IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation
(ANSI/IEEE Standard 829-4) Test Plan

“A document describing the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing activities. It identifies test items, the features to be tested, the testing tasks, who will do each task, and any risks requiring contingency planning.”

This standard specifies the following test plan outline:

Test Plan Identifier:

• A unique identifier

Introduction

• Summary of the items and features to be tested
• Need for and history of each item (optional)
• References to related documents such as project authorization, project plan, QA plan, configuration management plan, relevant policies, relevant standards
• References to lower level test plans

Test Items

• Test items and their version
• Characteristics of their transmittal media
• References to related documents such as requirements specification, design specification, users guide, operations guide, installation guide
• References to bug reports related to test items
• Items which are specifically not going to be tested (optional)

Features to be Tested

• All software features and combinations of features to be tested
• References to test-design specifications associated with each feature and combination of features

Features Not to Be Tested

• All features and significant combinations of features which will not be tested
• The reasons these features won’t be tested

Approach

• Overall approach to testing
• For each major group of features of combinations of featres, specify the approach
• Specify major activities, techniques, and tools which are to be used to test the groups
• Specify a minimum degree of comprehensiveness required
• Identify which techniques will be used to judge comprehensiveness
• Specify any additional completion criteria
• Specify techniques which are to be used to trace requirements
• Identify significant constraints on testing, such as test-item availability, testing-resource availability, and deadline

Item Pass/Fail Criteria

• Specify the criteria to be used to determine whether each test item has passed or failed testing

Suspension Criteria and Resumption Requirements

• Specify criteria to be used to suspend the testing activity
• Specify testing activities which must be redone when testing is resumed

Test Deliverables

• Identify the deliverable documents: test plan, test design specifications, test case specifications, test procedure specifications, test item transmittal reports, test logs, test incident reports, test summary reports
• Identify test input and output data
• Identify test tools (optional)
• 
  

Testing Tasks

• Identify tasks necessary to prepare for and perform testing
• Identify all task interdependencies
• Identify any special skills required

Environmental Needs

• Specify necessary and desired properties of the test environment: physical characteristics of the facilities including hardware, communications and system software, the mode of usage (i.e., stand-alone), and any other software or supplies needed
• Specify the level of security required
• Identify special test tools needed
• Identify any other testing needs
• Identify the source for all needs which are not currently available

Responsibilities

• Identify groups responsible for managing, designing, preparing, executing, witnessing, checking and resolving
• Identify groups responsible for providing the test items identified in the Test Items section
• Identify groups responsible for providing the environmental needs identified in the Environmental Needs section

Staffing and Training Needs

• Specify staffing needs by skill level
• Identify training options for providing necessary skills

Schedule

• Specify test milestones
• Specify all item transmittal events
• Estimate time required to do each testing task
• Schedule all testing tasks and test milestones
• For each testing resource, specify its periods of use

Risks and Contingencies

• Identify the high-risk assumptions of the test plan
• Specify contingency plans for each

Approvals

• Specify the names and titles of all persons who must approve the plan
• Provide space for signatures and dates

IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation
(ANSI/IEEE Standard 829-7) Test Procedure Specification


Test Procedure Specification Identifier:

• A unique identifier

Purpose

Special requirements

Procedure steps

Log

Setup

Start

Proceed

Measure

Shut down

Restart

Stop

Wrap up

Contingencies