How to Create a Test Plan? Steps and Examples

For many software development teams creating any sort of plan sounds dull and boring. Creating a plan for the testing process sounds.. Well… Pretty much Hermione Granger-ish. That is definitely not the case. Remember that the whole effort that you put into testing is there for a very important business reason - to save you time and money. Creating a test plan is the first step to achieve this goal and to ensure you deliver high quality software.

But how do you prepare a test plan for software testing?

What is a test plan document?

Stating the obvious - a test plan is a document describing the testing process of your web application. There is more into that though. This is a crucial document. A detailed test plan is essential for guiding the testing effort and ensuring all aspects are covered. It outlines the approach, objectives, scope, and resources required for testing a web application. It serves as a roadmap, guiding the entire testing effort and ensuring that all necessary activities are executed.

Creating it, is like answering to the “wh- questions” about the process:

• What will be tested
• Why it will be tested
• When it will be tested
• And how it will be tested (I always wondered why “how” is on the “wh- questions” list, but anyway)

What are the three major steps for test planning?

At a high level, test planning usually breaks down into three core steps:

1. Analysis and scope definition – understanding requirements, risks, and constraints.
2. Strategy and design – deciding how testing will be done (levels, types, tools, environments).
3. Preparation and alignment – assigning responsibilities, setting timelines, and aligning with continuous integration and release plans.

Skipping or rushing the first step is the most common failure mode. If the scope is unclear, even the best tools and processes won’t save the testing process later.

The key is iteration. A test plan is not a static artifact—it should evolve as the product and test coverage evolve.

What is in a test plan?

A test plan documents how quality will be validated for a given project or release. At minimum, it should answer three questions: what are we testing, how are we testing it, and who is responsible?

Typical contents include test scope, test types (functional, regression, performance testing), test environments, test data needs, risk assessment, and reporting approach. In mature teams, the test plan also connects directly to CI pipelines and defines how results feed into continuous improvement and continuous learning.

What are the three primary types of test plans?

In practice, teams usually work with three main types of test plans:

• Master test plan – high-level strategy across the entire software development process
• Phase or level test plan – focused on a specific stage (e.g. system or acceptance testing)
• Release or sprint test plan – scoped to a specific iteration or delivery

Modern teams often blend these into lightweight documents rather than maintaining rigid separations, especially in fast-moving CI-driven environments.

Who prepares a test plan?

Traditionally, the test plan is prepared by a QA lead or test manager. In modern development teams, however, test planning is increasingly collaborative. QA engineers, developers, product managers, and even founders may contribute—especially in smaller teams.

This shared ownership matters. When development and testing teams align early, test plans become tools for decision-making, not just documentation. That’s often the difference between “we wrote tests” and “we actually reduced risk.”

What is the importance of a test plan anyway?

Well imagine going for a long hike without a map (optional North American sport parallel - imagine playing football without a playbook) - will work somehow, but do you really foresee success by doing so? Not really, huh? A test plan is essential for successful testing, ensuring all team members are aligned and the application meets its requirements.

It is crucial for web application testing that all team members to understand the key aspects of it. Especially now, when we live in times of fast software and business development, IT teams often spread geographically across different languages and timezones and flat company structures when a startup CEO may also work as the PM or tech lead. We all need to be on the same page. Even literally.

This map (or playbook if you will) is vital for everyone involved to know what will be expected of them during testing and what should the pass/fail test criteria be for the application.

When to create a test plan in software testing process?

Given what we have stated above, on the web app test plan being a live document, the answer would be - create and improve it constantly. When to start creating it, is a bit of a different topic.

The planning process depends on your situation and web development approach. Of course the test plan needs to be created prior to the first testing activity. Importantly, the test plan should be prepared before the testing phase begins to ensure all activities—such as environment setup, defect tracking, and automation—are properly coordinated. You have the waterfall vs agile decision to make, which implicates not only the testing but the development as well.

Waterfall gives you a bit more time to create the test plan, because the person who will actually create it may work parallelly to the development process. On the other hand there will not be much time left for modifying the plan after the tests start.

Agile approach is based on iteration which is also reflected in test planning. A few core parts of the plan need to be done right after the completion of the functional specification of the app. Those would be test plan objectives and scope, test environment and test strategy and approach. The rest (test case, test suite and test schedule) can be done in an iterative manner, basically side by side with the scrum masters’ backlog planning. For example if the first sprint of your web application creation aims to create the user authentication process, your test cases will include… yes, you are right - testing the user authentication process.

