- Purpose: purpose of document and short summary of the main sections
- Project overview: Brief description of the project and software to be tested
- Intended audience: Who are they and what is their role in the testing process
- May also include methods to be used, brief description of out-of-scope items, and related documents such as Requirements
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Test objectives: What will you test and why, what is in and out of scope. Common test types: Module, Integration, Acceptance, Beta
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Test assumptions: Conditions that must be true in order to successfully test
- Realistic data is available
- Skills and knowledge of testing resources are adequate
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Test principles:
- Test processes will be well defined but flexible
- Test environment and data will match production
- Testing will be divided in phases that build sequentially
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Data approach: Describe the data that will be loaded or not loaded for tests
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Scope and levels of testing: UAT
- Validates business logic
- Performed by end users
- Test team will write tests based on input from business analyst and end users
- Testing will be performed after all other testing is complete
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Estimated effort and resources: List all activities to be performed by the QA team, along with estimated effort hours
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Entry and exit criteria:
- Example Entry: All test data is loaded into the environment
- Example Exit: Pass rate of 95% of test scripts
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Test cycles: How many cycle will be executed along with the objective for each.
- Example: Functional testing will occur in two cycles
- The first cycle identifies critical defects
- The second cycle identifies medium and low defects and validates corrections for first cycle defects
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Defect management:
- Identify how defects are identified and labeled: critical, high, medium)
- tracking tools (JIRA, etc.)
- What needs to be documented when opening a defect
- Roles and responsibilities
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Metrics: Outline metrics to be reported and frequency
- Weekly: % complete, % pass, % fail
- Weekly: Status report
- Daily: Critical defects
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Defect tracking and reporting: Define the process/flow for tracking and reporting defects
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Test management tool: Provide details about tools used to manage tests
- Location
- Permissions required
- Reports
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Test design process
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Test execution process
- Tester executes each step in the test case
- Mark status as Pass or Fail
- Raise defects as needed
- Participate in Triage meetings to help route defects as appropriate
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Test risks and mitigation factors: Call out risks and mitigation plans
- Resources (people and money)
- Schedule
- Scope
- Defects
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Communications plan: How will communication happen and who will be involved
- Meetings
- Emails
- Status reports
- In-tool communications
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Roles: Identify roles on the project, with name and contact information
- Project manager
- QA lead
- QA team
- Business analyst
- Development lead
- Development team
- Stakeholders
- Location of software to be tested
- Permissions
- Hardware and software required for testers
- Contact information for support