It is essential to have a plan when preparing to test your software. But what's the difference between a test plan and a test strategy? And which one should you be creating? This article will explore the differences between test plans and strategies and help you decide which one is right for your project.
Table of Contents:
What is a Test Plan?
The Test Plan is a document that specifies the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended tests. It generally consists of the following documents: information on test procedures, the design of experiments (DOE), test environment configurations, expected results, and contingency plans. Other details the testing team needs to plan the effective execution of testing activities may also be included in the test plan.
A Test Plan is often created before the software development starts and provides a high-level roadmap that is used to build out more detailed test procedures. It should always be revisited throughout the testing process to ensure its accuracy (i.e., changes to the software being tested) and relevance (i.e., changes to team member assignments and deadlines).
The Test Plan should:
Be clear, concise, and easily understandable by all testing team members.
Clearly define the goals of your test effort, any risks that may be involved, and what you hope to achieve from it (benchmarking, etc.).
Detail the scope and boundaries of your intended test activities. These details include the environments that will be used, the platforms that will be targeted, and any testing limitations.
Include a summary of all test procedures (to make it easy for testers to reference individual policies when executing tests).
Detail the schedule of testing events (including start and end dates) as well as the time it will take to go through all test cases.
Include a list of any prerequisites needed to execute tests properly (e.g., specific hardware and software, access credentials, etc.).
Outline expected results for each test cycle or milestone in the testing process (perform automated checks, reproduce bugs found during previous testing cycles, etc.).
Detail contingency plans for any issues that might arise during testing (e.g., what happens if testers don't have the required hardware or software, no internet access).
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What is a Test Strategy?
The Test Strategy is a document that specifies the testing objectives, the overall testing process, and how you'll measure success. It complements your Test Plan by providing information on how to perform tests, the approach testers should take when going through test procedures, and what tools they'll need to use (e.g., automated checks).
A Test Strategy is often created just before or during the testing process and provides more detail than a Test Plan on how tasks should be completed. It is also an opportunity for testers to share ideas about which tests will give you the most value and outline any risks involved with the testing process.
The Test Strategy should:
Outline what you hope to achieve from testing (the objectives of your test effort).
Detail the overall approach you'll take when going through all test procedures (e.g., general vs. specific, top-down or bottom-up, risk-based, etc.).
Discuss any possible limitations that may impact the testing process (e.g., limited time, limited budget, no access to required data or equipment).
Describe your general testing process (e.g., how many testers will be involved and any deadlines imposed on the testing team).
Detail the methods you'll use to measure success (e.g., objective metrics vs. subjective judgments, results of cohort analyses, etc.).
What's the Difference Between a Test Plan and a Test Strategy?
Both documents help you plan and execute your test activities more effectively by assisting testers in understanding what to do and how they will be evaluated. The Test Plan focuses on providing details for testing procedures (e.g., which tests need to be conducted), whereas the Test Strategy focuses on the testing process (e.g., how tests should be performed).
A Test Plan is more formal and typically has a more extensive scope than a Test Strategy, which tends to be created at the beginning of testing or when significant milestones are reached. So, for example, you would likely make your Test Plan first and then use it as a guide when creating your Test Strategy.
Test Strategies are usually less formal than test plans and change throughout the testing process. For example, you may find that some of the tests proposed in your Test Strategy may no longer be relevant once you start executing them if other risks or issues come to light and need to be addressed.
It is critical that you document everything to avoid confusion and help everyone involved in the testing process in order to achieve their goals; this means having both a Test Plan and a Test Strategy in place. While these documents are typically created when beginning the QA process, it's important to revisit them at critical points throughout testing (e.g., when you start testing or reach significant milestones). This allows testers to ensure that they understand what's expected of them and helps avoid any confusion such as missed tasks, resources not being used effectively, etc.
When to Use a Test Plan vs. When to Use a Test Strategy?
A Test Plan is more of a high-level document and provides the framework for testing, whereas a Test Strategy focuses on how tasks should be carried out.
A Test Plan is helpful in situations where:
The project team isn't very familiar with testing methodologies and design techniques yet.
The budget is limited, and there isn't enough time to build a Test Strategy.
There's no dedicated testing team (i.e., the person who created the software also tests it).
The project is small and simple (e.g., a mobile application or an intranet site).
A Test Strategy is helpful in situations where:
You want to test the software more thoroughly than would be possible using traditional testing techniques.
There's sufficient time to review and refine your Test Strategy before testing begins.
Your company already has a mature testing process.
You have a dedicated testing team (e.g., there's a separate person responsible for testing).
The project is extensive and complex (e.g., a large website with multiple databases or enterprise software integrated with several other systems).
Summary
Test Plans and Test Strategies both help you plan and execute your test activities more effectively by helping testers understand what to do and how they'll be evaluated. The Test Plan focuses on providing details for testing procedures (e.g., which tests need to be conducted), whereas the Test Strategy focuses on the testing process (e.g., how tests should be performed). A Test Plan is more formal and typically has a larger scope than a Test Strategy, which tends to be created at the beginning of testing or when major milestones are reached.
I hope this article has helped you learn more about Test Plans vs. Strategies and whether a Test Plan or a Test Strategy is right for your project.
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Thank you for taking the time to read my article, I hope you enjoyed it.
