The Ultimate Guide to Writing

Effective Test Cases

By Rupendra Ragala
1. What is a Test Case?

A test case is a specific set of inputs, execution conditions, and expected results developed
for a particular objective, such as verifying compliance with a specific requirement. It is the
smallest unit of a testing plan and is used to ensure that software functions as expected.

Key Components of a Test Case:

Test Case ID: Unique identifier for the test case.

Description: Brief explanation of the test.
Preconditions: Setup required before execution.
Test Steps: Detailed steps to execute the test.
Test Data: Input values required for the test.
Expected Result: What the application should do.
Actual Result: Result after test execution.
Status: Pass/Fail.

2. What is a Test Scenario?

A test scenario is a high-level documentation of what needs to be tested. It describes a

specific feature or functionality of the application to be tested but does not go into details of
how the test will be conducted.

Example:

Scenario: Verify login functionality for valid users.

Test Cases: Test login with valid credentials, invalid credentials, empty fields, etc.

Key Difference Between Test Case and Test Scenario:

Test Scenario: High-level; focuses on "what to test."

Test Case: Low-level; focuses on "how to test."

3. What is a Test Bed?

A test bed is the environment configured for testing, which includes hardware, software,
network configuration, data setup, and any tools required for the execution of test cases.
Example:

Hardware: Devices (PC, Mobile).

Software: Operating System, Browsers, Application Under Test (AUT).
Network: Internet configuration for testing a web application.

4. What are the Techniques Used While Designing Test Cases?

Common techniques include:

1. Equivalence Partitioning:
Divides input data into valid and invalid partitions.
Example: Age field testing (Valid: 18–60, Invalid: <18 or >60).
2. Boundary Value Analysis (BVA):
Focuses on boundaries of input data.
Example: If valid range is 1–10, test values: 0, 1, 10, 11.
3. Decision Table Testing:
Used for complex business logic.
Example: Inputs vs. actions in a table.
4. State Transition Testing:
Focuses on state changes of the system.
Example: Login attempts after incorrect password.
5. Error Guessing:
Relies on tester's intuition to guess error-prone areas.
Example: Entering special characters in a text field.
6. Use Case Testing:
Tests end-to-end functionality based on use cases.
Example: Place an order online.

5. What are the Various Testing Levels?

1. Unit Testing: Verifies individual components or modules.

2. Integration Testing: Verifies interfaces and interactions between modules.
3. System Testing: Verifies the complete system functionality.
4. Acceptance Testing: Ensures the system meets business requirements (UAT).

6. What are the Various Testing Types?

Functional Testing: Validates functionality (e.g., Smoke, Sanity, Regression).

Non-Functional Testing: Focuses on performance, security, usability, etc.
Manual Testing: Performed manually by testers.
Automation Testing: Uses tools to execute tests.
 Exploratory Testing: Ad hoc testing without predefined test cases.

7. How to Write the Test Cases for APIs?

1. Understand API Documentation: Study endpoints, methods, parameters, and response

formats.
2. Identify Test Scenarios:
Positive: Valid inputs.
Negative: Invalid inputs.
Edge Cases: Unusual inputs or boundary values.
3. Define Test Cases:
Test ID: Unique identifier.
Endpoint: API URL.
Method: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
Headers: Authorization tokens, Content-Type.
Request Body: JSON/XML data.
Expected Response: Status code, response body.

Example:

Test GET /users: Verify 200 OK status and correct user details.

8. How to Write the Test Cases for Mobile Testing?

Functionality: Validate app features (e.g., login, navigation).

UI/UX: Check layout, fonts, colors, and responsiveness.
Performance: Assess app load times and resource usage.
Interruptions: Test behavior on calls, notifications.
Device Compatibility: Test across different OS versions and devices.

9. How to Write the Test Cases for GUI Testing?

1. Visual Elements: Check alignment, font size, and colors.

2. Usability: Validate labels, navigation, and button clicks.
3. Error Messages: Ensure appropriate messages for invalid inputs.
4. Cross-Browser Testing: Verify GUI on different browsers.

Example:

Verify that the "Submit" button is visible and clickable on the login page.
10. How to Write the Test Cases for Performance Testing?

1. Load Testing: Test with multiple users (e.g., 100 concurrent users).
2. Stress Testing: Push the system beyond its limits.
3. Scalability Testing: Check system's ability to scale.
4. Latency Testing: Measure response times.

Example:

Validate the homepage loads within 2 seconds for 500 users.

11. How to Write Test Cases for UAT (User Acceptance Testing)?

1. Business-Oriented Scenarios: Align with real-world use cases.

2. End-to-End Testing: Cover workflows from start to finish.
3. User Focused: Ensure usability and functionality meet requirements.

Example:

Test placing an order and receiving a confirmation email.

12. How to Segregate the Manual and Automation Test Cases?

Criteria for Manual Testing:

Exploratory scenarios.
Usability testing.
Tests with frequent changes.

Criteria for Automation Testing:

Repetitive tests (e.g., regression).

