Test Case Management Best Practices Guide
Writing Effective Test Cases
Clear and Descriptive Titles
- Use action-oriented titles that clearly state what is being tested
- Example: ✅ “Verify user can login with valid credentials”
- Example: ❌ “Login test”
Comprehensive Descriptions
- Include context and purpose of the test case
- Explain the business value or requirement being validated
- Use rich text formatting for clarity and readability
Well-Defined Test Steps
- Write steps in clear, sequential order
- Use action verbs (Click, Enter, Verify, Navigate)
- Be specific about what to do and where to do it
- Example: “Click the ‘Sign In’ button in the header” vs “Click sign in”
Expected Results
- Clearly define what success looks like
- Include specific values, messages, or behaviors to verify
- Make results measurable and objective
Prerequisites and Setup
- Document any required setup or preconditions
- List dependencies, test data, or environment requirements
- Use shared steps for common setup procedures
Organizing Test Cases
Folder Structure
- Create a logical hierarchy that mirrors your application structure
- Organize by feature, module, or user journey
- Use consistent naming conventions across folders
- Keep folder depth reasonable (3-4 levels maximum)
Test Suites
- Group related test cases by functionality or feature
- Create suites for different test types (smoke, regression, integration)
- Use suites to organize test execution by scope
Naming Conventions
- Establish consistent naming patterns for test cases
- Include test type or category in the name when helpful
- Use prefixes or tags for quick identification
- Example: “TC-001-Login-ValidCredentials” or “Smoke-UserAuthentication”
Test Case Properties
Priority Assignment
- Use Critical priority sparingly (only for blocking issues)
- Assign High priority to core functionality tests
- Use Medium for standard feature tests
- Reserve Low for edge cases and nice-to-have validations
Type Classification
- Functional: Core feature functionality
- Regression: Tests that ensure existing features work
- Smoke: Quick validation of critical paths
- Integration: Tests for component interactions
- Performance: Load and performance testing
- Security: Security and vulnerability testing
- Usability: User experience and accessibility testing
Severity Levels
- Set severity based on impact if the test fails
- Critical: System crashes, data loss, security breaches
- High: Major functionality broken
- Medium: Feature partially broken
- Low: Minor issues or cosmetic problems
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