what is the meaning of test plan

A test plan is a detailed document which describes software testing areas and activities. It outlines the test strategy, objectives, test schedule, required resources (human resources, software, and hardware), test estimation and test deliverables.

Full Answer

How long should a test plan be?

A common question when it comes to writing a test plan is, “How long should the test plan be?”. In fact, there is no definitive answer to that question since the length of the test plan is driven by the specific context of the project .

What is QA test plan?

The Test Plan (sometimes also referred to as a QA Test Plan) can be seen as the instruction manual or guide for your testing effort. It describes the objectives of testing (what are you planning to verify and/or validate), the scope of testing (what will and will not be tested), together with the general and sometimes detailed schedule of the activities you want to perform (how and when are you testing).

Why is testing strategy important?

This is where the test strategy becomes very important in defining major test objectives and making sure the test approach is in alignment with organizational needs and goals. The organizational perspective of testing is often found in a test policy.

Why should a test plan list the risks foreseen in the project and their respective levels?

Test plans should list the risks foreseen in the project and their respective levels so that testing can be prioritized by risk.

What is a test charter?

Even in test techniques such as exploratory testing, test charters are used as a way to outline the focus of a period of testing, along with defining who will perform the tests, and how much time will be allocated to the testing effort.

What is the organizational perspective of testing?

The organizational perspective of testing is often found in a test policy. A test strategy describes the uniqueness of the test and is a “big picture” view of the test. You might think of a test strategy as the description of the “what” and the “why” of the test.

Why don't we do test plans?

It is not uncommon to hear testers and test managers say things like “We don’t do test plans because we are Agile” or, perhaps the statement is “We don’t have time for test plans.” The reality is that no matter the lifecycle approach, a test plan is a valuable tool to ensure the right resources are in place to meet the test objectives.

What Does Test Plan Mean?

A test plan is a technical documentation which details a systematic approach to testing a specific system such as a device, machine or software.

What is acceptance test plan?

Acceptance test plan - for the test performed at delivery or deployment of the product, especially complex systems, to find out if everything works as it should after installation.

What is a manufacturing test plan?

Manufacturing or production test plan - for preparing a product for assembly or manufacturing, determining its fitness and for verification and quality control.

What is a test plan?

Test plan – is a document, which describes the entire scope of testing, starting from the description of the test object, strategy, schedule, criteria for starting and ending testing, to the equipment required in the process of operation, special knowledge, as well as the risk assessment with options for their resolution.

Who prepares the test plan?

As a rule, the test plan is prepared by the QA-lead of the testing team. However, it can be repeatedly edited by the testers themselves.

What happens if you answer all the questions while writing a test plan?

If you answer all these questions while writing a test plan, you will get a good draft of the test planning document. After that, it needs to be finalized, based on the points indicated below, and the test plan will be almost ready:

What is a master test plan?

Master Test Plan – consist of high level information, which does not change often and the requirements for which are not often revised during the testing.

What is the sequence of work described in the context of the planned development phases?

At this stage, the sequence of work is described: test preparation, testing, test result analysis in the context of the planned development phases. The dates or criteria for the transition from one phase to the next must be indicated.

What is product acceptance plan?

Product Acceptance Plan – is a document that describes a set of activities which relate to acceptance testing (strategy, date of implementation, responsible persons, etc.).

Introduction

The introduction is written last. It's simply a summary of the test plan to give readers an idea of the entire process.

Objectives

Like it sounds, this section states the objectives (or goals) of the plan. Any evaluation of the outcome of the plan will look back on this section to see how the plan fared.

Scope

A big thing in the software world is 'scope'. It really just means the main expectations that bound this plan so we can start chopping it up into manageable and measurable steps.

Strategy

This is your battle plan. The strategy section is a large section devoted to fully outlining the overall approach. Just as the scope tells us how big the plan is forecast to be, the strategy highlights what we expect to happen and what we are setting out to do.

Requirements

Just as no one sets out to do battle without looking at how many troops they have, no one sets out on a test plan without stating what will be needed and making sure those are available.

Risks

You may not think of risks as a requirement, but you ought to. Risks are a requirement because this is the step when you look around before the unexpected happens, and form your backup plans. By thinking about the risks, you can include requirements you might not have thought about.

