Test Management –Test Planning

Planning Test activities is Test Planning.

What is planning for Test activities?

Deciding answers for,

What to test?Is it the bottle or is it the liquid inside the bottle that is to be tested

How to test?Which test type? Which technique? What levels of testing? How many

cycles?

When to test?Dates / Schedules / Timelines etc

Who to test?Mr. X / Miss Y etc

I’m a test professional what will test plan provides me with?

Through test plan the following are defined, Scope (What to test) Test Approach (How to test) Test Environment (How to test) Test deliverables (How to test) Test Schedule (When to test) Entry, Exit, Suspension, Resumption Criteria (When to test) Staffing & Trainings (Who to test)

Test Management –Test Planning

Everything I want to know about testing of this project is available in Test plan. Is my test plan like a testing bible?

Yes B’coz you follow what is defined in Test plan.

But also this plan can be changed / modified as per the changed circumstances.

Test Management –Test Planning

Test Plan v1.0

Test Plan v2.0

Test Plan v3.0

Test plan can also be a multiple level document

Test Management –Test Planning

Test Plan (IEEE 829)

1. Test Plan Id: A unique Identifying reference (Eg: Flight_Reservation_TP1.0)

2. Introduction: A brief introduction to the document and the project for which it has been prepared

3. Test Items: A test item is a software item which is the object of testing (Eg: Billing module, Inventory module etc)

4. Features to be Features / Sub-features / Functions / Transactions / Quality Tested: characteristics that need to be tested

(Eg: 9 out of 10 total features in Billing module)

5. Features not to be Features / Sub-features / Functions / Transactions / Quality Tested: characteristics that need not be tested & why?

(Eg: 1out of 10 total features in Billing module)

Test Management –Test Planning

Test Plan (IEEE 829)

6. Test Approach: How to test????

Will include answers to such questions like

What test type? Functional / N.Functional etc

What techniques? BVA / ECP / Decision testing

What levels of testing? Unit / System / Acceptance

How many cycles of execution? -planned no. of cycles-

Test Management –Test Planning

Test Approach is defining answers toWhat test types?What test techniques?What levels of execution?How many cycles of execution?

Different test approachesIf answers to the above questions are defined based on the analysis of Requirements / Risks, such an approach is called Analytical approach

Statistical information / Usage profile / Reliability growth models define answers to the questions then such an approach is called Model based approach

Based on systematic coverage of a list of items, such as error guessing list, failure list, fault list a Methodical approach is defined.

As per the Life cycle process the answers are defined then such an approach is called as Process Compliant approach

Test Management –Test Planning

Different test approaches If the answers to the questions are defined in accordance with regulatory standards then such an approach is called as Standard Compliant approach

If answers are defined in consultation with experts such an approach is called as Consultative approach

Exploratory testing is referring to Dynamic or Heuristic approach (Reactive approach)

Regression averse approach involves automating existing test assets and executing such automation suites for every change. Relevant for Maintenance testing

Test Management –Test Planning

Selection of test approaches

For a particular project different approaches may be combined, if required.

Eg: Analytical approach + Regulatory compliant approach

Factors influencing selection of Test Approaches

Nature of the application Risk of failure of the project to humans / environment / company Objective of testing Skills and experience of the testers Regulatory aspects

Test Management –Test Planning

7. Item pass / fail criteria: Entry / Exit criteria

8. Suspension and Resumption Suspension: Temporary stoppage of test activities Criteria: Resumption: Resuming testing

9. Test deliverables: The documents which testing will deliver. E.g. test plans, test cases, test procedures, test summary reports etc

10. Testing tasks: List of all taskse.g: Test analysis tasks, test design tasks etc

11. Environmental needs: List of all environmental requirements such as hardware, software, PCs, desks, stationery etc

12. Responsibilities: Identifies the roles and tasks and responsibilities

Test Management –Test PlanningTest Plan (IEEE 829)

13. Staffing & training needs: Identifies staffing requirements & any specific skills and training needs. E.g. automation

14. Schedule: Document delivery dates and key milestones through Effort Estimation

Test Management –Test PlanningTest Plan (IEEE 829)

Is a process of determining the time required to accomplish a task.

2 approaches are recognized by the syllabus.Metrics based approachExpert based approach (Wide Band Delphi approach)

Metrics based approachBased on the data from previous / similar projects estimate the cost and time required for a similar project.

MetricsThe number of test conditionsThe number of test cases written & executedTime taken to develop test casesTime taken to execute test casesThe number of defects foundThe number of environmental outages and average time of outage (repair)

Test Management –Test PlanningTest Estimation

The expert-based approachBased on the inputs of the relevant experts an estimation of the cost and time required for the project is defined.

ExpertsBusiness expertsTest process consultantsDevelopersTechnical architectsAnalysts and designers

Test Management –Test Planning

Test Estimation

Factors that affect the level of effort required Size & Quality of the test basis The amount of non-functional requirements The security requirements How much documentation is required Complexity Skills of those involved in Testing and Development Use of tools Expected amount of errors

Test Management –Test Planning

Test Estimation

15. Risks & contingencies: High-level project risks and a contingency plan for each risk

16. Approvals: Identifies all approvers of the document, their titles and the date of signature

Test Management –Test PlanningTest Plan (IEEE 829)