# How do you get started with session-based testing?

**URL:** <https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/how-do-you-get-started-with-session-based-testing/71051>\
**Category:** Discussions\
**Tags:** strategy, exploratory-testing, test-reporting\
**Created:** [4 October 2023 11:39 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/how-do-you-get-started-with-session-based-testing/71051 "2023-10-04T11:39:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![simon\_tomes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/simon_tomes/32/14009_2.png) [@simon\_tomes](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/simon_tomes)\
**Post date:** [4 October 2023 11:39 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/how-do-you-get-started-with-session-based-testing/71051/1 "2023-10-04T11:39:19Z")

</div>

Great to read @kinofrost’s post:

[Jump In: Session-Based Testing](https://dragonsight.substack.com/p/jump-in-session-based-testing)

It’s full of top tips on how to _just_ get started with a helpful style of exploratory testing, including a nifty template. 🏆

I’ve also found the following headings/template have worked well for me:

* * *

### Planning

- Charter/Goal/Mission
- Timebox (define a time between 30 to 90 minutes)
- Oracles (things that will support your observations)
- Risks (potential things that may threaten the value of the thing you’re going to explore)
- Questions (to endeavour to answer the list of potential risks during the timebox)
- Heuristics (things that will spark test ideas e.g. select some from the [Heuristics Cheat Sheet](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/articles/ab1cd85c) )

_start timer_

### Exploring

Document what you’re thinking and your observations. Use labels: Problem, Question, Idea, Praise

_timer stops exploration_

### Summary

Review notes. Tidy up. Reflect. Capture a summary of key discoveries and observations. Add brief summary of flaws in test approach and outstanding risks/unanswered questions.

* * *

As a side note, I use TORCH as another way of remembering the planning bit.  
Timer, Oracles, Risks, consider these Questions, Heuristics.

In the following article, I go into a tiny bit more detail on the stuff I’ve shared above:

> **[Explore Galore! 30 Tips to Supercharge your Exploratory Testing Efforts](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/articles/0edc3caa)**
>
> Get your dose of exploratory testing inspiration

How did you get started with session-based testing? What template have you created or used that’s worked well for you? Absolutely no one single way to do this so I’m super curious to gather more examples to help each other.