ISTQB FOUNDATION 4.0 | Tutorial 48 | Test Execution Schedule | Test Prioritization | CTFL Tutorials

Summary

This tutorial delves into the ISTQB Foundation level certification, focusing on test planning and prioritization of test cases. It explains the criticality of prioritizing test cases based on factors like risk, complexity, and dependencies to ensure smooth execution. The video outlines common prioritization strategies, including risk-based, coverage-based, and requirement-based approaches, and illustrates how to integrate these with dependencies to establish a test execution schedule. The tutorial aims to guide viewers in understanding the nuances of test case prioritization and execution planning for effective software testing.

Takeaways

• 📘 Test case prioritization is a critical activity in the test process to ensure efficient execution and adherence to project specifics.
• 🔄 Test cases can be written in any order, but they must be prioritized for execution based on various factors such as complexity, risk, and dependencies.
• 🎯 Prioritizing test cases early can be beneficial, but it's also acceptable to write them in any order and prioritize later when more clarity on project requirements is available.
• 🔑 Common prioritization strategies include risk-based, coverage-based, and requirement-based prioritization, each focusing on different aspects of test case importance.
• 🚨 Risk-based prioritization focuses on executing test cases related to the most significant risks first to ensure critical issues are addressed promptly.
• 🌐 Coverage-based prioritization ensures that test cases covering the most functionality are executed first, maximizing the breadth of testing early in the process.
• 📋 Requirement-based prioritization aligns test case execution with the priority of the requirements as defined by stakeholders, ensuring high-priority features are tested first.
• 🔄 Dependencies between test cases can alter the execution order; a lower-priority test case must be executed first if it is a prerequisite for a higher-priority one.
• 📝 A test execution schedule is a structured plan that defines the order of test case execution, taking into account prioritization strategies and dependencies.
• 🔍 Understanding the balance between priority, technical, and logical dependencies is essential for creating an effective test execution schedule.
• 🛠️ The final execution order may require adjustments based on the interplay of priority and dependencies, emphasizing the importance of a flexible and informed approach to testing.

Q & A

What is the significance of test case prioritization in the test process?

Test case prioritization is crucial because it ensures that the most critical and high-risk test cases are executed first, allowing for early detection of major issues and ensuring smooth test execution without blockers.

What are some factors to consider when prioritizing test cases?

Factors to consider include the complexity of the test case, the associated risks, dependencies between test cases, and the prioritization of requirements.

How can requirement prioritization influence test case writing?

If requirements are prioritized early, test cases can be written to align with these priorities, ensuring that the most important aspects of the project are tested first.

What is risk-based prioritization?

Risk-based prioritization involves executing test cases based on the results of risk analysis, prioritizing test cases that address the highest risks first.

What is coverage-based prioritization?

Coverage-based prioritization focuses on the extent of code or requirement coverage achieved by test cases. Test cases that achieve the highest coverage are executed first.

What is requirement-based prioritization?

Requirement-based prioritization orders test execution based on the priorities of requirements as defined by stakeholders, with test cases for the most important requirements executed first.

How do dependencies affect test case execution order?

If a test case has a higher priority but is dependent on the execution of another test case, the dependent test case must be executed first to remove the dependency.

What is the difference between technical and logical dependencies in test execution?

Technical dependencies are based on functional relationships between elements, such as needing to sign up before logging in. Logical dependencies are based on test execution order, like running valid test cases before invalid ones.

How can highly independent tests be managed in the execution schedule?

Highly independent tests, especially those with high priority, can be executed before removing dependencies of other high-priority test cases to optimize the execution schedule.

What is the final order of execution when considering all factors (priority, technical dependency, and logical dependency)?

The final order of execution prioritizes independent and high-priority tests first, followed by dependent high-priority tests, and then medium and low-priority tests, while ensuring all dependencies are resolved appropriately.