azanir QA Test Strategy
Purpose
Create comprehensive test strategy and test plan documents that define the overall approach to testing for a project or release. Aligns with ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-3 and provides a strategic blueprint for all testing activities.
Trigger Phrases
- "Create a test strategy for..."
- "Generate test strategy document"
- "Define testing approach for project"
- "Test plan with risk assessment"
- "Comprehensive QA strategy"
Output Sections
Every test strategy document includes:
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Test Scope & Objectives | In-scope/out-of-scope, measurable goals, success criteria |
| Testing Types Breakdown & Rationale | Unit, integration, E2E, performance, security, accessibility, etc. — with rationale for each |
| Environment Requirements | Dev, staging, prod parity, data, tooling |
| Risk Assessment Matrix | Technical, business, process risks with probability/impact and mitigations |
| Entry/Exit Criteria | Conditions to start and complete testing at each level |
| Resource & Timeline Estimation | Roles, effort, schedule, dependencies |
| Defect Management Process | Triage, severity, workflow, escalation |
| Definition of Done/Ready | DoD for stories; DoR for sprint readiness |
| Test Data Strategy | Sources, masking, refresh, synthetic data |
| CI/CD Integration Strategy | Pipeline gates, automation triggers, reporting |
Testing Pyramid Guidance
Apply the testing pyramid principle for balanced coverage:
| Layer | Ratio (typical) | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | 70% | Fast, isolated, high volume |
| Integration | 20% | Component interactions, APIs |
| E2E | 10% | Critical user journeys, smoke |
Reference references/testing-types.md for detailed type descriptions and when to apply each.
Risk-Based Test Prioritization
- Identify risks — Technical, business, process (see
references/risk-matrix.md) - Score — Probability × Impact = Risk score
- Prioritize — High-risk areas get more coverage and earlier testing
- Mitigate — Allocate exploratory, security, performance tests to high-risk zones
Integration with Other Skills
| Need | Skill | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Gantt charts, timelines | qa-diagram-generator | references/gantt.md for schedule visualization |
| Mind maps, flowcharts | qa-diagram-generator | references/mindmap.md, references/flowchart.md for scope/process |
| Detailed sub-plans | qa-plan-creator | Test plan, sprint plan, regression plan, performance plan |
| NFR analysis | qa-nfr-analyst | Performance, security, usability requirements |
Workflow
- Input: Project context (scope, tech stack, timeline, constraints)
- Scope: Define in/out boundaries and objectives
- Types: Select testing types from
references/testing-types.mdwith rationale - Pyramid: Apply unit > integration > E2E ratios
- Risk: Populate risk matrix from
references/risk-matrix.md - Criteria: Apply entry/exit from
references/entry-exit-criteria.md - Visuals: Call qa-diagram-generator for Gantt, mind maps, flowcharts
- Sub-plans: Call qa-plan-creator for detailed test/sprint/regression plans
- Output: Complete test strategy document
Scope
Can do (autonomous):
- Generate full test strategy documents from project context
- Populate all 10 output sections
- Apply testing pyramid ratios and risk-based prioritization
- Call qa-diagram-generator for Gantt, mind maps, flowcharts
- Call qa-plan-creator for detailed sub-plans
- Reference testing-types, risk-matrix, entry-exit-criteria
Cannot do (requires confirmation):
- Change project scope or release dates set by stakeholders
- Override organizational test policy or standards
- Assign resources without approval
Will not do (out of scope):
- Execute tests or automation
- Modify production code or environments
- Approve strategy (approval is stakeholder responsibility)
Quality Checklist
- All 10 output sections present and populated
- Test scope clearly defines in/out boundaries
- Testing types include rationale (why each type)
- Pyramid ratios applied (unit > integration > E2E)
- Risk matrix populated with mitigations
- Entry/exit criteria are testable and level-specific
- Resource/timeline estimates are realistic
- Diagrams generated for schedule/scope (Gantt, mind map)
- References to qa-diagram-generator and qa-plan-creator correct
- No hardcoded secrets
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy too generic | Insufficient context | Ask for scope, tech stack, timeline, team size |
| Missing diagrams | qa-diagram-generator not invoked | Explicitly call for Gantt, mind map, flowchart |
| Wrong testing types | Project type unclear | Clarify web/mobile/API/embedded; use testing-types reference |
| Risk matrix empty | No risk input | Prompt for known risks; use risk-matrix template |
| Entry/exit vague | Subjective language | Use entry-exit-criteria reference; make criteria measurable |
| Pyramid inverted | E2E-heavy approach | Recommend rebalancing; explain pyramid rationale |
| Duplicate content | Overlap with qa-plan-creator | Strategy = high-level; plan = detailed; delegate sub-plans |
Reference Files
| Topic | Reference |
|---|---|
| Testing types | references/testing-types.md |
| Risk assessment | references/risk-matrix.md |
| Entry/exit criteria | references/entry-exit-criteria.md |