Test Plans, Estimates and Strategies

Test Plan

A test plan is a formal document that describes the scope, objectives, approach, resources, and schedule of testing activities for a project. It defines what will be tested, how it will be tested, who will test it, and the criteria for success.

• Scope: What features and functionality are included or excluded from testing.
• Approach: The overall testing strategy, environments, and tools to be used.
• Resources: The people, hardware, and software required.
• Schedule: Timelines and milestones for testing activities.
• Entry/Exit Criteria: Conditions that must be met to start or conclude testing.

Test Estimation

Test estimation is the process of predicting the effort, time, and resources needed to complete testing activities. Common estimation techniques include:

• Expert judgement: Relying on experienced testers' opinions.
• Work breakdown structure (WBS): Breaking testing into smaller tasks and estimating each.
• Historical/analogy-based estimation: Using data from similar past projects.
• Three-point estimation: Combining optimistic, pessimistic, and most-likely estimates.

Test Strategy

A test strategy is a high-level document that outlines the overall testing approach for an organisation or project, defining the general methodology, types of testing to be performed, and standards to follow, independent of a specific test plan's day-to-day detail.