Testing is usually one of the key components of the Agile and DevOps methodologies where the speed of the software delivery is very high.
Even though test cases are the most emphasized, test scenarios are equally important to create.
Test scripts describe in a general manner what tests are supposed to cover so that all possible workflows, functions, and conditions are included.
With the help of this article, you will learn how to build and work with test scenarios according to the requirements and challenges faced by Agile and DevOps teams.
What Is a Test Scenario?
A test scenario is a broad description of what has to be tested in an application. It defines a certain feature or process that has to be tested but it does not contain the specific steps to follow and the expected outcome as a test case does.
For example, a test scenario for an e-commerce website might be: “Check the purchase process with the other forms of payments.”
It adds specificity and makes sure that all members of a team will know what is being assessed without dealing with excessive information.
Why Are Test Scenarios Important for Agile and DevOps?
Both Agile and DevOps principles are built on values like effective collaboration, speed, and adaptability.
Here’s why test scenarios are invaluable in these environments:
- Clarity Across Teams: The use of test scenarios ensures that everyone knows what has to be tested and hence ensures that developers, testers, and business analysts are on the same page.
- Efficient Test Coverage: It makes a point of ensuring all the test functionalities and all the test workflows are covered to reduce the chances of missing out on important test areas.
- Adaptability: In testing scenarios, it is always at a higher level and therefore can be changed more often when the requirement changes.
- Focus on User Perspective: It is important to note that they promote end-to-end work processes and encourage the teams to think of user goals rather than specific functions.
Test Scenario Creation Process
Test scenarios can be developed only when there is a clear and structured plan.
Follow these steps to ensure your scenarios are robust and effective:
Step 1: Understand the Requirements
First of all, it is necessary to grasp all the business and technical peculiarities of the given application. Engage the relevant stakeholders to understand the major processes, operations, and scenarios.
Step 2: Identify Testable Features
Divide the application into separate pieces which can be tested easily and independently. There are always some user-related characteristics and main functions that are essential to the software.
Step 3: What is User Stories or Use Cases
In case you are working in an Agile environment, map your test scenarios with the user stories. When it comes to DevOps, target the use cases that are close to the actual working processes.
Step 4: Write Test Scenarios
To make crafting scenarios easier, make them brief and precise and concentrate on specific functionalities. For example:
- Check the login process with proper and improper login information.
- Try a search of the product using different keywords.
Step 5: Prioritize Scenarios
Not all the test scenarios are as critical as the other. Sort them according to the business consequence, the usage frequency based on the users, and risk level.
The Management Of Test Scenarios In Agile And DevOps
Developing test scenarios is one of the most critical tasks, but it is only half of the work.
Their management is quite important in order to have smooth testing when following Agile and DevOps models.
Collaborate Using Agile Tools
Unfortunately, there is no specific tool for test scenarios, but there are numerous tools like JIRA, Azure DevOps, and Trello that enable teams to document test scenarios together with user stories and tasks. This makes sure that all the people are in agreement.
Integrate with CI/CD pipelines.
If you are on the DevOps team, then include your test scenarios in CI/CD workflows. This makes validation automatic and is also fast at providing feedback.
Review and Update Regularly
Requirements are dynamic, more so in Agile projects. Ensure that you regularly go through your test scenarios to ensure they are up to date as the changes happen frequently.
Leverage Test Automation
Use automation for often run test cases so as to reduce the time spent as well as the amount of error that may occur. Selenium, TestNG or Cypress tools can be used to perform the automated test suites.
Track Metrics
Some measures that can be used to determine the effectiveness of your test scenarios include; test coverage, pass/fail percentage, and defect density.
How to Write Test Scenarios Effectively
When it comes to learning how to write test scenarios, keep the following tips in mind:
Be User-Centric
When composing an actual scenario, ensure that the point of view of the end user is adopted. For instance, instead of writing “Check that the login button works,” one should write “Ensure that a user is able to log in with correct credentials.”
Keep It Simple
Avoid technical jargon. Make sure that the language used is easily understandable to any of the team members who may be recruited.
Include Edge Cases
Do not always stick to traditional processes. Think of cases where data is entered incorrectly, the structure is under very high loads, or the network is down.
Focus on Business Goals
Link your scenarios with business goals. For example, if the goal is to increase user retention, put a higher importance on the scenarios that would confirm the user experience.
Leverage Checklists
Make checklists that can be used where a particular type of situation is likely to occur so that there is standardization. For instance, a login scenario checklist may consist of valid credentials, invalid credentials, blank fields, and password changes.
Conclusion
Defining and maintaining test scenarios is one of the most important principles of Agile-DevOps culture.
Thus, with the help of user-oriented work, the use of collaborative tools, and the constant analysis of the described scenarios, teams can guarantee complete coverage and faster releases.
Regardless of how new you are to the QA profession or how many years you have been practising as a QA professional, learning how to write test scenarios properly will take your testing to the next level.
But with the right strategies and the right tools, testing can become manageable, and the software you release can be user-friendly.
