Tell about the pairwise testing technique.

Pairwise testing is a test design method where test cases are created to cover all possible pairs of parameter values.

The idea is that most defects are caused by interactions of no more than two factors, so checking all pair combinations significantly reduces the number of tests compared to exhaustive testing, while maintaining high coverage quality.

Example: If there are three parameters:

• Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari
• OS: Windows, macOS
• Language: Russian, English

Exhaustive testing: 3 × 2 × 2 = 12 tests. Pairwise coverage can reduce the number of tests to 6-8, with each pair of values appearing in at least one test.

Special tools and algorithms (such as IPOG) are often used to generate such sets.

This helps optimize testing, reducing effort and maintaining effectiveness in defect detection.