Test Case Structure & Example in Software QA Outsourcing

Test cases in software QA outsourcing are developed based on requirements. If there are no requirements – they should be developed, following common sense. Test-design – is the process of designing test cases. Test-design is a rather big topic, so we will not cover it in this article.

In general, test cases have the following structure:

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• Title
• Short description
• Pre-conditions
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected result

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Test case example for testing a standard Windows calculator.

     Title. Translating of numbers from decimal numeration system to hexadecimal one.
     Short Description. Test case examines the correctness of translating numbers from decimal numeration system to hexadecimal one.
     Pre-Conditions.     

1. Programmer view must be selected in View menu.
2. Decimal numeration system (“Dec”) must be chosen.

     Steps to Reproduce:

1. Enter number “1255”.
2. Choose hexadecimal numeration system “Hex”.

     Expected Result. The value in the input field changed from “1255” to “4E7”.

This is the simplest sample of a test case. In reality, one test case is not enough for checking translating of numbers from one system to another. In order to make sure that translating of numbers works right, it is necessary to check at least 5 numbers of different lengths in the range from 0 to the maximum allowed decimal number.
Performed test case can have “Passed” or “Failed” status.

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• “Passed” – the final result corresponds to the expected one.
• “Failed” – the final result doesn’t correspond to the expected one.

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Test cases are created and stored in special test management systems, like TestLink, HP Quality Center. If there is no such a system in a software testing company, test cases can be described in the format of a document or in any other. A product can also be tested without test cases (for example, if there is no time or dedicated testers to accomplish a detailed description).

Nevertheless, there should be a list of tests that are to be performed. Such a list is called a check-list.