7 Best Practices for Writing Meaningful Test Cases

The QA professionals have to perform a variety of tests to check if the software is working in the expected way and satisfying business requirements. But they have to perform the tests under varying conditions or variables to produce more reliable test results. A test case helps QA professionals to determine the conditions or variable under which the tests to be performed. Normally, a test case defines expected result, pre-conditions and post-conditions, along with a set of test data.

You can always write the test cases for individual test scenarios to check if the software satisfies specific business requirements. Also, you must write the test case based on important parameters like test case ID, test case description, test scenario, test steps, prerequisites, test data, test parameters, test environment details, expected result, actual result, and comments. At the same time, it is also important to make the test cases more impactful by following a number of best practices.

7 Tips to Write Meaningful and Effective Test Cases

1) Describe the Test Case Clearly

You can easily make the test case effective by focusing on its name and description. In addition to following a naming convention, you also need to name the test case based on the module or functional feature to be tested. Likewise, you must describe the test case clearly to make it easier for testing professionals to know what needs to be tested. While writing the test case description, you must include relevant information like tests to be performed, behaviour to be assessed, preconditions, assumptions, test data, and test environment details. You can even consider mentioning the test automation tools to be used for each test.

2) Communicate All Assumptions, Pre-conditions and Post-conditions

While writing a test case, you must communicate the assumptions, pre-conditions, and post-conditions to testing professionals. The test case must convey the assumptions that testers will apply to a particular test. Likewise, it also needs to communicate the pre-conditions to be met before starting test execution. At the same time, the test case needs to define the post-conditions that testers must verify after performing the specific test. You can always include all assumptions, pre-conditions, and post-conditions in the test case to make it comprehensive and understandable.

3) Identify the Test Data Input

While executing tests, QA professionals require additional time to identify the test data inputs. You can easily speed up test execution by including all test data to be used for a specific test case. The test data can be included in the test case description. However, you must not include all values in the test data. It is important to pick values representing identical classes. Also, the test case needs to define the type of test data instead of real test data values. While selecting test data, you also need to focus extensively on test coverage.

4) Cover All Verification Points

You can always consider writing test cases for each test scenario. The division will help testers to focus on a particular feature or functionality of the software. However, your test plan must convey all verification points clearly to the testing professionals. The coverage will ensure that no verification point remains untested. You must compare the test case with other test documentation to ensure all verification points are covered.

5) Divide the Test Cases into Sets and Subsets

You can always make the test cases meaningful by dividing them into sets and subsets. Each set or subset will cover a specific test scenario, and keep the test cases simple. You can even consider dividing a test with multiple input combinations into subtests to make the test case understandable. Also, you need to write functional test cases individually for various sets and subsets. The separation will make it easier for you to maintain and update the test cases in future according to new business requirements.

6) Mention Expected Results Elaborately

You must clearly mention the expected results clearly in each test case. The information will make it easier for testers to understand the outcome of each test step. Also, the expected test results must include both front-end and back-end test results. For instance, the expected test result must clearly convey the details of the user interface and backend systems the testers must focus on while performing a specific test. You can even consider including screenshots and additional documents to communicate the expected test results more clearly to testers.

7) Make the Test Cases Reusable

You can always save time and effort by checking out the existing test cases. The existing test cases can be easily customized according to the needs of your current project. However, you have to write fest test cases while testing new software applications. You still need to explore ways to make the test cases reusable during the writing process. You can save both time and effort in future by writing reusable test cases.

You can easily accelerate the software QA testing activities by writing test cases based on all important parameters. Also, you can follow a number of best practices to write meaningful test cases. However, you need to customize the best practices according to the precise needs of a software testing project to make the test cases both effective and consistent.