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Test Planning Guide

Overview​

This guide outlines the test planning process at GravityVC, ensuring comprehensive test coverage and quality assurance for all projects.

Test Planning Process​

1. Requirements Analysis​

  • Review PRD and technical specifications
  • Identify testable requirements
  • Clarify ambiguous requirements with stakeholders
  • Document assumptions and constraints

2. Test Strategy Definition​

Types of Testing Required​

  • Unit Testing
  • Integration Testing
  • System Testing
  • User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
  • Performance Testing
  • Security Testing
  • Accessibility Testing

Test Approach​

  • Automation-first approach with the following standard ratios:
    • 80% Automated Tests
    • 20% Manual Tests (exploratory and UX-focused)

Test Types Distribution​

  1. Unit Tests (40%)

    • Every new feature requires unit tests
    • Minimum 90% code coverage
    • Focus on edge cases and error scenarios

  2. Integration Tests (25%)

    • API endpoint testing
    • Database interactions
    • Third-party integrations
    • Message queues and events

  3. End-to-End Tests (15%)

    • Critical user journeys
    • Payment flows
    • User authentication
    • Data persistence

  4. Manual Tests (20%)

    • Exploratory testing
    • UI/UX validation
    • Accessibility testing
    • User experience flows

Standard Tools​

  1. Unit Testing

    • Jest for JavaScript/TypeScript
    • PyTest for Python
    • JUnit for Java

  2. Integration Testing

    • Supertest for API testing
    • Testcontainers for database testing
    • Mock services for third-party APIs

  3. E2E Testing

    • Cypress for web applications
    • Detox for mobile applications
    • Selenium for complex web scenarios

  4. Manual Testing

    • TestRail for test case management
    • JIRA for defect tracking
    • Chrome DevTools for debugging

3. Resource Planning​

Team Allocation​

  • QA Engineers required
  • Automation Engineers required
  • Subject Matter Experts needed
  • Timeline and effort estimation

Environment Requirements​

  • Test environment specifications
  • Hardware requirements
  • Software requirements
  • Network requirements
  • Third-party integrations

4. Test Coverage Matrix​

Functional Coverage​

  • Feature coverage mapping
  • Business scenarios coverage
  • Integration points coverage
  • Error handling scenarios

Non-Functional Coverage​

  • Performance metrics
  • Security requirements
  • Accessibility requirements
  • Compatibility requirements

5. Entry and Exit Criteria​

Entry Criteria​

  • Code freeze completion
  • Development signoff
  • Environment readiness
  • Test data availability
  • Required documentation

Exit Criteria​

  • Test coverage targets met
  • Critical/High defects resolved
  • Performance criteria met
  • Stakeholder approval obtained
  • Documentation completed

Test Planning Checklist​

Pre-Planning Phase​

  • PRD review completed
  • Technical specification review completed
  • Stakeholder inputs gathered
  • Resource availability confirmed
  • Timeline constraints identified

Planning Phase​

  • Test strategy defined
  • Resource allocation completed
  • Test environment requirements documented
  • Test data requirements identified
  • Tools and frameworks selected
  • Risk assessment completed

Execution Preparation​

  • Test cases created/updated
  • Test data prepared
  • Test environment setup
  • Automation scripts ready
  • Defect tracking system configured

Review and Approval​

  • Test plan peer review completed
  • Stakeholder review completed
  • Final approval obtained
  • Plan distributed to team

Risk Assessment​

Technical Risks​

  • Complex integrations
  • New technologies
  • Performance bottlenecks
  • Security vulnerabilities

Project Risks​

  • Timeline constraints
  • Resource limitations
  • Dependency delays
  • Requirement changes

Mitigation Strategies​

  • Early risk identification
  • Contingency planning
  • Regular monitoring
  • Clear escalation path

Test Environment Management​

Environment Setup​

  • Development environment
  • Testing environment
  • Staging environment
  • Production-like environment

Configuration Management​

  • Version control
  • Configuration tracking
  • Environment restoration
  • Data refresh procedures

Access Control​

  • User access levels
  • Security protocols
  • Audit trails
  • Backup procedures

Test Data Management​

Data Requirements​

  • Test data volume
  • Data variety
  • Data sensitivity
  • Refresh frequency

Data Generation​

  • Manual data creation
  • Automated data generation
  • Data masking requirements
  • Data validation rules

Data Maintenance​

  • Backup procedures
  • Refresh procedures
  • Cleanup procedures
  • Version control

Documentation Requirements​

Test Plan Documents​

  • Test strategy document
  • Test cases document
  • Test data specification
  • Environment specification
  • Risk assessment document

Execution Documents​

  • Test execution logs
  • Defect reports
  • Progress reports
  • Metrics dashboard

Review Documents​

  • Review checklists
  • Review findings
  • Action items
  • Sign-off documents

Communication Plan​

Stakeholder Communication​

  • Progress reporting frequency
  • Escalation procedures
  • Review meetings
  • Status updates

Team Communication​

  • Daily standups
  • Test status updates
  • Blocker resolution
  • Knowledge sharing

Quality Gates​

Development Phase​

  • Code review completion
  • Unit test coverage
  • Static code analysis
  • Security scan results

Testing Phase​

  • Test coverage metrics
  • Defect density
  • Performance benchmarks
  • Security compliance

Release Phase​

  • UAT completion
  • Stakeholder approval
  • Documentation completion
  • Production readiness

Continuous Improvement​

Metrics Collection​

  • Test execution metrics
  • Defect metrics
  • Coverage metrics
  • Performance metrics

Process Improvement​

  • Retrospective findings
  • Lesson learned documentation
  • Process optimization
  • Tool evaluation

Knowledge Management​

  • Best practices documentation
  • Training materials
  • Template updates
  • Knowledge sharing sessions