How do you create a test plan for a new feature?
- test planning
- test strategy
- documentation
Answer it first, then compare. Nothing here is saved or scored.
Model answer
A test plan covers: (1) Scope, what's being tested and what's out of scope. (2) Test approach, manual vs. automated, exploratory vs. scripted. (3) Test scenarios - positive paths, negative paths, edge cases. (4) Test data requirements - what data needs to exist. (5) Environment - where tests will run. (6) Entry/exit criteria - when to start testing, when to declare "done." (7) Risks - what could go wrong, what might not be testable. Keep it lightweight - a one-page document or checklist, not a 50-page specification.
What interviewers listen for
- Risk-based prioritisationYou can defend skipping coverage on a path because the risk maths supports it.
- Test design fluencyYou apply equivalence partitioning and decision tables to concrete inputs in real time.
- Metric judgmentYou distinguish between metrics that drive learning and metrics that drive theatre.
- Strategy under constraintYou can produce a defensible plan when the team has half the time and twice the scope.