Test Strategy and Test Plan
So, What is Test Strategy? How does it look like? Is it something that is necessary or its a extra burden on project or process
So, What is Test Strategy? How does it look like? Is it something that is necessary or its a extra burden on project or process
Test Strategy
test-strategy-vs-test-plan
A Test Strategy
document is a high level document and normally developed by project manager.
This document defines “Software Testing Approach” to achieve testing
objectives. The Test Strategy is normally derived from the Business Requirement
Specification document.
The Test Strategy
document is a static document meaning that it is not updated too often. It sets
the standards for testing processes and activities and other documents such as
the Test Plan draws its contents from those standards set in the Test Strategy
Document.
Some companies include
the “Test Approach” or “Strategy” inside the Test Plan, which is fine and it is
usually the case for small projects. However, for larger projects, there is one
Test Strategy document and different number of Test Plans for each phase or
level of testing.
Components of the Test
Strategy document
·
Scope and Objectives
·
Business issues
·
Roles and
responsibilities
·
Communication and
status reporting
·
Test deliverable's
·
Industry standards to
follow
·
Test automation and
tools
·
Testing measurements
and
·
Risks and mitigation
·
Defect reporting and
tracking
·
Change and
configuration management
·
Training plan
Test Plan
The Test Plan document
on the other hand, is derived from the Product Description, Software
Requirement Specification SRS, or Use Case Documents.
The Test Plan document is usually prepared by the Test Lead or Test Manager and the focus of the document is to describe what to test, how to test, when to test and who will do what test.
The Test Plan document is usually prepared by the Test Lead or Test Manager and the focus of the document is to describe what to test, how to test, when to test and who will do what test.
It is not uncommon to
have one Master Test Plan which is a common document for the test phases and
each test phase have their own Test Plan documents.
There is much debate,
as to whether the Test Plan document should also be a static document like the
Test Strategy document mentioned above or should it be updated every often to
reflect changes according to the direction of the project and activities.
My own personal view
is that when a testing phase starts and the Test Manager is “controlling” the
activities, the test plan should be updated to reflect any deviation from the
original plan. After all, Planning and Control are continuous activities in the
formal test process.
Components of the Test
Plan document
·
Test Plan id
·
Introduction
·
Test items
·
Features to be tested
·
Features not to be
tested
·
Test techniques
·
Testing tasks
·
Suspension criteria
·
Features pass or fail
criteria
·
Test environment
(Entry criteria, Exit criteria)
·
Test
·
Staff and training
needs
·
Responsibilities
·
Schedule
This is a standard
approach to prepare test plan and test strategy documents, but things can vary
company-to-company.
