What is a Test Plan? Test Plan vs. Test Strategy (Complete Guide)

In software testing, a test plan is a must-have. A well-defined and comprehensive test plan provides all stakeholders involved with necessary information of the testing roadmap. Through it all members gain a shared vision for the testing approaches, strategies, objectives, resources, and timelines.

In this article, we will deep-dive into what a test plan is, why it is so important, and how to create a good test plan that truly improves the overall efficiency of your testing activities.

What is A Test Plan?

A test plan is a formal document that outlines the testing activities and strategies for evaluating the quality of a software system.

It includes details such as:

• Approach and methodology
• Scope and objectives
• Resources and timelines
• Risks and mitigation plans

Test Planning Process

The process of creating a test plan can vary based on the development methodology:

• Traditional (Waterfall)

  • The test plan is created at the beginning of the project.
  • It typically remains unchanged throughout the project.

• Agile

  • The test plan is created incrementally during each iteration.
  • It allows for frequent updates to address new requirements or issues.
  • Ensures flexibility to adjust as the project evolves.

Benefits of Test Planning

Everyone benefits in one way or another from a good test plan.

For QA Managers:

• Keeps testing organized and coordinated.
• Prevents wasted time and resources.
• Provides a clear structure while allowing flexibility to adjust timelines, metrics, and resources as needed.

For Team Members:

• Acts as a roadmap for each sprint, setting clear goals.
• Outlines testing tools, methods, and the test environment (software, hardware, and external services).
• Helps the team stay on track and know what’s expected.

For Stakeholders and Developers:

• Serves as a reference guide to keep everyone in sync.
• Helps track progress and ensure the project stays aligned with goals.
• Provides shared visibility for quick adjustments if problems arise.

Risk Management:

• Identifies potential risks that could impact testing.
• Outlines mitigation strategies to handle unexpected issues.
• Boosts confidence in the testing process by helping teams prepare for challenges.

How long does it take to build a test plan?

Creating a test plan is a collaborative effort. The QA manager is usually the owner of the test plan, and it usually takes about 2 - 3 days to build and review a simple test plan, while complex test plans may take about 1 week or more to fully finish.

Components of a Test Plan

A test plan is essentially a project management plan built specifically for a software testing project, which should always include the major components of a normal plan for project management purposes, including an overview, scope, methodology, resources, schedule, risks, and communication plan.

Of course, a test plan should go beyond that and also include information that would be beneficial to the testing process. Here are 8 crucial items that should be included in a good test plan:

Test Plan vs Test Strategy: Key Differences

Simply put, a test plan focuses on the specifics of testing for a particular project, while a test strategy sets the overarching approach and principles for testing across projects or the entire organization.

You can have a look at the table below to better understand the differences between the two

How To Create a Test Plan?

After that, we can start test planning, which consists of 9 steps:

1. Product Analysis

This is the initial step where testers focus on understanding the product and its architecture. Over time, this stage shifts from analyzing the product to reviewing previous testing efforts.

Steps for testers:

• Review product specifications and documentation to identify key features and functions that need testing.
• Identify any dependencies or external systems the product interacts with, as bugs can occur due to miscommunication between these modules.

Questions to ask stakeholders:

• What are the main goals of the product?
• Who is the target audience?
• What features are most important to customers?
• What risks or challenges could arise?
• What quality or performance standards must the product meet

2. Determine Testing Objective

After the product analysis session, the QA manager develops the Test Strategy document, which outlines the project objectives and testing types to be conducted. This helps teams prepare the necessary resources and tools for the testing process.

Best practices when defining test objectives:

• Test objectives are not fixed and can change as the project evolves.
• At the start, assign priority values to objectives so teams know which tasks to tackle first.
• Objectives with many dependencies should be prioritized early.
• Keep track of objective changes in the test plan to stay updated with evolving requirements.

