13 / 71 · 11 Manual Testing Fundamentals · Test Design Techniques← prev⊞ allnext →☰ Read as one page
2.6Pairwise Testing (Bonus Technique)
When you have many input parameters, testing all combinations is impractical. Pairwise testing (also called all-pairs) ensures that every pair of parameter values is tested at least once.
Example
Testing a web form with: Browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari), OS (Windows, Mac, Linux), Language (EN, ES, FR).
Full combinatorial: 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 test cases. Pairwise: approximately 9 test cases cover every pair.
Tools like PICT (Microsoft), AllPairs, or online pairwise generators create the optimal test set.