Software testing is a necessary part of software development. A test plan can be used to ensure that all aspects of the application are thoroughly tested before release.
This blog post will go over how to create a test plan for your project, so you know what needs to be done in order for all parts of the code to be fully tested.
It’s important not only for quality assurance purposes but also because it helps with meeting deadlines and budgets.
Step One: Determine Scope
Before you can create a software test plan, you need to know what needs testing.
Your project may have specific requirements or deadlines that need to be followed, so make sure those are clear before starting your software test plan as well.
Secondly, determine the scope of your software and how far reaching it is.
For example a web application will require different types of tests than a mobile app since they’re targeting two very different platforms with distinct sets of features and limitations.
Step Two: Write Down Test Cases
Once you’ve defined the scope, take some time to write down all aspects of your software that could potentially break during use under various circumstances (known as ‘test cases’).
Once this list has been created go through each one individually to figure out exactly what goes into actually performing these tasks from start-to-finish.
You don’t need to get too hung up on the details at this point, but it’s important that you document all of these cases including expected outcomes and how they were performed so your software testers know exactly what needs testing once they receive their assignment.
This can also be done in a spreadsheet for easy reference later on if needed.
Step Three: Write Down Test Environment Information
Next, you need to write down any hardware or software requirements that may affect software performance and compatibility across different devices/operating systems (if applicable).
If there are specific software tools required during use, make sure those applications will be available on test machines writing them into your software test plan.
Be aware that software may behave differently based on the number of cores or amount of RAM, so it’s important to make sure the appropriate information is available before testing.
This step may be repeated several times as software revisions are created and new features added/removed which can affect compatibility across different platforms.
Also pay attention to any external dependencies your software relies upon (for example an app that requires access to a location service).
Issues with those services could prevent software from operating correctly if not accounted for in advance during development.
Step Four: Document Test Environment Setup Procedure
Once all hardware factors have been documented you need to write down how test machines should be set up prior to running tests against them.
You’ll want each tester assigned their own machine with software pre-installed and all required software tools readily available.
This step is also important to ensure software compatibility so you’ll need to have a test machine set up for each different device your software will be run on (i.e Android, iOS, Windows Phone).
Step Five: Write Down Test Execution Procedure
Finally, write down how testing should go from start to finish, including what steps testers should follow when performing tests in order of priority.
This ensures that actual execution follows your documented procedure and doesn’t vary too much between individuals assigned to perform testing which can lead to missed bugs or inaccurate results if not approached correctly.
For example, every tester would begin by checking installation procedures before proceeding onto using software features.
Although software testing involves a lot of creativity and initiative on the tester’s part, it is important to keep in mind that you always need some sort of documented plan for software tests before beginning any new assignment.
This ensures every tester knows exactly what they should be doing (and how) without having too much variation between them which can lead to inaccurate results or missed bugs altogether!