Testing Cron Job

[Siberian]

Hi, I found two pages that describe how to check and see if a CronJob with script is working, without waiting for the exact time and date for the cronJob to execute. Are these methods valid methods, or is there a better method to use, so I can check right away ?
Methods:
(SiteA) (SiteB)

[pixelsoul]

Typically, I just execute the code manually that the cron job I am going to create will run.

[Szabi Zsoldos]

Typically, I just execute the code manually that the cron job I am going to create will run.

This is exactly what I also doin these cases.

[Siberian]

PHP scripts that expose your server login and pass should be placed in /root not /public_html, right ? For security reasons.