How to Write a Test Strategy Document for Software Testing

The easiest way to differentiate between them is that a test strategy details the general approach a team should take, whereas a test plan details the specification for carrying out the strategy, by who and when.

Typically the test strategy document is created by the project manager or test manager, as they have the most knowledge and exposure to the wider project plan. However as we are seeing more modern and flat team structures, within smaller more agile teams which are made up of mostly senior members, then it can fall upon the senior test engineer to write the test strategy, gaining approval from project leads to ensure that quality standards for the project are being met.

Each project has different needs and requirements, including different risks. This doesn’t mean that you can’t start with a base template to accelerate the process, but this should be more about ensuring that different sections are in place, rather than copying the content within those sections. The process of writing a test strategy is more about thinking about risk factors within the project and planning to mitigate those risks, rather than ticking boxes to show that all types of testing have been included.

The key components of a good test strategy document are as follows:

It’s important to remember that this isn't a definitive list, if you find something else that is important to your project, then include it.

Keep the above requirements in mind when filling out the following sections, which again are a base recommendation and should guide, rather than dictate, how you create your test strategy.

Any valuable project document should have a version history table and document sign-off table at the top of the document to ensure the quality of the document over time.

This table details each major change that is made to the test strategy document. Usually, there’s a draft and then a released version which is signed off. Then any further changes to this document will increment the release number and will also need to be signed off again.

Once the test strategy is complete and released it needs to be signed off by key project stakeholders as it becomes a contract of quality. Any further changes after that will also need to be signed off to ensure that the high-quality standards are adhered to.

List the objectives of the test strategy, detailing what you want to achieve as a result of following it.

Example:

List the benefits which you want to achieve.

Example:

List the items which fall into the scope of this document. You can also list ones that explicitly don’t too.

Example:

This is a more detailed section and has sub-headings for each type of testing which is to be carried out. Also, feel free to throw in a test pyramid if you like.

I’ve found that it’s best to break down each type of testing and detail the following:

Here’s an example of one of the sections you could include:

And here’s a list of sections that you may want to include:

List the different test environments which will be needed.

Example:

List the data requirements that will be needed to satisfy the different stages of testing.

Example:

List the different testing tools that you will require to carry out testing. Also note if tools are yet to be decided on so that investigation spikes can happen as early as possible.

Example:

List any test reports which will be output and detail any retention policies. Also, list any reporting tools / plugins that you will use. Such as the Zephyr plugin for Jira which is a popular way of documenting manual tests or Report Portal which is an open-source test reporting solution.

Identify how bugs will be logged and tracked, such as with GitLab. Also, detail how bugs will be triaged if necessary.

Try to identify and list any risks which may occur during this project, detailing any steps that can mitigate these risks. You can also detail any contingency plans in case the risks become reality.

Please remember that this is a guide, not a definitive list of what goes into a test strategy document. Each project is different and every team will have different needs. Also remember that you can update the test strategy document as and when needed, with approval of course, as we all know that project requirements can change.