Test Strategy Design

Purpose

Create a comprehensive test strategy that defines testing objectives, scope, types, tools, environments, and success criteria aligned with project requirements and quality goals.

When to Use

• Project initiation

• Major release planning

• Test approach changes

• Quality gate definition

Prerequisites

• Requirements documented

• NFRs defined

• Architecture understood

• Risk assessment available

Process

Step 1: Define Test Objectives

Objectives:

• Quality goals
• Risk mitigation
• Compliance requirements
• Coverage targets

Step 2: Determine Test Scope

In scope:

• Features to test
• Test types required
• Environments needed

Out of scope:

• Explicitly excluded items
• Deferred testing

Step 3: Select Test Types

Test pyramid:

• Unit tests (70%)
• Integration tests (20%)
• E2E tests (10%)

Additional:

• Security testing
• Performance testing
• Accessibility testing
• Compatibility testing

Step 4: Define Test Environment

Environments:

• Local development
• CI/CD pipeline
• Staging
• Production smoke

Step 5: Create Strategy Document

Document includes:

• Objectives and scope
• Test types and coverage
• Tools and frameworks
• Environment strategy
• Success criteria
• Roles and responsibilities

Inputs

Input Type Required Description

requirements_spec Markdown Yes Requirements

nfr_matrix Markdown Yes Non-functional requirements

risk_assessment Markdown Optional Project risks

Outputs

Output Type Description

test_strategy.md Markdown Complete strategy

coverage_targets.md Markdown Coverage goals

tool_selection.md Markdown Test tools

StudyAbroad-Specific Considerations

• GDPR compliance testing required

• External API mocking essential

• OAuth2 flow testing

• Multi-step form testing

• Document upload testing

Integration Points

• Orchestrator: Gate validation input

• Developer Agent: Test implementation coordination

• Security Agent: Security test planning

Examples

Test Strategy - StudyAbroad-v1

1. OBJECTIVES

   • Ensure 80% code coverage minimum
   • Zero critical/high severity bugs in production
   • GDPR compliance verification
   • Performance meets NFRs (page load <3s, API <500ms)
   • Accessibility WCAG 2.1 AA compliance

2. TEST SCOPE

   In Scope:

   • All user-facing features
   • API endpoints
   • Database operations
   • Authentication flows
   • External API integrations
   • GDPR features

   Out of Scope:

   • Third-party library internals
   • External API internal behavior
   • Admin features (Phase 2)

3. TEST TYPES

   Test Pyramid: ┌─────────────┐ │ E2E │ 10% - Critical user journeys │ (10) │ ├─────────────┤ │ Integration │ 20% - API, database, services │ (50) │ ├─────────────┤ │ Unit │ 70% - Components, functions │ (200+) │ └─────────────┘

   Additional Testing:

   • Security: OWASP Top 10, auth testing
   • Performance: Load testing (10K concurrent)
   • Accessibility: Automated + manual audit
   • Compatibility: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

4. TEST TOOLS

   Type	Tool	Purpose
   Unit	Jest	JS/TS unit tests
   Component	Testing Library	React components
   Integration	Supertest	API testing
   E2E	Playwright	Browser automation
   Security	OWASP ZAP	Security scanning
   Performance	k6	Load testing
   Accessibility	axe-core	A11y testing
   Mocking	MSW	API mocking

5. ENVIRONMENTS

   Env	Purpose	Data
   Local	Development	Fixtures
   CI	Automated tests	Fixtures
   Staging	Integration	Anonymized
   Prod	Smoke tests	Production

6. SUCCESS CRITERIA

   Gate Requirements:

   • GATE-5: 80% unit coverage, all unit tests pass
   • GATE-6: All integration/E2E pass, security scan clean
   • GATE-7: Performance NFRs met, accessibility audit pass

7. ROLES

   • Test Manager: Strategy, planning, reporting
   • Developer Agent: Unit tests, integration tests
   • Security Agent: Security test execution
   • DevOps Agent: CI/CD test integration

Validation

• All requirements have test approach

• Coverage targets defined

• Tools selected and justified

• Environments specified

• Success criteria measurable