There are 7 essential truths that every project manager, developer, and tester should understand before writing a test plan or procedure. These simple facts form the foundation of a successful quality assurance plan.

1. 7 Essential Truths of Testing
by Bruce D. Green
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2. I hope this system
doesn’t suck.
1. We Test to
avoid failure
Some reasons for failure:
• Fails to match the business
workflow
• Users can’t find the
functions they need
• Critical functions are
missing
• The system is Slow
• It is not secure
• It breaks easily
• it is unreliable
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3. 2. Testing is the bridge
from prototype to product
Prototype Product
Test
Product Success Release
Failure
• The input to testing is a prototype and the output is either a
rejection due to failure or Acceptance upon a successful test.
• Success leads directly to release of the product to the next phase
or step in the development cycle and ultimately to final release.
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4. 3. The Test Plan is
our strategy.
Early in development we need to
meet with the team and design a
test strategy. The Test Plan
documents Test Cases and
schedules Test Cycles. The Test
Plan documents our approach to
assure a quality product.
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5. 4. A Test Case is a
type of test.
• Peer Review • Regression Test
• Audit • Pilot Test
• Unit Test • Smoke Test
• Alpha Test
• Component Test • Factory Acceptance Test(FAT)
• Usability Test • End-to-End Test (E2E)
• Code Review • User Acceptance Test (UAT)
• Exploratory Test • Beta Test
• Functional Test • System Integration Test (SIT)
• System Test
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6. Imagine a stone bridge that is built of individual
stone types.
When we look at the bridge
we see columns, headers,
foundation, arches, and road
surface. We see different
types of stones and different
shapes that are designed to
work together to create a
solid and reliable bridge.
Similarly, a well-designed test plan will consist of
different test types to lead to a successful product.
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7. 5. Test Cases are
repeated in Test Cycles
Looking at the stone column
on the left we see the same
two types of stone repeated to
create the structure.
In testing, we repeat the same
test case in different cycles.
For instance, a test case that
checks basic operation may be
run prior to and after an
integration test as well as part
of a regression or acceptance
test.
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8. 6. A Test Event is the individual
Test Cycle of a Test Case.
A simple but critical distinction is between Test Event and Test Case.
The Test Case is the type of test (like the arch stone is a type of
stone) whereas the Test Event is the actual individual test that is run
by John Doe at 0900 hours on 10 March 2013.
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9. 7. Each Test must
have a purpose
Our modern bridge, pictured above, has different truss elements and each
has a specific purpose in distributing static load and creating a solid and
reliable bridge.
Each test in our plan must also serve a purpose that delivers us to our goal of
building a successful product.
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10. Wow!
This system rocks!
The 7 Truths
about Testing
1. We Test to avoid failure
2. Testing is the bridge from
prototype to product
3. The Test Plan is our strategy
4. A Test Case is a type of test
5. Test Cases are repeated in
Test Cycles
6. A Test Event is the individual
Test Cycle of a Test Case.
7. Each Test must have a
purpose
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11. About the Author
Bruce D. Green is a successful
entrepreneur and the author of Six
Rules for Creating Products People Love -
available for purchase at Amazon
and Barnes & Noble.
Bruce provides team training,
consulting, and facilitation services
for product developers.
Bruce can be contacted at
bruce@greenxt.com
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