Schedule

As you can imagine, the schedule is a big deal. People, time, and resources need to be carefully accounted for on a realistic schedule that helps us estimate the do-ability of the plan. The schedule also helps us gauge our progress and adapt as needed, so that we do not fall behind.

What is a test plan?

A test plan documents the what, when, why, how, and who of a testing project. It lays out the overall objective and scope of the tests to be run. The purpose of a test plan is to set expectations and align the team for success throughout the entire testing process.

Why do we need a test plan?

It serves as a framework and guide to ensure your testing project is successful, and it helps you control risk. The very act of writing a test plan helps you think through things in a way you might not consider without writing them down.

What should a test plan document?

In general, your test plan should document what to test, what not to test, pass/fail criteria, test deliverables, testing environment needs, responsibilities, staffing and training needs, a schedule, risks and mitigation, and approvals. The IEEE 829 standard is a great resource for how to write a test plan.

Why is testing plan important?

A test plan is a great way to communicate a testing project’s objectives across the entire team. This is especially useful in a world of remote workers, where testing teams might be spread across the globe, and asynchronous communication is more common.

What is a master test plan?

Master test plan: A master test plan is a high-level document for a project or product’s overall testing goals and objectives. It lists tasks, milestones, and outlines the size and scope of a testing project. It encapsulates all other test plans within the project.

Why is it important to write a test plan early?

By writing the test plan early, you’ll set your team up for success throughout the entire testing project.

What is an introduction in testing?

Introduction: A summary of the test plan, including the purpose of the the testing project and scope.

Who submits the method statement and inspection and test plan?

As it is always required by the contract or specification, Method Statement and Inspection and Test Plan including Checklist shall be submitted to the Engineer for approval.

Who reviews inspection and test plans?

Inspection and Test Plan is made and issued by the Quality Engineer, it should then be reviewed by the Quality Manager, Construction Manager and approved by Project Manager before it shall submit to the Engineer.

What is a checklist?

Here is a definition of Checklist. Checklist – A list of items shall be noted or checked in a completed activity. It is always attached to the Inspection Request. To be signed by concerns parties once the inspection is approved.

What is an ITP?

Inspection & Test Plan (ITP) – An Inspection & Test Plan is the program of inspection, testing of materials, and survey shall be prepared and submitted by the contractor to the Engineer for approval before usage and application to the site.

What is ITP in project management?

ITP is one of the most important project documents that you need to provide for each activity and it must be prepared way ahead before the start of the activity.

What does S mean in inspection?

Surveillance ( S ) = random attendance at site, no signature required on the Inspection Request ( IR ) or its accompanying documentation.

What is UAT testing?

User acceptance testing (UAT) is a key factor in software development that ensures the value requested by customers is being delivered by the engineering team. Azure DevOps and TFS include capabilities and tools to manage user acceptance testing. Quickly create UAT plans and suites, and invite multiple testers to execute these tests using test artifacts provided by the engineering team. Easily monitor UAT progress and results using lightweight charts. See more at User acceptance testing.

What is exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing. Testing carried out by development teams, including developers, testers, UX teams, product owners and more, by exploring the software systems without using test plans or test suites.

How to create multiple test cases?

Create multiple test cases in one operation, or easily add existing test cases to a test suite. Assign single or multiple testers to execute the tests. View test results and references to a test case across test suites. See more at Create test cases.

What is user acceptance testing?

User acceptance testing. Testing carried out by designated user acceptance testers to verify the value delivered meets customer requirements, while reusing the test artifacts created by engineering teams.

How to track test results?

Quickly configure lightweight charts to track your manual test results using the chart types of your choice, and pin the charts to your dashboard to easily analyze these results. Choose a retention policy to control how long your manual testing results are retained. See more at Track test status.

Can you test on any platform?

Test on any platform. With Azure Test Plans or the Test hub in Azure DevOps Server (see Web portal navigation ), you can use your browser to access all the manual testing capabilities. It enables you to create and run manual tests through an easy-to-use, web-based interface that can be accessed from all major browsers on any platform.

Can you get insights from exploratory testing?

As users perform exploratory testing, you can get insights from the sessions in Azure Test Plans of Azure DevOps or TFS. View completed exploratory sessions and derive meaningful insights across all the sessions. Get end-to-end traceability such as a breakdown of the work items created, the work items explored and not explored, session owners, and more.