What is exhaustive testing?

Exhaustive testing is a software testing approach that aims to test all possible inputs, paths, and scenariOS within an application to ensure its correctness and reliability. While this method can theoretically provide complete coverage, it is often impractical due to the vast number of potential combinations, particularly in complex systems. As a result, exhaustive testing is rarely feasible; instead, testing strategies often focus on risk-based or representative sampling methods to achieve effective validation. Ultimately, the goal is to identify defects while balancing resource constraints and time.