Test Strategy vs Test Plan: Differences and Importance

A test plan is a structured approach that saves much time during testing because you’ll know exactly what needs to be done and when. It helps you maintain momentum. According to Newton’s 1st law, an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force

1. TestInfrastructure&End-to-EndTestingCloud
TestStrategyvsTestPlan:
DifferencesandImportance
Anefficienttestplanorstrategyiscuratedbeforeyoustartexecutingthe
testingprocess.Bothofthesetermslooksimilar,butarethey?Is“Testplan”
thesameas“teststrategy”?Ifyes,whyaretheyuseddifferently?

2. Orplanningissomehowdifferentfromstrategizingwhenitcomesto
“softwaretesting”?
Let’sdiscussteststrategyvstestplantofindout!
WhatisaTestPlan?
Asthenamesuggests,it’saplanoutliningtheobjectives,scope,approach,
resources,andschedulerequiredtotestthesoftware.Inthe‘testplanvstest
strategy’discussion,atestplanprovidesaroadmapofthenecessarysteps
youneedtotaketotestyoursoftwareeffectively.
WhyisaTestPlanNecessary?
Atestplanisastructuredapproachthatsavesmuchtimeduringtesting
becauseyou’llknowexactlywhatneedstobedoneandwhen.Ithelpsyou
maintainmomentum.AccordingtoNewton’s1stlaw,anobjectinmotion
staysinmotionunlessacteduponbyanexternalforce.Thesameprinciple
appliestotesting.Ifyoustoptodecideyournextstep,yourproductivitydrops
withoutrealizingit.
Apartfromtheproductivityscenario,atestplanwillkeepshareholders,
developers,andtheentireteamupdatedaboutthetestingprocess.Thiswill
facilitateclearcommunicationandcoordinationbetweeneveryoneinvolved.
DifferentTypesofTestPlans
Detailingisessential.Youshouldbeextremelyclearaboutthegoalyouwant
toachievethroughtesting.Keepingthisinmind,testplansaredifferentiated
accordingtothetestingtypes,levels,andsizesofaplan.
Theyareof3types:

3. 1.Level-specifictestplan:Thisincludesplanningforunittests,integration
tests,andsystemtests.
2.Types-specifictestplan:Ifyouwanttoplanforkeyparameterslike
settingperformancegoals,creatingtestscenarios,settingupthetest
environment,andidentifyingtoolsforevaluation,thenatype-specific
testplanwillsuityoubest.
3.Mastertestplan:Amasterplanhasallthekeydetailsandprovidesa
completeoverviewofthetestingprocess.It’sahigh-leveldocument
thatrarelygoesthroughanyreviews.
WhataretheKeyComponentsofaTestPlan?
1.Objectives:Specificgoalstestersneedtoachievewithintheproject.
2.Deliverables:Containsdifferentdocuments,models,code,andother
outputsliketestcases,testscripts,andtestreportsfromthetesting
process.
3.Schedule:Providesthetimelineforconductingthetestingactivities,
includingstartandenddatesforeachphaseoftesting.
4.Environment:Detailsaboutthehardware,software,network,andtools
neededfortesting.
5.ResourceAllocation:Informationabouttheteammembersinvolvedin
testingandtheirspecificrolesandresponsibilities.
6.DesignTechniques:Containsmethodsusedtodesigntestcases,like
equivalencepartitioning,boundaryvalueanalysis,anddecisiontable
testing.
7.ExecutionPlan:Hasadetailedplanforexecutingthetestcaseswiththe
sequenceofexecutionandanydependencies.
8.EntryandExitCriteria:Describestheconditionsthatmustbemetto
startandcompletethetestingactivities.

4. 9.RiskandContingencyPlanning:Identifiespotentialrisksandoutlines
strategiesformitigatingthem.
HowToWriteaTestPlan
Beforewritingatestplan,involveeveryonewhomatters(shareholders,
businessanalysts,andothers).QAsdon’tworkalone.Developerstalkabout
systemdesign,software,andhowtheywritecode.Peoplewhoknowthe
businessalsojoinin.Workingtogethermakesthetestplanbetter.
Testplanningconsistsof9steps,andwearegoingtodiscusseachonein
detail.
1.Analyzetheproduct
Thisstageunderstandstheproductanditsarchitecture.Testersask
stakeholdersabouttheproduct’smaingoals,targetaudience,keyfeatures,
risks,andcriticalqualitymetrics.Aptproductanalysishelpstestersidentify
whatneedstobetestedanduncoverpotentialissuesduetomodule
miscommunication.
2.Definetestinggoals
NowtheQAmanagercreatesaTestStrategydocumenttodiscussproject
objectivesandtypeslikefunctional(APItesting)andnon-functional(visual
testing).Objectivesareprioritizedandcanchangeovertime.Sometimes,
testingispausediftoomanybugsarefound,andsanitychecksaredonefirst
toavoidtestingbrokenbuilds.Thetestplantracksthesechangesand
objectivestoguidethetestingprocess.
3.Definetestscenarios

