5.1.Test Planning

Question 1

What is the purpose of a test plan?

Answer 1

To describe the objectives, resources, and processes for a test project.

Question 2

What are some key functions of a test plan?

Answer 2

1. Documents the means and schedule for achieving test objectives.
2. Ensures performed test activities meet established criteria.
3. Serves as a communication tool with team members and stakeholders.
4. Demonstrates adherence to existing test policy and strategy or explains deviations.

Question 3

How does test planning benefit testers?

Answer 3

It guides testers’ thinking, forces them to confront future challenges, and helps think through the efforts needed to achieve test project objectives.

Question 4

What are some typical contents of a test plan?

Answer 4

1. Context of testing (scope, objectives, constraints, test basis).
2. Assumptions and constraints.
3. Stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities.
4. Communication forms and frequency.
5. Risk register.
6. Test approach (levels, types, techniques, deliverables, criteria, metrics, data, environment requirements).
7. Budget and schedule.

Question 5

Where can more details about the test plan and its content be found? (standard)

Answer 5

In the ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-3 standard.

Question 6

What are the two kinds of planning in iterative SDLCs?

Answer 6

Release planning and iteration planning.

Question 7

What does release planning involve?

Answer 7

1. Looking ahead to the product release.
2. Defining and refining the product backlog.
3. Refining larger user stories into smaller ones.
4. Basis for the test approach and test plan across all iterations.

Question 8

How do testers contribute to release planning?

Answer 8

1. Writing testable user stories and acceptance criteria.
2. Participating in project and quality risk analyses.
3. Estimating test effort for user stories.
4. Determining the test approach.
5. Planning the testing for the release.

Question 9

What does iteration planning focus on?

Answer 9

It looks ahead to the end of a single iteration and is concerned with the iteration backlog.

Question 10

How do testers contribute to iteration planning?

Answer 10

1. Participating in detailed risk analysis of user stories.
2. Determining testability of user stories.
3. Breaking down user stories into testing tasks.
4. Estimating test effort for all testing tasks.
5. Identifying and refining functional and non-functional aspects of the test object.

Question 11

What are entry criteria in testing?

Answer 11

Preconditions that must be met before undertaking a given activity to ensure that the activity is effective, efficient, and low-risk.

Question 12

What are some typical entry criteria for a test level?

Answer 12

Availability of resources (people, tools, environments, test data), availability of testware (test basis, testable requirements, test cases), and initial quality level of the test object (e.g., all smoke tests have passed).

Question 13

What are exit criteria in testing?

Answer 13

Conditions that must be met to declare an activity completed, ensuring that the test objectives have been achieved.

Question 14

What are some typical exit criteria for a test level?

Answer 14

Measures of thoroughness (coverage level, number of unresolved defects, defect density), and completion criteria (all planned tests executed, static testing performed, all defects reported, all regression tests automated).

Question 15

What is the equivalent of exit criteria in Agile software development?

Answer 15

Definition of Done, which defines the team’s objective metrics for a releasable item.

Question 16

What is the equivalent of entry criteria in Agile software development?

Answer 16

Definition of Ready, which outlines the conditions a user story must meet to start development and testing activities.

Question 17

How is test effort estimated using ratios?

Answer 17

By using historical data from previous projects to derive standard ratios, which can then be applied to the current project’s expected effort. For example, if the development-to-test effort ratio was 3:2 and development effort is 600 person-days, the test effort is estimated at 400 person-days.

Question 18

What is extrapolation estimation in testing?

Answer 18

A metrics-based technique where early project measurements are used to approximate the effort required for the remaining work by extrapolating the data using a mathematical model.

Question 19

What is the Wideband Delphi technique?

Answer 19

An iterative, expert-based estimation method where experts independently estimate effort, discuss deviations, and revise estimates until a consensus is reached. Planning Poker is a variant used in Agile.

Question 20

How is test effort estimated using the three-point estimation technique?

Answer 20

By calculating the weighted arithmetic mean of the most optimistic (a), most likely (m), and most pessimistic (b) estimates. The formula is E = (a + 4*m + b) / 6.

Question 21

What is risk-based test case prioritization?

Answer 21

Prioritizing test cases based on coverage, executing those that achieve the highest coverage first, or using additional coverage prioritization to maximize coverage incrementally.

Question 22

What is requirements-based test case prioritization?

Answer 22

Prioritizing test cases based on the priority of the requirements traced back to them, with the most important requirements’ test cases executed first.

Question 23

What does the test pyramid model represent?

Answer 23

It shows different levels of test granularity, with smaller, isolated, fast tests (unit tests) at the bottom and complex, high-level, end-to-end tests at the top.

Question 24

What does the testing quadrants model depict?

Answer 24

It groups test levels with appropriate test types, activities, techniques, and work products, categorizing them as technology-facing or business-facing and whether they support the team or critique the product.