Planning is one of main activities of software testing. Depending on formality of our test process, we have to create detailed test plans with strict template or simple check list on a paper. In any case, we must remember that planning is an endless activity. At least we have to plan for the whole project life cycle. We can’t create a test plan at the begin of the project, print it and have a successful test process. Test plan must be corrected and updated at every turn.
Comments on: "Test plan + templates" (23)
Hi Natalya ,,, nice explanation about test plans ,could you explain ,how many test plans are designed for a project like unit test plan, integration test plan ,system test plan ,Regression test plan , user acceptance test plan ,,,, reply me….
In literature I have found a few kinds of test plans:
Master test plan (or project test plan): A test plan that typically addresses multiple test levels.
Level test plan: A test plan that typically addresses one test level.
Phase test plan: A test plan that typically addresses one test phase.
Amount of test plans depends on a project and your demands. There’s no universal rule.
), you should create all these test plans. If simple check list with planned tasks is enough for your project, you should not spend up time on creating useless documentation.
If you and other stakeholders need all kinds of test plans (and even own kind of test plan
Excellent answer! That’s the point. Many in this industry spend a lot of time creating docs that I wonder how they get time to even so execute the tests and even more to automate processes !!
I think that any good tester (or grip of testers) has to weigh the scope and complexity of each project. There’s no one right approach.
that’s very true….the complexity different project may vary ,But a tester must have a proper test plan for any level of testing !!!!!!!
that’s very true….the complexity different project may vary ,But a tester must have a proper test plan for any level of testing !!!!!!
Thank you for the comments, dear friends
Although I agree that you do not wish to spend an excessive amount of time on the test plan, it should be remembered that it is generally more efficient and cheaper to fix any problems
the earlier they are found. In other words, by writing a complete and appropriately detailed test plan, it is possible to better define the anticipated amount of work and anticipate many
future problems. Discovering them later during the actual testing is normally more expensive in time and money.
Jerry, thank you for the comment. You have said the copy-book maxim. Many people underestimate a role of planning in software testing and they reject test plans at all.
In my post I wished to say that test plan is always needed but it is not obligatory to use standard templates for that.
Natalya:
Three points I forgot to include on my original response. First Test Plan like any other
test documentation should also be review by all appropriate individuals. For the System
Test Plan, the type I am most familiar with, this should include the System Engineers and
the developers. Letting the people who defined the requirements and will actually do the coding
review the document can and many generate a great deal of usefull information and suggestions. At the least it will provide another set of eyes to locate areas you may have missed. I must also respectfully disagree with the idea that “a simply check list” would even really be sufficient. The lack of detail really does not the author to better organize his/her ideas
and does not allow any real third party feedback.
Finally although the Test Plan does not usually include the specific test cases (they are normally part of the Test Specifications document), it sometimes does provide a savings in time to inclde them in the document. It also means that there is one less document that you are asking other people to review.
Thanks for you series of articles. I really enjoy reading them am looking forward to the next ones.
Jerry
Jerry, your comments are a good base for a new article about test plans. Do you have a blog or a site? I would like to read your articles. Thanks a lot for nice words. I hope, our new posts will not disappoint you.
Hi Natalya Bosatskaya
I have not yet created test plan. even not seen .
Can u tell me how to create it with example?
Dear Rajani, your request is a good subject for futher post. I will try to describe about test plan creation with an example in some time.
Natalya Bosatskaya it’s realy good!
@Babasaheb Patil
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked the article.
Hi Natalya, in Test Plan category i,e Features to be tested ,,how you test each feature ,and how you set the level of risk of each feature ,can you explain me…
Hello kotla,
“how you test each feature” – it depends on the feature, budget, risks, importance of this feature and so on.
“how you set the level of risk of each feature” – risk level can be set basing on experience, statistic, intuition.
To created and accurated Test Plan we must base our document on Test Requirements for the product.
obtaining Test Requirements it’s the most difficult task to achieved.
As a Q.A Test Engineer and with over 15 years on my badge
Lots of companies do no believed on Test Requirements and we the Q.A people must be creative and think outside the box to created test plans from verbal instructions.
Test Plans are most of the time a living document until the product is released.
Anibal (Hannibal) Alarcon
Hannibal, thank you for the worthy comment. You are right
I agree with you that “obtaining Test Requirements it’s the most difficult task to achieved”
Thanks for all the wonderful discussion. But isn’t this true that most of the companies think that testing requirements are same as the product requirements and testers should use that
Anju, thanks for the comment
Your opinion adds a new view in the discussion.
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