What is the main purpose of manual testing in system evaluation?

The primary purpose of manual testing in system evaluation is to evaluate complex or subjective aspects of the system. Manual testing is particularly valuable in scenarios where human intuition, experience, and judgement are necessary to assess the usability, design, and overall functionality of a system. This includes understanding user experience, interface design, and other qualitatively assessed characteristics that automated testing tools may not accurately capture.

Manual testing allows testers to explore the system dynamically, providing insights that are often critical to understanding how well the system meets user needs and expectations. It enables testers to interact with the application in a way that reflects real-world usage, uncovering issues that may not be easily identified through automated scripts or predefined paths.

In contrast, while automation is effective for repetitive tasks, predefined planning, and regression testing, these processes usually focus on functional verification and performance, which do not fully encompass the subjective aspects of system performance and user interaction that manual testing excels at evaluating.