Characteristics of a Good Test Case
Characteristics of a Good Test Case
In this tutorial, we will learn about the characteristics of a Good Test Case. A Test Case is a document describing test input, actions, and expected response to determine whether the application’s features are working correctly.
Test Case document
The Test Case document includes the following elements:
- The purpose of the Test or description of what requirement is being Tested.
- The method of how it will be Tested. ( For example: Manual or Automated )
- The setup to Test: Version of application under Test, Hardware, Software, Operating System, data files, security access, prerequisites such as our tests, logical or physical date.
- Test Inputs
- Test Steps and Actions
- Expected Test Results and Outputs
Good Test Case
A good test case has a high potential to uncover an error, thus the successful execution of a significant Test Case increases our confidence in the correctness of the software program.
Writing good test cases is the most extensive effort in preparing to test software. How can you write Quality Test Cases that will deliver economical Testing the first time plus live again as Regression Tests?
Characteristics of a Good Test Case
Test Cases must meet the following standards:
Accurate: They test what their descriptions say they will test.
Clear and Concise: Each test case should be straightforward to understand. Avoid ambiguity by using precise language and clearly defined terms.
Traceable: You have to know what requirement the case is testing. Each test case should be linked to a specific requirement or user story. This helps in ensuring that all requirements are covered and facilitates tracking.
A good test case should have:
Preconditions: Specify any prerequisites that must be met before executing the test case, such as specific configurations, data setup, or system states.
Postconditions: Define the system’s state after the test case has been executed. This helps in understanding the impact of the test and ensuring that the system is left in a consistent state.
Self-Explanatory and Repeatable: A good test case should be easy to understand without requiring additional explanations. The purpose, steps, and expected results should be clear to anyone reading it.
Repeatable: It should produce the same results each time it is executed under the same conditions. This ensures consistency and reliability in testing.
Appropriate. A test case has to be appropriate for the testers and environment. If it is theoretically sound
but requires skills that none of the testers have, it will sit on the shelf. Even if you know who is testing the
first time, you need to consider down the road — maintenance and regression.
Reusable: A good test case can be reused in different scenarios or test cycles. Avoid test cases that are too specific to a single instance.
Self-cleaning: Picks up after itself. It returns the test environment to the pre-test state. For example, it
doesn’t leave the test system set at the wrong date. Automated scripts may call other scripts to do this.
Don’t confuse this standard with being destructive. Tests should be destructive, including trying to break a simulated production environment in controlled, repeatable ways.