5. Theinformationgatheredisusedtobrainstormtestscenariosbyconsidering
howusersinteractwiththesystem.Forexample,whentestinganew
e-commercewebsite,theylookatthebusinesslogic(searchforproducts,add
itemstothecart,andmakepayments),requirements(accuratesearch,
correctpricing,securepayment),andtestobjectives(verifysearchspeedand
accuracy,checkpricinginthecartandcheckout,recheckpaymentsecurity
options).Theseelementscreatedetailedtestscenariosforthoroughtesting.
4.Resourceplanning
It’stimetonowfocusonhardware,software,testingtools,personnel,training
materials,testingenvironment,data,time,budget,andcommunicationtools.
Resourceplanningallocatesallneededresourcesproperlyfortesting.This
way,testingrunssmoothlyacrossdifferentprojectstages,keepingoperations
efficientandeffective.
5.Definetestdeliverables
Testdeliverablesaretheoutputsgeneratedduringtestingtoshowwhat
testingactivitieshavebeendone.Thesecanvarybasedonthetypeoftesting
andprojectneeds.Someoftheexamplesare–testcases,scripts,results,
summaryreports,defectreports,traceabilitymatrices,detailsaboutthe
testingenvironment,anduseracceptancereports.
6.Definetestschedules
Thetestscheduledetermineshowlongeachtestingstagewilltakebasedon
factorslikecomplexity,dependencies,andavailableresources.Youcanset
milestonestotrackprogressandknowwheretheprojectstandsatanygiven

6. time.YoucancreateaclearandeffectivetestplanbyfollowingSMARTrules.
JustmakeyourtestschedulegoalsSpecific,Measurable,Achievable,Relevant,
andTime-bound
7.EvaluateandFinish
Intheend,allyouhavetodoisreviewthekeyrequirements,potentialrisks,
testenvironmentreadiness,resourceallocation,andschedulefeasibility.Once
everythingisup-to-date–yourtestplanisreadyforuse.
ChallengesinTestPlanning
Someofthecommonchallengesintestplanningaregivenbelow:
1.TimeConstraints:Thereislimitedtimeavailablefortesting.Projects
havetightdeadlinesduetowhichthereisnotenoughtimeto
thoroughlytestallfunctionalitiesandscenarios.
2.Limitedresources:Resourceslikeskilledtesters,testingtools,and
infrastructureareessentialforeffectivetesting.Butsometimesthereis
notenoughbudgetandothertimestheresourcesthemselvesarenot
available.Itpreventstestersfromtestingeffortlessly.
3.ScopeCreep:Unclearorexpandingprojectscopeleadstoscopecreep,
whereadditionalfeaturesareaddedduringdevelopment.Thisimpacts
testplanning,astestcasesandtimelineswillnowbeadjusted
accordingly.
4.TechnicalChallenges:Testingnewtechnologiesandplatformsisquite
challenging.Youneedtocheckcompatibility,performance,and
securityindifferentenvironments,whichrequirescarefulplanningand
testingstrategies.
5.CommunicationIssues:Effectivecommunicationamongteam
membersisimportantforsuccessfultestplanning.Miscommunication

7. orlackofclarityleadstomisunderstandings,delays,orincomplete
testingcoverage.
WhatisaTestStrategy?
Inthecontextof‘testplanvsteststrategy’,ateststrategyisadocumentthat
determinesthebestapproachtoeffectivesoftwaretesting.Itanswers5main
questions.
●Thefirstoneis–whattotest?Identifiesfeaturesandfunctionsofthe
softwarethatneedtobechecked.
●Thesecondis–Howtotest.Itsimplydescribesthemethodsandtools
usedtotestthesoftware.
●Thethirdis–whentotest.Itmentionsthetimelinesandstagesof
testing.
●Thefourthis–Whowilltest.Itcontainsdetailsofalltherolesand
responsibilitiesofthepeopleinvolvedintesting.
Last,butnotleast,thisquestionanswerswhywearetestingthisparticular
softwareinthefirstplace.Itexplainsthegoalsandreasonsfortesting.
WhyDoWeNeedaTestStrategy?
Aclearteststrategyprovidesaroadmapfortestingsoftware,definingthe
scope,formats,processes,tools,reports,andclientcommunication.Itoutlines
thetechniquestospecifythemodulestotestandaddresskey
product-centricrequirements.
Bysettingupthepriorities,allocatingresourceseffectively,and
implementingconsistenttestingmethods,testingprofessionalsensurean
organizedapproachtotestingefforts.

