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Test Scenarios: Definition & Examples

A test scenario is defined as any functionality that can be tested and represents real-world scenarios for an application. Scenario testing uses actual scenarios instead of test cases to test end-to-end functionality. Test scenarios are created to ensure complete test coverage, get stakeholder approval, determine testing effort, and study end-to-end functions. They are written by analyzing requirements, identifying user actions and objectives, listing verification scenarios, and creating a traceability matrix. Example test scenarios presented include checking login, search, and payment functionality for an ecommerce app and checking authentication, money transfer, and account views for a banking site.

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Aamir Afzal
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114 views7 pages

Test Scenarios: Definition & Examples

A test scenario is defined as any functionality that can be tested and represents real-world scenarios for an application. Scenario testing uses actual scenarios instead of test cases to test end-to-end functionality. Test scenarios are created to ensure complete test coverage, get stakeholder approval, determine testing effort, and study end-to-end functions. They are written by analyzing requirements, identifying user actions and objectives, listing verification scenarios, and creating a traceability matrix. Example test scenarios presented include checking login, search, and payment functionality for an ecommerce app and checking authentication, money transfer, and account views for a banking site.

Uploaded by

Aamir Afzal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • What is a Test Scenario?
  • When not to create Test Scenarios
  • How to Write Test Scenarios
  • Example 1: Test Scenario for eCommerce Application
  • Test Scenarios for eCommerce Application (Continued)
  • Example 2: Test Scenarios for a Banking Site
  • Test Scenario Template

What is Test Scenario?

Template with
Examples

What is a Test Scenario?


A Test Scenario is defined as any functionality that can be tested. It is also
called Test Condition or Test Possibility. As a tester, you should put yourself in the
end user’s shoes and figure out the real-world scenarios and use cases of the
Application Under Test.

Scenario Testing
Scenario Testing in software testing is a method in which actual scenarios are
used for testing the software application instead of test cases. The purpose of
scenario testing is to test end to end scenarios for a specific complex problem of
the software. Scenarios help in an easier way to test and evaluate end to end
complicated problems.
Let’s study this with the help of the video below –

Why create Test Scenarios?


Test Scenarios are created for the following reasons,

 Creating Test Scenarios ensures complete Test Coverage


 Test Scenarios can be approved by various stakeholders like Business
Analyst, Developers, Customers to ensure the Application Under Test is
thoroughly tested. It ensures that the software is working for the most
common use cases.
 They serve as a quick tool to determine the testing work effort and
accordingly create a proposal for the client or organize the workforce.
 They help determine the most important end-to-end transactions or the real
use of the software applications.
 For studying the end-to-end functioning of the program, Test Scenario is
critical.
When not create Test Scenario?
Test Scenarios may not be created when

 The Application Under Test is complicated, unstable and there is a time


crunch in the project.
 Projects that follow Agile Methodology like Scrum, Kanban may not create
Test Scenarios.
 Test Scenario may not be created for a new bug fix or Regression Testing. In
such cases, Test Scenarios must be already heavily documented in the
previous test cycles. This is especially true for Maintenance projects.

How to Write Test Scenarios


As a tester, you can follow these five steps to create Test Scenarios-

 Step 1: Read the Requirement Documents like BRS, SRS, FRS, of the System
Under Test (SUT).  You could also refer uses cases, books, manuals, etc. of
the application to be tested.
 Step 2: For each requirement, figure out possible users actions and
objectives. Determine the technical aspects of the requirement. Ascertain
possible scenarios of system abuse and evaluate users with hacker’s
mindset.
 Step 3: After reading the Requirements Document and doing your due
Analysis, list out different test scenarios that verify each feature of the
software.
 Step 4: Once you have listed all possible Test Scenarios, a Traceability
Matrix is created to verify that each & every requirement has a corresponding
Test Scenario
 Step 5: The scenarios created are reviewed by your supervisor. Later, they
are also reviewed by other Stakeholders in the project.

Tips to Create Test Scenarios


 Each Test Scenario should be tied to a minimum of one Requirement or User
Story as per the Project Methodology.
 Before creating a Test Scenario that verifies multiple Requirements at once,
ensure you have a Test Scenario that checks that requirement in isolation.
 Avoid creating overly complicated Test Scenarios spanning multiple
Requirements.
 The number of scenarios may be large, and it is expensive to run them all.
Based on customer priorities only run selected Test Scenarios

Example 1: Test Scenario for eCommerce Application


For an eCommerce Application, a few test scenarios would be

Test Scenario 1: Check the Login Functionality

In order to help you understand the difference Test Scenario and Test Cases,
specific test cases for this Test Scenario would be

1. Check system behavior when valid email id and password is entered.


2. Check system behavior when invalid email id and valid password is entered.
3. Check system behavior when valid email id and invalid  password is entered.
4. Check system behavior when invalid email id and invalid  password is
entered.
5. Check system behavior when email id and password are left blank and Sign
in entered.
6. Check Forgot your password is working as expected
7. Check system behavior when valid/invalid phone number and password is
entered.
8. Check system behavior when “Keep me signed” is checked

As evident, Test Cases are more specific.

