Starting Your First Test: Where to Begin?

Joining your first project on Tester Work? You’re not alone if things feel a bit overwhelming at first. Figuring out what to test, how to start, and where to focus can be tricky.

You might be wondering:

• Which part of the app should I test first?

• Is one feature more important than another?

• How long should I explore each section?

These are all valid questions and while you’ll gain confidence over time, let’s break down the first steps with a method called smoke testing.

What is smoke testing?

Smoke testing is a quick check to make sure the app is stable before digging deeper.

Think of it as a "sanity check". For example, if the Sharing feature in a social media app is broken, it makes no sense to test advanced settings until that’s fixed. In traditional QA teams, testing would stop here.

But with Tester Work, you can still continue and explore other features, even if you find a major bug early on.

How to start testing on a new project

Here’s your go-to checklist for the first few minutes after joining a project:

1. Download the build and read the Test Case (TC) or spec document carefully.

2. Smoke test the core functionality:

   • Go through the login/signup flow

   • Navigate the main screens and key user actions

   • Try obvious, expected user flows (e.g., posting, uploading, navigating)

3. Report any major issues that block key functionality right away.

⚠️ If a bug breaks a main feature or something in scope, message the Test Manager (TM) as soon as possible.

Reporting issues the right way

Found a bug that causes more issues down the line? For example, if not being able to access the device gallery blocks uploading a profile picture and using any local images don’t log those as separate bugs.

✅ Instead: Report one main bug, and list the related effects as extra details.
🚫 Why? Because reporting them separately counts as duplicates. which won’t be accepted.

So there you have it! Focus on core features first (login, navigation, main tools)

• Report critical issues early but don’t stop testing

• Add extra details to your main report instead of creating duplicates

• Reach out if something is blocking testing

Once the basics are covered, the rest will come naturally.