What is a Test Case?
To determine if the feature of an application is working as per expectations, testers need to work around input, action, and output for that feature. It is basically a set of instructions that validates a particular target which tells us if the behavior was satisfied or not.
Understanding test case requirements and writing is a skill which can not be possessed by everyone. One can master test case management with knowledge and experience and it can be divided into different levels based on the expertise of the tester.
Level 1: Basic test cases are created at this level for the given requirements according to user documentation.
Level 2: This is known as the practical stage where test cases are curated as per functional requirements and the way application works. System flow is considered in this phase to come up with the test cases.
Level 3: At this point, a test procedure is created. Different test cases will be grouped to do the needful. Usually, small test cases are grouped together which can be 10 at most.
Level 4: At this point, the system moves towards automation, and human interaction starts to decline. Testers shift their focus from regression testing towards updating the functionalities and make the required changes.
Why Write Test Cases?
To validate the test coverage of an application, it is mandatory to write the test cases. Test case management helps you to analyze the health of your software and ensure that testing standards are being performed closely. With test case management, ad-hoc testing is minimized and a standardized approach is followed in a systematic way.
Fields of a test case
- Test case ID
- Unit to test
- Assumptions
- Test Data
- Execution steps
- Expected result
- Actual result
- Pass/Fail
- Comments
Types of test you need to cover
- Functional cases
- Boundary value cases
- Negative cases
You need to ensure that the test cases you write are simple and easy to understand.
Tips to Start with Test Case Management
Out of all the duties assigned to a tester, writing test cases and managing them is considered as most important. There are some critical aspects that are related to this activity and one needs to understand them completely to carry out the duty in an ideal way. Below mentioned is the birds-eye view of all technicalities and factors which should be considered by the testing team or the testers themselves.
Test cases are prone to revisions
While creating test cases, try to keep them atomic and precise. A test case should neither be extremely simple not too complicated. You need to keep the right balance to derive maximum results. Steps should be mentioned in the proper and correct sequence and results should be mapped in the right order. A test case is supposed to be self-explanatory so that it can be understood by everyone. Any change in the requirements means that test cases need to be altered too. There are chances that during the execution phases, a better logic is developed where you can need to add or remove some test cases.
Distribute test cases among the testers
There would be hardly any situation where a single tester is responsible to execute all the test cases. Generally, numerous testers work on different test modules of a single application and they should be assigned test cases for the area they were working in the initial phase.
Cluster and Batch the test cases
Test cases that are related to a single scenario need to be executed in a specific order, to do that all those test cases should be clustered together as they are prerequisite for other test cases and that order should not be disturbed.
Test cases can be interdependent
Once you will work around the test cases, you will realize that they also have the tendency of interdependence. Applications having complex logic usually encounter this aspect and interdependency is more visible in medium to large applications. Testers should consider this aspect as well, different modules rely on one another and testing strategy should be designed in an intelligent way.
Distribution among developers
Test case execution is not limited to testers only. In an agile environment, developers also have to play their part to ensure that a system works as per expectations. When developers fix the issues, they are indirectly working around the test cases. Also in a test-driven environment, developers build their logic by incorporating test cases.
Conclusion
Test case efficiency is not merely achieved through definition, it is a complete exercise which needs to be carried out vigilantly. Testers need to shift their focus on test case management to build a strong base as it matures the entire testing process.