Example of test plan for web application

You might get different answers to that question all over the web. If your team is experienced enough, the list of components may vary especially from project to project. A test plan should be customized for the particular project to address its unique requirements and challenges. The following list is based on our expertise and will be described in more detail below.

In our opinion a good test plan has to include:

• Objectives and Scope
• Test Environment
• Test Strategy and Approach
• Test Cases and Test Suites
• Test Execution Schedule
• Defect Reporting and Tracking

What should be placed in the test plan template?

Objectives and scope

At the start of your test plan, it is essential to clearly define test objectives and testing goals, as well as specify the testing scope. This ensures everyone understands what the testing effort aims to achieve and the boundaries of what will and will not be tested. Additionally, you should define test criteria to guide and evaluate the testing process, setting clear standards for success and completion.

In this paragraph the creator needs to outline the specific goals the testing effort needs to fulfil plus the range of the tests themselves. It is wise to do a rather thorough description followed by a bullet point summary for readability. Also we recommend doing the positive / negative approach, meaning that first think and describe what you want to achieve, then reset and do the complete opposite - what are the limitations and boundaries and describe them as well.

This should answer the “what” and “why”. Are we just testing the functional aspect of the app? If so, why are we not doing the security testing or the performance testing? There might be business reasoning behind that decision, for example we might have an external team being responsible for the security.

Test environment

In this chapter you need to describe all assets that will be used in the process. Plan the test environment by specifying the required network configurations and operating systems to ensure comprehensive coverage and realistic testing conditions. Identify all resources needed for testing, including hardware, software, and personnel. Resource allocation is also crucial—ensure the right resources are available at the right time to avoid bottlenecks. How many man-hours do you foresee using? Do you need any specific server / network / devices or maybe some fancy settings on those? And finally how are the tests going to be performed? Will your team code them by themselves? Or maybe you will use some no-code solution like BugBug?

This might sound less important from the testers’ standpoint, but trust me - it’s a must have from the business perspective since it enables “the money people” to do some cost estimations on the test process.

Test cases and test suites

This is the most crucial part of writing a test plan, because it covers the actual scope of testing. Single test case answers the question “what do I want to test?”, and the reply needs to be in singular. One test case covers one topic, but do note that it may be divided into a few separate scripts. For example one test case will cover the user login functionality, but separate scripts will cover logging in by using different web browsers.

A test suite is a collection of test cases grouped for test execution purposes. Building on the example above, a test suite would cover the entire user authentication process, including logging in, password reset, and logging out, among other separate test cases. Where applicable, include integration testing, system testing, and load testing as part of your test plan to ensure thorough evaluation. Ensure adequate test coverage by mapping test cases to requirements, so all critical functionalities are validated.

Test execution schedule

The schedule has to cover both the high-level and low-level planning of the test phase. The first defining moment comes with the decision on waterfall vs agile which gives you a basic idea on when the testing will happen. Is it going to be post-development or mid-development?  Remember that creating a schedule is not only putting the test procedure into a calendar; the harder part sometimes is to figure out in what order the testing will take place. Be sure to track testing activities and monitor testing progress to keep the project on schedule.

For waterfall it is relatively easy since your whole test procedure takes place after the coding is done. You might consider what the testers are going to be doing during the development phase. For agile you have a bit more decisions to make, for example, is there going to be a delay in testing? If so, how many sprints of a delay would you like to have. Testing in agile environments deserves a completely different article since this is truly a different software testing life cycle.

Defect reporting and tracking

There are multiple project management and ticketing systems available. BugBug enables integration with the most popular ones via Zapier. This will make life easy for the test manager, since the majority of communication will be automated and whenever a bug occurs, a ticket will be created, an e-mail sent or whatever you require. Document test results and generate test reports to inform stakeholders and support data-driven decisions. Automated tests are also important for increasing efficiency and reliability in the testing process.

How to write a good test plan?

Define Test Plan Objectives and Scope

Before diving into the details, it's crucial to understand how to create a test plan effectively. Developing a test plan effectively ensures your testing process is comprehensive and efficient, serving as a blueprint for successful testing and project management.

The author needs to start creating a test plan by writing the objectives and scope. In majority of cases the objectives included in the test plan are basically stating the obvious - that we want to make sure that all our functionalities work, the app is secure and will withhold increased traffic if our business is a tremendous success.

