Agile Testing
Agile testing integrates testing throughout short, iterative development cycles (sprints) rather than as a separate phase at the end — testers work alongside developers continuously, testing features as they're built, adapting quickly to changing requirements between iterations.
Traditional (waterfall) testing happens as a distinct phase after development completes; agile testing happens continuously within each sprint, often starting before a feature is even fully built — testers participate in sprint planning and story refinement, helping define acceptance criteria upfront rather than only validating against them afterward.
This requires a different skill emphasis than traditional testing: agile testers typically need to test efficiently under time pressure, communicate closely and constantly with developers, and be comfortable testing against requirements that may still be evolving, rather than a fully locked, unchanging specification.
