Essential of Creating Test plan in Testing

 

Why Test Plan is Vital Document!

Test Planning process and plan itself serve as vehicle for communicating with other members of the project team, tester, Dev, BA, Peer and other stakeholders. This communication allows the test plan to influence the project team and allows the project team to influence the test plan.

We can accomplish this Communication through circulation of one or more test plan drafts and through review meeting.

E.g.: Please tell me what the plan is for releasing the test items into the test lab for each cycle of test execution

E.g.: Please let me know which version of the test tool  will be used for the regression tests of the previous increment.

A test plan Document becomes the record of previous discussions and agreements.

Test Plan helps us to Manage the change if you are in Agile , have to this as Handy.

Ways to write a Test Plan Document.

1. Analyze the Product:
• Understand the product's objectives, target users, specifications, and functionality.
• Conduct interviews with stakeholders to gather requirements and expectations.
• Perform a walkthrough of the product to identify key features and components.
• Identify Project Risk and Product Risk
2. Design the Test Strategy:
• Define the scope of testing, including what will be tested and any exclusion criteria.
• Determine the types of testing to be conducted (e.g., functional, usability, performance).
• Identify potential risks and issues that may impact testing.
• Assign roles and responsibilities to team members involved in testing.
3. Define Test Objectives:
• Clearly state the goals and expected outcomes of the testing process.
• List software features and functionalities to be tested.
• Specify performance standards and acceptance criteria for each feature.
4. Define Test Criteria:
• Establish criteria for suspending tests if certain conditions are met (suspension criteria).
• Define criteria for determining when testing can be considered complete (exit criteria).
5. Resource Planning:
• Identify and allocate human resources, including testers, developers, and any additional support staff.
• Determine hardware and software requirements for testing, including tools and environments.
6. Plan Test Environment:
• Set up test environments that mirror the production environment as closely as possible.
• Ensure access to real devices, browsers, and operating systems for comprehensive testing.
• Consider factors like scalability, security, and data privacy in the test environment setup.
7. Schedule and Estimation:
• Break down testing tasks into smaller, manageable units.
• Estimate time and effort required for each task, considering dependencies and resource availability.
• Create a project schedule with milestones and deadlines for completing testing activities.
8. Determine Test Deliverables:
• Identify the documents, reports, and artifacts to be produced during testing (e.g., test plans, test cases, defect reports).
• Determine any tools or equipment needed to support testing activities.
• Ensure proper documentation and communication of test results and findings.

Why Test strategy Into Test Planning?

1. Consistency and Standardization: Integrating the test strategy into the test plan promotes consistency and standardization across testing activities. It ensures that all team members are working towards common objectives and following established methodologies, leading to more reliable and reproducible results.
2. Communication and Collaboration: Involving the test strategy in the test planning process facilitates communication and collaboration among stakeholders involved in testing. It provides a shared understanding of the testing approach and ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal.