There are various benefits in making a test plan. It can help us to determine the effort needed to be exerted to validate the quality of the application under the test. It would be beneficial also for other members of the company to understand the overall test to be conducted. In making one, determine as to what test plan you would like to make. Either you need a software plan or a hardware plan, it depends upon the product you wanted to test. But formulating one can be complex. If you want to know how, here are a few guidelines to write a test plan.
1. Know Your Product
It is impossible for you to make a test plan if you do not have a single knowledge about the product. You must thoroughly examine, learn, and know it. For instance, in a software product, analyze the website by taking time reading it. If it is hardware, research about the product and analyze it. You can also gather data by asking people who are experts in a certain product that you wanted to make a test plan.
2. Formulate Test Strategy
This step is a critical stage in making your test plan because it is the key to the success of your test and is usually developed by the test manager. A test strategy contains the test's objectives, its importance to achieve it and to determine the costs and effort to be invested. It also contains the scope of the test, test environment, testing schedule, testing type, legal documents to be issued, and test logistics.
3. Focus on the Test Objective
Experts quoted that objectives are risky and complex business. The overall point of the test plan must be stated clearly and specifically. Mostly, a test is conducted to ensure product quality plans before releasing it to the public. The product must be flawless and error-free.
4. Lay Out Test Criterion
Set a list of criteria as the basis of the result of the test. There are two types of criterion that you can possibly use in your test plan: suspension and exit criterion. Evaluating using suspension criterion are executed through suspending the testing until the expected objective has been achieved. For the exit criterion, it specifies as to what percent it should pass. If it is the standard percentage, it must be met at the first testing.
5. Conduct the Test
After finalizing the overall guideline as to how to write a plan format, you can now conduct the test. Make sure to manage your expectations of the results of the exams for you to avoid disappointments. If the result is low, change some factors into your product. If high, maintain your quality of service of the product.