The scope on the other hand requires a tad more attention. As an exercise try writing the scope as you would for a person, who does not work for you yet and has no clue whatsoever about your software. The scope of your testing needs to be relevant for your app from the business perspective but from the subject matter point of view as well. For example you will not require too much UI testing for a console application do you?

Executing a software test plan. How to work with changes to the test plan?

Ok, you have created a detailed document that outlines your plan for testing. It contains the success criteria for testing, describes many test cases and includes all steps to report bugs. And now what? Well, the testing obviously, but this is not the point here. The key importance of a test plan in software testing is not to hide in the drawer. The test plan helps in all phases of software development process and all aspects of testing only if you use it properly.

In addition to that, remember that the most important soft criterion for a test plan is readability. You need to make it easy to understand to all audiences. You are probably wondering why we put this into the “how to execute” part of our article. That’s simple - all team members have to be aware that the test plan exists and how far we have progressed. Regularly communicating testing progress is essential to keep everyone informed and aligned, ensuring the team can track milestones and manage any changes efficiently. Remember, they are the ones actually working with the plan, you have created. Without them, the test plan becomes just another document.

Happy (automated) testing!

Frequently Asked Questions About Test Plans

What are test deliverables in a testing project?

Test deliverables are the tangible outputs produced during the entire testing process. These typically include the software test plan, test cases, test scenarios, test execution reports, defect reports, and the final test summary report. Together, they provide visibility into quality, coverage, and risk for the project manager and stakeholders.

Is there a standard software test plan template?

There’s no universal software test plan template that works for every team. An effective test plan template should be adaptable to your testing project, covering scope, entry and exit criteria, test logistics, environments, risks, and reporting. Teams often start with a template but evolve it based on their development workflow and constraints.

What makes an effective test plan?

An effective test plan is clear, realistic, and actionable. It defines what will be tested (and what won’t), aligns with the testing timeline, addresses risk management, and sets expectations for functional testing, regression testing, and user acceptance testing. Most importantly, it helps teams make informed decisions—not just “check a box.”

How does manual testing fit into a test plan?

Manual testing is usually included for exploratory testing, usability checks, and user acceptance testing. A good test plan explains where manual testing adds value and where test automation is more efficient, especially for regression testing and repetitive scenarios across browsers and mobile devices.

What are test logistics and why do they matter?

Test logistics cover the practical aspects of testing: tools, environments, devices, data, access, and schedules. If you don’t properly plan test environment setup—especially when testing across browsers or mobile devices—execution delays and unreliable results are almost guaranteed.

How do you plan a test environment?

To plan a test environment, define hardware, software versions, test data, integrations, and access rules early. This includes staging systems, CI pipelines, and device coverage. Environment planning is critical to ensuring test execution reports reflect real production risks.

What is a test summary report?

A test summary report is a high-level document created at the end of a test cycle. It aggregates results from test execution reports, highlights risks, summarizes defects, and evaluates whether exit criteria were met. It’s often used by project managers to support release decisions.

How do test execution reports differ from test summary reports?

Test execution reports provide detailed, ongoing results during testing—pass/fail rates, blocked tests, and defects. The test summary report consolidates this data at the end of the cycle and focuses on overall quality, risk, and readiness for release.

How does user acceptance testing relate to the test plan?

User acceptance testing (UAT) should be explicitly defined in the test plan, including scope, responsibilities, environments, and suspension criteria. Business analysts and product stakeholders often play a key role here, validating that the system meets business requirements—not just technical ones.

What are entry and exit criteria in a test plan?

Entry criteria define when testing can begin (e.g. stable build, available test data). Exit criteria define when testing is considered complete (e.g. critical defects resolved, regression testing passed). Clear criteria prevent endless testing cycles and protect the testing timeline.

Who is responsible for creating test plans?

Test plans are usually authored by QA leads or senior QA engineers, but effective teams treat them as collaborative artifacts. Developers, business analysts, and the project manager often contribute input, especially around scope, risks, and dependencies.

How are risks handled in a test plan?

Risk management in a test plan identifies high-impact areas, technical uncertainty, and business-critical paths. This directly influences test scenarios, prioritization of regression testing, and contingency plans if timelines or environments change.

How do existing test cases influence a new test plan?

Existing test cases help shape scope, estimate effort, and identify gaps. A solid test plan references existing test cases where possible and explains how they’ll be reused, updated, or automated as part of continuous improvement.

What is suspension criteria in testing?

Suspension criteria define conditions under which testing should pause—such as unstable builds, blocked environments, or critical defects. Including suspension criteria in the test plan avoids wasted effort and misaligned expectations.