8. Suchanapproachcanhelpvalidatethatallpartsofthesoftwarearetested,
bug-free,andprogresseffectivelytoclients.
DifferentTypesofTestingStrategies
Justliketestplans,testingstrategiescanalsobeclassifiedintovarioustypes.
Eachoneofthemismentionedbelow:
1.ConsultativeStrategy:Experts,stakeholders,orusersgivetheirinputto
determinewhatandhowtotest.
2.Model-basedstrategy:Here,thetestingteamcreatesamodelbasedon
arealorexpectedsituation.Theyconsiderinputs,outputs,processes,
andpotentialbehaviorsfortesting.
3.Process-orientedstrategy:Here,wekeepinmindtheexisting
standards,liketheIEEEstandards.
4.AnalyticalStrategy:Analyticalstrategyincludestypeslikerisk-based
testingandrequirements-basedtesting.Thetestingteamchecksthe
riskanddecideswhattotestbasedonthat.
5.ReactiveStrategy:Thistypeoftestingisusedindynamicenvironments,
asitworksonfeedbackandissuesfoundduringthetestingprocess.
6.Stability-focusedstrategy:Here,weperformregressiontestingto
preventbugsfrombeingreintroducedintothesoftware.
7.MethodicalStrategy:Ithasauser-basedchecklistandstrictlyasksyou
tomaintainit(like,ISO25000)whilecreatinganeffectivestrategy.
8.Continuoustestingstrategy:ContinuoustestinginDevOpsandAgile
integratesautomatedtestsintoCI/CD.Thisway,youcangetquick
feedback,fasterreleases,andearlybugdetection.
9.Risk-basedstrategy:Testhigh-risksoftwareareastooptimizeresources
andprioritizeimportanttests.

9. 10.Crowdtestingstrategy:Crowdtestingusesexternaltestersonvarious
devicesandplatformstofinddefectsthatin-houseteamssometimes
miss.Helpinginprovidingdiverseinsightsanduserperspectives.
WhatDoesaTestStrategyDocumentContains?
Ateststrategydocumentismadeupofthefollowing:
1.Coverage/scope:Coverspartsofthesoftwarewillbetested.
2.Objectives:Outlinesthegoalsandaimsoftesting.
3.Approach:Discussesdifferentmethodsandtypesoftesting.
4.Environment:Setuptestingneeds–hardwareandsoftware.
5.Tools:Liststhetoolsandresourcesthatwillbeusedfortesting.
6.Schedule:Providesatimelinefordifferenttestingactivities.
7.RolesandResponsibilities:Identifieswhowillperformeachtesting
activity.
8.RiskManagement:Pointsoutpotentialrisksandoutlinesplansto
addressthem.
9.Deliverables:Containsdocumentsandreportsproducedduringand
aftertesting.
10.CommunicationPlan:Thishasdetailsonhowprogressandresultswill
becommunicatedtostakeholdersandotherteammembers.
11.EntryandExit:Containsconditionstostartandfinishtesting.
ChallengesWhileCreatinganEffectiveTestStrategy
1.BalancingAutomationandManualTesting:Creatingabalance
betweenautomatedandmanualtestingbasedonproject
requirements,timelines,andthecomplexityoftestscenariosisa
challengeinitself.
2.ContinuousImprovement:Testingstrategiesevolvethroughoutthe
projectlifecyclebasedonfeedback,lessonslearned,andchangesin

10. projectrequirements.Maintainingamindsetofcontinuous
improvementhelpsindealingwithchallengessothatteststrategies
remainrelevant.
3.Unclearrequirements:Unclearorchangingprojectrequirementsmake
itdifficulttodefinetestingobjectivesandscope.Thisambiguityleads
tomisunderstandingswhiletesting.
Difference:TestPlanvsTestStrategy
Whencomparingteststrategyvstestplan,it’scleartheyhavedifferent
purposes.Thereasonsforcreatingatestplanaredifferentfromthereasons
forcreatingatestingstrategy.Bothhavedifferentlevelsofdetail.
Let’sdiscusstestplanvsteststrategyindetail-

11. Atestplanfocusesonthe“how”oftestingwithinaproject,andateststrategy
definesthe“what”and“why”oftestingacrossprojects.Combiningdetailed
executionwithhigh-levelstrategicgoals,testersmeetbothimmediate
projectneedsandlong-termqualityobjectives.
Conclusion:TestStrategyvsTestPlan
Weallhaveheardabouthowaneffectivetestplanandteststrategywill
createsoftwarethatuserscanrelyon.Thesetermslooksosimilarthat
sometimespeoplethinktheyarethesame.Thisblogaimedtoclarifythekey
differencesinthe‘testplanvsteststrategy’debate.Anefficienttestershould
beawareoftheirdifferences,importance,andimpactonthesoftwareand
thetestingprocess.
Rememberthatstrategyguidestheoveralldirection,whiletheplangetsinto
thenitty-grittydetailslikeschedulesandspecifictests.Whenthese
documentsworktogether,youtestmuchbetterandmeetgoalsmuchfaster.
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Source:Thisarticlewasoriginallypublishedattestgrid.io