Smoke Testing vs Sanity Testing in Software Testing

During a Manual Tester interview, you may be asked to explain the difference between smoke testing and sanity testing in software testing. It is essential to understand these concepts thoroughly.

Smoke Testing:

Smoke testing, also known as build verification testing, is conducted to check whether the most crucial functions of a software application are working correctly. It is performed at the beginning of the testing process when a new build is received. The main goal of smoke testing is to determine if the software build is stable and ready for further testing.

Sanity Testing:

Sanity testing, on the other hand, is a more focused and narrow type of testing that is executed after receiving a new software build. It aims to check specific functionalities or areas of the application to ensure that the bugs reported earlier have been fixed and that no new issues have been introduced. Sanity testing is used to validate the logical integrity of the software build.

Differences:

1. Smoke testing is a broader and shallow type of testing, whereas sanity testing is more focused and deep.
2. Smoke testing is performed at the initial stage to verify the stability of the build, while sanity testing is carried out after specific changes to ensure the software's logical integrity.
3. Smoke testing helps identify major issues that could hinder further testing efforts, while sanity testing validates specific functionalities or bug fixes.

Understanding the distinctions between smoke testing and sanity testing is crucial for Manual Testers to effectively plan and execute testing processes in software development projects.