Test Planning

Definition

Test planning is the testing task during which the testing activity will be planned.

The typical objectives of test planning are to produce and document the:

Test planning can typically begin when the following preconditions hold:

Test planning is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

The project test plan is complete and has been approved by the customer representative.

Test planning typically involves performing the following steps in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

Plan Project Testing:
- Determine the project test goals and objectives.
- Identify the test work products to be produced.
- Identify the teams that will perform the other testing tasks (e.g., produce these test work products).
- Identify the general testing tasks to be performed.
- Determine the different kinds of testing to be performed.
- For each kind of testing:
  - Define the tests.
  - Set the objectives of the tests.
  - Identify the preconditions for the tests.
  - Set the completion criteria for the tests.
  - Assign the test responsibilities to the appropriate teams.
  - Determine the associated testing tasks and testing techniques.
  - Determine the test tools to be used.
  - Determine the timing of the tests in terms of phases and major milestones.
Document Test Plans:
- Identify and obtain the project test plan conventions.
- Read both the content and format standard as well as the inspection checklist.
- Instantiate the document template.
- Fill in the content of the document.
- Informally evaluate the document against the inspection checklist.

Test planning can typically be performed using the following techniques:

Documentation conventions (e.g., templates, content and format standards, and inspection checklists).
Brainstorming
Reuse

Test planning typically results in the production of the following testing work products:

Select the appropriate parts of the reusable content from the Project Test Plan template.