What is checklist?

No tags

Checklist is the best way to ensure your product is completely tested. You just define all the tests to be executed, and then store your results for further statistics which indicates who, when, on which environment and on which build have the tests being executed.

Checklists are usually compared with ad hoc testing and scripted testing.

When you run your ad hoc tests, there are many problems caused by missing (or incomplete) test documentation:

• You have no history for tests execution,
• Testers can forget really important checks and miss bugs,
• Developers and analysts can’t discuss your tests with you and find ‘missing tests’
• You have nothing measurable to tell your manager: how much did you test? How much do you have to test? What is current product quality?

Facing all these problems, testers usually end up with the scripted testing, when you have extended test cases: “go here, press here, type these and check these…” All those wordy test cases can lead to the following problems:

• It takes an enormous amount of time to create and update the test cases when you put a lot of efforts in writing instead of testing.
• Usually, testers don’t prefer to go on and on through the same detailed tests since it takes away all the creative parts of testing work.
• Having detailed tests with exact test data, you’ll definitely meet pesticide paradox. Wow, all the time was spent for nothing!

The best solution which can help you to test without all the problems above is using checklists.

You can use any table sheets like Excel or Google or special software like Sitechco. In any case, you’ll have the best effort from your test documentation: both manageability and time saving!