Make sure to choose entry and exit criteria for your tests:

Entry Criteria (before testing begins):

• Development and unit testing are complete
• Test data and environment are available
• Requirements and test plans are signed off
• Test scripts and cases are prepared and reviewed

Exit Criteria (before testing ends):

• Critical defects are resolved and retested
• All test cases are executed and passed
• Performance targets are met
• Test summary report is completed

Sometimes teams must stop testing entirely and return the build to the development team if too many bugs make further testing counterproductive. To avoid this, teams can perform sanity checks—small-scale tests to assess the overall stability of the build before starting more detailed testing.

3. Identify test scenarios based on the outlined testing objectives

This is when we get into the granularity and the specifics. Based on all of the information outlined before, the QA team members can now start brainstorming test scenarios. Think about how users interact with your system.

Read More: How To Create Test Scenarios?

If you don't know which test cases to start with, here are the list of popular test cases for you. They should give you a good foundation of how to approach a system as a tester. 

1. Test Cases For API Testing
2. Test Cases For Login Page
3. Test Cases For Registration Page
4. Test Cases For Banking Application
5. Test Cases For E-commerce website
6. Test Cases For Search Functionality

4. Resource Planning

With all of the important items listed out, both teams have a clear idea of what will be tested. The QA manager can now work on resource planning. Usually the following resources should be available.

• Hardware
• Software
• Testing tools
• Personnel
• Training materials
• Testing environment
• Data
• Time
• Budget
• Communication and collaboration tools

5. Define Test Deliverables

Test deliverables are the artifacts that are produced during the testing process and that provide evidence of the testing activities that were performed. These deliverables may vary depending on the type of testing being conducted and the specific requirements of the project. Examples of test deliverables include:

• Test Cases
• Test Scripts
• Test Results
• Test Summary Report
• Defect Reports
• Traceability Matrix
• Test Environment
• User Acceptance Report

6. Define Test Schedule

Once you have a list of deliverables, you can start creating the test schedule by estimating the time needed for each testing stage. Consider factors such as:

• Complexity of each task
• Dependencies between tasks
• Required resources (tools, people, environments)

A good test schedule follows the SMART criteria:

• Specific – Clear goals and tasks
• Measurable – Progress can be tracked
• Achievable – Realistic deadlines
• Relevant – Aligned with project objectives
• Time-bound – Defined timelines and due dates

7. Review And Finalize

The last step in your QA plan is to review all the items you’ve outlined. Ask yourself these key questions to ensure nothing is missed:

• Have we included all key requirements and features that need to be tested?
• What are the potential risks, and have we added strategies to handle them?
• Is the test environment ready and does it meet the test plan’s requirements?
• Have we allocated the necessary resources (people, tools, etc.) for testing?
• Is the testing schedule realistic and aligned with the project timeline?

If everything checks out, your test plan is complete and ready for use.

Test Plan Sample Document

Here is a sample test plan for a Ride-Sharing Mobile Application (similar to an Uber/Lyft application):

How To Make Adjustments In A Test Plan?

1. Identify the reason for the adjustment: What has changed that requires an adjustment to the test plan? How will the adjustment affect the overall project goals and objectives?
2. Evaluate the impact of the adjustment: What are the potential risks and challenges associated with the adjustment? How will the adjustment affect the schedule, budget, or other project resources?
3. Update the affected sections of the test plan: Be aware of the dependencies in the test plan: 1 change can always influence another part.
4. Review and approve the changes with relevant stakeholders: encourage transparency in your team. A team-wide email should be good enough, but for more drastic changes, you may want a meeting to communicate more thoroughly

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is a test plan? 

A test plan is a document that describes the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing activities. It identifies the items to be tested, the features to be tested, the testing tasks, who will do each task, and any risks requiring contingency planning.

Q2: What should be included in a test plan? 

A test plan should include objectives, scope, approach, resources, schedule, test deliverables, dependencies, test environment, risk management, roles and responsibilities, and a communication plan.

Q3: How is test planning done in Agile development? 

In Agile development, test planning is iterative and done in smaller chunks during each sprint. This allows for continuous revision and adjustment based on feedback and changing requirements.

Q4: Who is responsible for creating a test plan? 

Typically, the QA manager is responsible for creating the test plan, but it should be a collaborative effort involving input from developers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure comprehensive coverage and accuracy.