Test Strategy is a software testing concept where the approach to be taken before testing any kind of application is decided or a “Strategy” is made in order to achieve best possible results. Test Strategy Document is often developed by Test Managers or Project Managers.

1. Test Strategy Document
Test Strategy is a software testing concept where the approach to be taken before testing
any kind of application is decided or a “Strategy” is made in order to achieve best
possible results. Test Strategy Document is often developed by Test Managers or Project
Managers.
We may ask the question why Test Strategy is required. Let’s consider an example,
where we want to construct a new house. Now construction can happen in many
possible ways. But what construction methodology will yield a better result is derived
from a better “Strategy”. Once the Strategy is made, Plan will be made based on the
strategy for execution.
In a similar way a Project manager wants the best result out of the project he is going to
handle. He will set the standards, activities and testing processes from which good
results can be obtained.
A Test Strategy Document will have the following sections. It’s not a hard rule list that
every company will follow the same method but this list will only give a fair idea about
the document.
Test Strategy Document
1. Introduction to application under test.

2. This section will give a brief introduction to the application. Ex: Gmail is a new
application which will provide email services.
2. Scope and Objective of the application testing.
Before testing anything we should know what to test and why to test. Scope will tell us
what to test and objective will tell us why to test. Ex: Scope of testing is to test Login
functionality, objective is to provide email services to unique users.
3. Roles and Responsibilities:
Each member in the QA team is supposed to handle different roles and responsibilities.
Here Project manager decides who will handle what roles and responsibilities. Who will
report to whom etc. Ex: Testers will write test cases. Test leads will review the test
cases.
Communication and Status Deliveries:
Managers will decide what type of communications should happen on a periodic basis. If
the communication is not happening on a daily basis, there is a risk of delayed
communication of important issues. Managers often seen daily communications and
status deliveries to avoid any risk related to project deliverables.
5. Test Deliverables:
What are the deliverables that are expected from the project team. For ex: Deliverables
from a QA team include software components certifications and related documents like
test plan, test cases, results, etc.
6. Industry standards:
What industry standards can be followed which will suite the current project
requirements. Here Managers will decide testing models and procedures which suite the
project in a best possible way.
7. Software tools and automation:
Based on the project , what software tools can be used for configuration, defect tracking
, automation etc.
8. Metrices:
What metrices should be used in the project to analyse the project status.
9. Risks and Mitigation:

3. Managers can forecast what kind of risks and mitigation could hamper the project and
what alternative workarounds can be arranged so that project won’t suffer any delays.
10. Training Plan:
Managers will decide what kind of training plans can be given and when to give them to
resources. This may depend on various factors like domain, technology used etc.
Summary: Test Strategy document outlines the best methodologies and procedures to be
followed in order to achieve best possible results from a Testing Project. This document
is bench marked and does not usually change throughout the project life cycle but
remains as a static document.
Also Check:
 Software Requirement Document
 Test Plan Document
 Status Report Document
 Requirements Traceability Matrix Document