover whether error messages reveal account existence. Write three distinct charters targeting different risk areas of the same login page.
- 2
Choose one charter and prepare
Pick the charter you think will find the most interesting bugs. Before you start the timer, note your starting hypothesis: what do you expect to find? Write down three things that would surprise you. This primes your observation skills for the session.
- 3
Execute for 45 minutes (strict timer)
Start a timer and begin the session. Take notes continuously; what you tried, what happened, questions you want to investigate later. Do not follow threads that are outside your charter. When something surprising happens, note it immediately. When the timer ends, stop; even if you are mid-thought.
- 4
File bugs with full detail
For each issue found: write the title as an observation (Login page reveals whether an account exists via error message wording), steps to reproduce, expected behaviour, actual behaviour, and environment. A bug report is only useful if someone else can reproduce it without asking you questions.
- 5
Write a session debrief
Write a half-page debrief: what you covered, what you found, what you did not cover, and what you would investigate next. This debrief is how exploratory testing becomes visible to the team; without it, 45 minutes of work disappears into a black box.