Test Scenario 2: Check the Search Functionality

Test Scenario 3: Check the Product Description Page

Test Scenario 4: Check the Payments Functionality


Test Scenario 5: Check the Order History
Apart from these 5 scenarios here is the list of all other scenarios

 Check Home Page behavior for returning customers


 Check Category/Product Pages
 Check Customer Service/Contact Pages
 Check Daily Deals pages

Example 2:  Test Scenarios for a Banking Site


Test Scenario 1: Check the Login and Authentication Functionality

Test Scenario 2: Check Money Transfer can be done

Test Scenario 3: Check Account Statement can be viewed

Test Scenario 4: Check Fixed Deposit/Recurring Deposit can be created

And so on…
Test Scenario Template
[Link]

Common questions

Powered by AI

Aligning test scenarios with business requirements is crucial because it ensures that the testing process focuses on validating the most critical aspects of the application from a business perspective. This alignment ensures that the software meets its strategic objectives and delivers value to stakeholders. By focusing on business requirements, testing outcomes can more accurately reflect the software's ability to fulfill user needs and business goals, leading to greater stakeholder satisfaction and reduced risk of critical failures in operational environments .

To ensure that each software requirement is adequately tested through test scenarios, testers should follow these steps: 1) Read the requirement documents like BRS, SRS, FRS of the system under test. 2) Identify possible user actions and objectives for each requirement. 3) List different test scenarios that verify each feature of the software. 4) Create a traceability matrix to ensure every requirement has a corresponding test scenario. 5) Have the scenarios reviewed by a supervisor and other stakeholders involved in the project .

Prioritizing certain test scenarios based on customer needs is beneficial because it allows testers to focus on the features and functionalities that are most critical to the user experience and business requirements. Given that running all possible scenarios can be expensive and time-consuming, focusing on the customer-prioritized scenarios ensures efficient use of resources, helps prevent critical feature failures, and aligns testing efforts with the value provided to the end user. This approach maximizes the business impact of the testing efforts .

Test scenarios may be avoided in projects following Agile Methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban because these projects are usually under tight time constraints. In such cases, the application may be new, complicated, or unstable, making it impractical to create detailed test scenarios. Additionally, for new bug fixes or regression testing, scenarios might already be documented from previous cycles, especially in maintenance projects, reducing the need for new scenario creation .

Stakeholder review can enhance the quality of test scenarios by bringing diverse perspectives to the testing process. Different stakeholders such as business analysts, developers, and customers may have varied understandings of the software requirements and potential use cases. Their input can help in verifying that the test scenarios align with business objectives, detect gaps in coverage, and prioritize scenarios based on business impact. This collaboration ensures that the test scenarios are not only technically sound but also relevant and valuable in real-world applications .

It would be impractical to create a test scenario for a software application when the project is under tight deadlines, the application is unstable, or when dealing with Agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban where requirements rapidly evolve. Additionally, for new bug fixes or regression tests in maintenance projects, where test scenarios are already well-documented, creating new scenarios might add unnecessary effort without added value .

Reviewing requirement documents aids in the creation of effective test scenarios by providing a foundation to understand the functional and technical needs of the application under test. Documents such as BRS, SRS, and FRS describe the expected behavior of the system, allowing testers to identify potential user actions and objectives. These insights help in outlining comprehensive scenarios that simulate real user interactions, ensuring that all critical aspects of the application are effectively tested .

The distinction between test scenarios and test cases impacts testing efficiency by allowing testers to focus on different levels of detail appropriate to different stages of testing. Test scenarios provide a high-level overview of what is to be tested, ensuring broad coverage of the application's functionality. In contrast, test cases tackle specific conditions within those scenarios, offering detailed steps for verifying particular system behaviors. This hierarchical approach enables testers to balance between comprehensive coverage and detailed verification, optimizing the allocation of testing resources .

Scenario testing is beneficial for understanding complex software systems because it involves testing the software application using actual scenarios rather than isolated test cases. This approach tests end-to-end functionality, allowing testers to verify the software's behavior in real-world conditions, which can reveal issues that wouldn't surface in isolated tests. Additionally, scenario testing ensures complete test coverage, helps prioritize the most critical transactions, and can be approved by stakeholders to ensure thorough testing .

A traceability matrix facilitates the process of creating test scenarios by ensuring that every requirement or user story has a corresponding test scenario. It serves as a checklist to verify comprehensive coverage of all aspects described in the requirements document, tying each requirement to test scenarios and helping in identifying any untested areas. This ensures no aspects of the functionality are inadvertently left untested, thus contributing to the thoroughness of the testing process .

What is Test Scenario? Template with Examples What is a Test Scenario? A Test Scenario is defined as any functionality that
When not create Test Scenario? Test Scenarios may not be created when  The Application Under Test is complicated, unstable a
 Avoid creating overly complicated Test Scenarios spanning multiple Requirements.  The number of scenarios may be large, a
4. Check system behavior when invalid email id and invalid password is entered. 5. Check system behavior when email id and p
Test Scenario 5: Check the Order History
Apart from these 5 scenarios here is the list of all other scenarios  Check Home Page behavior for returning customers  Che
Test Scenario Template https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=17Y9KNDeUiglfNpBZyfCBg-FAcEEwUYOr

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