How do you create a test plan/design?

Test scenarios and/or cases are prepared by reviewing functional requirements of the release and preparing logical groups of functions that can be further broken into test procedures. Test procedures define test conditions, data to be used for testing and expected results, including database updates, file outputs, report results.

. Test cases and scenarios are designed to represent both typical and unusual situations that may occur in the application.
. Test engineers define unit test requirements and unit test cases. Test engineers also execute unit test cases.
. It is the test team that, with assistance of developers and clients, develops test cases and scenarios for integration and system testing.
. Test scenarios are executed through the use of test procedures or scripts.
. Test procedures or scripts define a series of steps necessary to perform one or more test scenarios.
. Test procedures or scripts include the specific data that will be used for testing the process or transaction.
. Test procedures or scripts may cover multiple test scenarios.
. Test scripts are mapped back to the requirements and traceability matrices are used to ensure each test is within scope.
. Test data is captured and base lined, prior to testing. This data serves as the foundation for unit and system testing and used to exercise system functionality in a controlled environment.
. Some output data is also base-lined for future comparison. Base-lined data is used to support future application maintenance via regression testing.
. A pretest meeting is held to assess the readiness of the application and the environment and data to be tested. A test readiness document is created to indicate the status of the entrance criteria of the release.

Inputs for this process:
. Approved Test Strategy Document.
. Test tools, or automated test tools, if applicable.
. Previously developed scripts, if applicable.
. Test documentation problems uncovered as a result of testing.
. A good understanding of software complexity and module path coverage, derived from general and detailed design documents, e.g. software design document, source code and software complexity data.

Outputs for this process:
. Approved documents of test scenarios, test cases, test conditions and test data.
. Reports of software design issues, given to software developers for correction.