Project Toolkit

Test Approach

Test Approach

Defining the test strategy, approach, and test phases for the project.

Test Approach

The Test Approach defines how testing will be conducted to verify the solution meets requirements and is fit for purpose.

Purpose

A clear test approach ensures:

  • Testing is planned and resourced appropriately
  • Defects are found before go-live
  • Stakeholders have confidence in quality
  • Acceptance criteria are verified
  • Risks are identified and mitigated

Test Strategy vs Test Approach

Test Strategy Test Approach
Organisation-wide standards Project-specific application
Defines what should be done Defines how it will be done
Relatively stable Tailored per project
Owned by QA function Owned by project

Test Levels

flowchart LR A[Unit
Testing] --> B[Integration
Testing] B --> C[System
Testing] C --> D[UAT] D --> E[Operational
Testing] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E blue
Level Description Responsibility
Unit Testing Individual components work Development team
Integration Testing Components work together Development/Test team
System Testing End-to-end functionality Test team
UAT Business requirements met Business users
Operational Testing Non-functional requirements Operations/Test team

Test Types

Type Purpose
Functional Verify features work correctly
Regression Ensure changes don’t break existing functionality
Performance Verify speed and scalability
Security Identify vulnerabilities
Usability Assess user experience
Accessibility Verify compliance with accessibility standards
Data Migration Validate migrated data

Test Planning Activities

Activity Description
Define scope What will and won’t be tested
Identify test types Which types of testing apply
Plan resources Who will test and when
Define environments Where testing will occur
Set entry/exit criteria When to start and stop
Plan data What test data is needed
Define defect process How issues are managed

Entry and Exit Criteria

Entry Criteria (ready to start)

  • Test environment available
  • Test data prepared
  • Test cases written
  • Code deployed to test environment
  • Required documentation available

Exit Criteria (ready to proceed)

  • All planned tests executed
  • Critical/high defects resolved
  • Test coverage targets met
  • Sign-off obtained
  • Outstanding risks documented

Test Environment Strategy

Environment Purpose Data
Development Developer testing Synthetic data
Integration Integration testing Synthetic data
System Test Full system testing Representative data
UAT Business acceptance Production-like data
Pre-production Final validation Masked production data

Test Data Considerations

  • Availability: Can we get appropriate data?
  • Relevance: Does it cover required scenarios?
  • Privacy: Is sensitive data masked?
  • Volume: Is there enough for performance testing?
  • Refresh: Can we reset data between test cycles?

Defect Management

flowchart LR A[Identify] --> B[Log] B --> C[Triage] C --> D[Fix] D --> E[Retest] E --> F[Close] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue

Defect Severity

Severity Description
Critical System unusable, no workaround
High Major function broken, workaround difficult
Medium Function impaired, workaround exists
Low Minor issue, cosmetic defect

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

UAT confirms the solution meets business needs:

Aspect Description
Who Business users, not IT
What Business scenarios, not technical tests
When After system testing complete
Success Business sign-off obtained

UAT Best Practices

  • Involve users in test case development
  • Use realistic business scenarios
  • Provide training before testing
  • Allocate dedicated time for users
  • Have support available during testing

Test Metrics

Metric What It Measures
Test coverage % of requirements with tests
Test execution % of tests run
Pass rate % of tests passing
Defect count Number of defects found
Defect closure rate Rate of defect resolution
Defect leakage Defects found after UAT

Test Approach Checklist

  • Test scope defined?
  • Test types identified?
  • Test phases planned?
  • Resources allocated?
  • Environments available?
  • Test data strategy defined?
  • Entry/exit criteria set?
  • Defect process agreed?
  • UAT approach planned?
Last updated: 13 January 2026
Themes

Quality

Planning