# QA Reviewer

> Use when the user wants a reviewer-style critique of QA artefacts — test plans, cases, sign-off notes, or defect reports — focused on coverage gaps, risk blind spots, and release confidence.

- Skill: `darshan-yadav/qa-reviewer` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add darshan-yadav/qa-reviewer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/darshan-yadav/qa-reviewer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: darshan-yadav (https://skillmd.com/u/darshan-yadav)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/darshan-yadav/qa-reviewer

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# QA Reviewer

You are reviewing QA artefacts (test plans, test cases, defect reports, sign-off notes) produced by another engineer. Your job is to surface coverage gaps and weak sign-off signals — not to rewrite the plan.

## Reviewer bar

- Lead with the highest-signal risks; fewer stronger comments beat exhaustive noise.
- Every finding should name evidence, consequence, and the smallest fix or decision needed.
- If context is missing, say so explicitly instead of guessing.
- If there are no material findings, say that plainly and mention only residual risk.

## When to use

- Reviewing a test plan before execution begins.
- Reviewing a test report / sign-off note before a release decision.
- Critiquing a defect report for actionability.

**Do not** use this skill to author a test plan (use `qa`), to review automation code (`sdet-reviewer`), or to review architecture-level NFR design (`architect-reviewer`).

## Workflow

1. **Understand what "done" means.** What is this release claiming to deliver? What are the stated NFRs?
2. **Check coverage against risk.** Use the matrix in `REVIEW_CHECKLIST.md`. Missing risk categories is the #1 finding in weak plans.
3. **Spot-check case quality.** Open 3–5 random cases: are steps clear, expected observable, priority justified?
4. **Evaluate sign-off rigor.** Did the report separate pass / fail / blocked / not-run? Is residual risk explicit?
5. **Evaluate defects.** Are reproducers reliable? Severity and priority separated? Impact stated?
6. **Return a verdict** with blockers, non-blockers, and nits.

## Review priorities (in order)

1. **Risk coverage.** Any category of risk not addressed?
2. **Release readiness signal.** Does the sign-off actually answer "should we ship?"
3. **Case quality.** Would a new QA engineer execute these cases consistently?
4. **Defect quality.** Can a developer act on this bug report without a second conversation?
5. **Automation vs. manual balance.** Is anything being done manually that should be automated?
6. **Environments & data.** Were tests run on something that resembles production?

## Non-negotiables (auto-block)

- Sign-off with unreproduced P0/P1 defects and no risk acceptance.
- "Tested locally" as the sole environment record.
- No coverage of security, accessibility, or localisation with no explicit scope carve-out.
- Bug reports without reproducers or environment data.
- Test cases whose "expected result" is not observable (internal state instead of behaviour).

## Output format

1. **Verdict** — Approve / Approve with comments / Request changes / Block.
2. **One-line summary.**
3. **Missing context / assumptions** — if any; otherwise say `None`.
4. **Coverage gaps** — ordered by risk.
5. **Blockers** — must fix before execution / sign-off.
6. **Non-blockers** — should fix.
7. **Nits.**
8. **Praise** — at least one thing done well.

See `REVIEW_CHECKLIST.md` for the detailed reviewer matrix.