What kind of testing is performed to ensure an application can handle increased load?

Load testing is a type of performance testing that specifically evaluates how an application behaves under varying levels of stress or load. The primary goal of load testing is to determine the application's ability to scale and to handle increased traffic or workloads. This is crucial for ensuring that the application can maintain performance standards when faced with a high number of users or processes running simultaneously.

During load testing, testers simulate multiple users accessing the application concurrently to measure key performance metrics, such as response time, throughput, and resource utilization. This process helps identify potential bottlenecks, performance issues, or system crashes that could occur under heavy load conditions. By conducting load testing, teams can optimize and improve system performance before deployment, thereby enhancing user experience and satisfaction.

Other types of testing mentioned do not focus on handling increased load in the same way. Static testing, for instance, involves reviewing the software's code and documentation without executing it, while exploratory testing relies on testers' experience and intuition to discover defects without predefined test cases. Regression testing is focused on verifying that new changes have not adversely affected existing functionality. Thus, load testing is the most appropriate method for assessing an application's capacity to manage increased load effectively.