QA teams are mostly running late due to their strict timelines. By the time they start testing, the development team is already pushing out builds with different functionality, so that is never too much time to write all the test cases they want or to review those that they already have in their repository. Keeping that in mind, teams need to spend their time writing an in-depth test for the more risky component of the app or conduct a sanity test over 80% of the complete system. Writing test cases is an art and so it is crucial for the entire process that the tests will be clear to all stakeholders involved to ensure the app quality. In modern times, QA teams use test case management tools to make their test cases more effective.
Test Case Best Practices
Test Cases Based on Risks and Priorities
QA experts should prioritize test cases to write that are based on specific project timelines and the risk factors of the application. A high-risk feature is scheduled for delivery in 6 weeks, maybe a high priority risk that for a low-risk feature due to the time limit. There is no given test case formula, testes need to consider this repeatedly.
Do not forget the 80/20 Rule
One of the basic principles behind sanity and smoke tests is 20% of tests will cover 80% of an application. While writing a short scenario, testers can identify a significant part of the bugs in an application. This is the reason why is it best to begin from an end-to-end sanity suite and then begin covering features in more depth. Additionally, when they cover a specific feature, it is better to work on the short tests that cover it end-to-end before moving further.
Create Test Cases that are not too Short or too Long
Testers need to ensure that the test suits should be defined in such a manner that they take between 45-90 minutes to run, which should also cover a major area of the system at once.
Ensure Other Team Members Complete Test Cases When Required
When QA experts are choosing what test to write, they can also be outsourced. This means that other team members can also work on writing test cases when they do not have much time to do so.
Run Tests Regularly to keep the Relevant
Apart from using the test case management tools, testers need to continuously make small changes to their test cases based on constraints like app changes, environment modification, etc. It is easier to make small changes, and it is better than making a complete one and writing a new one from the beginning.
Conclusion
Although there is no hard and fast rule to write an effective and good test case, yet the above-mentioned points can help you to consider how to write better test cases. However, these factors can help QA teams remain more relevant and that no major risk may remain uncovered.
