Recently I came across an article, written by Laveena Ramchandani and Chris Armstrong, about the difference between Test Strategy and Test Plan. Despite the similarity between the terms “strategy” and “plan”, there is a significant difference between those in relation to testing. It is necessary to remember that strategy is a long-term plan of action, it is also a vital guide for the team to follow in order to enhance a product’s quality.

It is possible that parts of Test Strategy appear here and there during your work as a tester, and you could’ve probably not realised. Knowledge of what Test Strategy is, how to appropriately follow it, and name its specific parts, is essential to every tester. It can even come up during the interview!

What beneficial steps could be included in Test Strategy according to Laveena Ramchandani and Chris Armstrong:

1. The scope and overview of the product

2. The test approach (what and how are we going to test)

3. Defect management process

4. Pairing

5. Training

6. The environments which will be under test

7. Release process

8. Testing tools

9. Risk analysis

10. Approvals or sign-off

There are several models of Test Strategy which can be followed or be an inspiration, such as Heuristic Test Strategy Model, Agile Testing, Testing Maturity Model (TMM), etc.

Having a Test Strategy in place can be a great tool and provide guidance for new and current testers to help them test better as a team. Furthermore, Test Strategy can be used as a living document, constantly updated, where everyone can contribute, and give relevant suggestions and feedback.

From my point of view as a new tester, it is important to have at least some knowledge about the testing strategy which is currently being used. Whether it is documented in a Word document or Excel table, it is always worth having something that can be used as guidance in the future.