Last year, The Bug Detectives Community conducted beta testing for an Application where the participants were tasked with finding as many critical bugs as possible, and whoever found the highest number of critical bugs would take the win.
Back to my story; there were rewards for first and second place, at the end of the competition. I emerged as the first runner-up (2nd place).
One thing the panel appreciated about my submission was my test case document and bug reporting. They testified that it had good cohesion and was easy to understand; ever since then, a lot of people in The Bug Detectives Community have reached out to me requesting the template to enhance their bug-finding and reporting workflow. I've also hosted several walkthrough sessions on how to utilize the template and now, I have decided to make this template available to more people.
But before that, let's briefly talk about the importance of test case writing:
Importance of Test Case Writing
Beyond getting an award, there are several other benefits of writing test cases as a manual tester; some of which are:
Understanding of Requirements: Test cases help you gain a deep understanding of the software requirements and functionality, and this allows the tester to clarify any uncertainties, loopholes, or errors in the specifications.
Test Coverage: Creating test cases helps you identify different scenarios, including positive and negative ones. This helps to ensure extensive test coverage.
Reusability: I didn't understand the importance of reusability until I got into the workforce, well-written test cases can be reused for different testing cycles or projects. Reusability also promotes consistency in testing strategies throughout different phases of the software development and testing lifecycle.
Collaboration and Communication: Test cases usually serve as a communication tool between testers, developers, and other stakeholders. They give a clear picture of what needs to be tested and enhance coordination and proper understanding of expectations.
Documentation: Test cases provide valuable documentation for the testing process. They keep track of the tests performed, the results, and issues discovered during testing. This documentation can be then used for future regression tests or audits.
Quality Assurance: Well-defined test cases ensure that all key functions are adequately tested, decreasing the possibility of defects in production. Manual testers help the entire quality assurance process by methodically writing test cases.
Fosters Continuous Improvement through Critical Thinking: Writing test cases sparks critical thinking and fuels ongoing improvement.
Validation of Requirements: Proper test cases help us to validate that the software provided meets the expectations provided in the requirement document.
Personal Growth: This is one of my favorites! Creating test cases helps improve your skills as a tester, improve your critical thinking ability, and help you think analytically, identify potential risks, and craft proficient testing approaches.
Overall, developing test cases is an important part of manual testing because it contributes to the quality and reliability of the product being built.
Let's stop here for today.
In my next article, I'll discuss using the template provided.
As promised, here is the link to the Google sheet test case template: Test Case Template
Thank you for reading!!