Chapter 2 – Testing Throughout the SDLC
Sanity Testing – ISTQB Definition
Last Updated: July 12, 2026 · SoftwareTestPilot QA Team
Official ISTQB Definition
Testing to determine whether a new software version is performing well enough to accept it for a major testing effort, focused on a narrow set of functions.
In simple words
A narrow, targeted check after a small change — did this specific fix work and did it not obviously break its immediate neighbours?
Exam tip
Sanity testing is unscripted and shallow; smoke testing is broad and scripted across the main flows.
Related terms
- Smoke TestingA quick check that the build is stable enough to test — if login, home page, and basic navigation don’t crash, you go ahead with deeper testing.
- Regression TestingAfter any change — bug fix, new feature, config update — you re-run existing tests to make sure nothing that used to work has broken.
- Exploratory TestingYou learn the product while testing it, using your experience to decide what to try next instead of following a pre-written script.
Practice this term in the ISTQB Mock Test
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