Data-driven tests.
Performance and load testing.

Steps:

1. Identify repetitive and time-consuming test cases for automation.

2. Use manual testing for ad hoc and exploratory scenarios.
3. Regularly review and update the segregation based on project needs.
13. Test Case Prioritization

Not all test cases have the same level of importance. Prioritize them based on:

Criticality: Core functionalities that must work.

Frequency of Use: Features frequently used by users.
Risk: Areas prone to defects or business-critical.

14. Test Data Management

Create reusable, well-defined test data sets.

Ensure data covers positive, negative, and edge cases.
Use tools for generating large-scale test data (e.g., Mockaroo).

15. Reusability in Test Cases

Write modular test cases that can be reused across scenarios.

Example: A login test case can be referenced in multiple workflows like order placement
or user profile updates.

16. Test Case Coverage

Map test cases to requirements using traceability matrices.

Ensure test cases cover:
Functional Requirements
Non-Functional Requirements (e.g., performance, security).

17. Dynamic Test Cases

Account for dynamic or real-time changes in the system, such as:

API responses based on current date/time.
GUI elements updated dynamically.

18. Negative Testing

Write test cases to handle invalid inputs, unexpected user actions, or failures like:
 Entering invalid credentials.
Uploading unsupported file formats.

19. Edge Case Testing

Cover boundary scenarios that test application behavior at extremes.

Example: Maximum character input for a text field, zero-value transactions, or large file
uploads.

20. Localization and Globalization Testing

Write test cases for different regions and languages.

Example: Verify currency format, date-time format, and translated content.

21. Cross-Browser and Cross-Platform Testing

Ensure test cases address compatibility across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
and platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux).

22. Accessibility Testing

Include test cases to verify compliance with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG).
Example: Testing for screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation.

23. Modular Test Case Design

Write test cases as modular units that can be combined for larger workflows.
Example: A "User Login" test case can be reused in test cases for "Add to Cart" or "Order
Checkout."

24. Dependency Handling in Test Cases

Identify dependencies between test cases (e.g., User creation is required before testing
login).
Use preconditions and link test cases accordingly to ensure proper execution order.
25. Exploratory Test Cases

While structured test cases are critical, allow room for exploratory testing.
Focus on unstructured scenarios and "out-of-the-box" actions to identify hidden bugs.

26. Parameterized Test Cases

Use parameters to run the same test case with different inputs.
Example: Test a login API with multiple sets of usernames and passwords using a data-
driven approach.

27. Test Automation Suitability Assessment

Determine which test cases can be automated based on:

Repeatability: Tests executed frequently, like regression.
Complexity: Avoid automating highly complex test cases with dynamic behavior.
Maintenance Effort: Ensure automation is maintainable as the application evolves.

28. Error Handling Scenarios

Include test cases for error conditions such as:

Network failure.
System downtime.
API timeouts or failures.

29. Usability Test Cases

Verify the ease of use, intuitiveness, and user-friendly interface.

Example: Ensure navigation menus are accessible and actions are clear.

30. Security Testing Cases

Write test cases to validate application security, such as:

SQL Injection prevention.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) handling.
 Role-based access control validation.

31. End-to-End Testing Cases

Develop comprehensive test cases that validate entire workflows.

Example: Place an order → Payment processing → Generate invoice → Email confirmation.

32. State Transition Testing

Write test cases based on system states and transitions.

Example:
State 1: User enters credentials → Transition: User clicks Login → State 2: Dashboard
loads.

33. Performance Degradation Scenarios

Create test cases for performance validation under:

Heavy load (e.g., 1000 users).
Extended periods (e.g., 24-hour usage).

34. Compliance Test Cases

Validate adherence to industry standards or regulations.

Example: Verify GDPR compliance for user data handling.

35. Backup and Recovery Test Cases

Ensure system data is backed up and restored properly.

Example: Validate data recovery after a system crash.

36. Test Case Review and Approval Process

Establish a review process where test cases are evaluated by peers or leads for
completeness and accuracy.
 This minimizes redundancies and ensures proper coverage.

37. Risk-Based Testing

Prioritize writing test cases for high-risk areas of the application.

Focus on features with high impact on business or user experience.

38. API Contract Testing

Write test cases to verify that the API adheres to its contract (e.g., defined
request/response structure, headers, and status codes).
Include:
Validation of mandatory fields in the request body.
Schema validation of the response.
Testing for backward compatibility when API versions change.

39. Test Case Versioning

Maintain versions of test cases to track changes over time as the application evolves.
Benefits:
Allows rollback to previous versions if required.
Ensures traceability when features are updated or deprecated.
Use version control tools (e.g., Git, TestRail) for managing test case updates.

40. Cross-Environment Testing

Create test cases to validate functionality across different environments (e.g., Dev, QA,
Staging, Production).
Ensure configurations, data, and dependencies are appropriate for each environment.
Example:
Test payment gateway integration in the QA environment before deploying to
production.
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