What is a Test Scenario?
A test scenario, sometimes also called scenario test, is basically a documentation of a use case. In other words, it describes an action the user may undertake with a website or app. It may also describe a situation the user may find themselves in while using that software. Test Scenarios are required to verify the performance of the entire system from the users’ perspective.
How to create a Test Scenario
- Carefully study the Requirement Document — BRS, SRS, FRS pertaining to the System Under Test (SUT).
- Isolate every requirement, and identify what possible user actions need to be tested for it.
- Enumerate test scenarios that cover every possible feature of the software.
- Create a Traceability Matrix to ensure that every requirement is mapped to a test scenario.
- Get the scenarios reviewed by a supervisor, and then push them to be reviewed by other stakeholders in the project.
Test Scenario Example
Let’s have a look at an e-commerce website and a test scenario related to its Login page.
Test Scenario
Check the Login functionality.
Ask the following questions in this scenario:
- Can the user log in with a valid email id and password?
- What happens when an invalid email id and valid password?
- What happens when a valid email id and invalid password is entered?
- What happens when an invalid email id and invalid password is entered?
- What happens when the email id and password fields are left blank and the Login button is clicked?
- Is the Forgot password? option working as expected?
- Is every link on the page working as expected?
The Role of Real Devices in Test Scenarios
No matter the activity, all testing operations must be executed on real devices. Test Scenarios can only be effectively implemented when corresponding tests are run in real user conditions. Running them on emulators or simulators cannot provide 100% accurate results, and therefore testers and QA managers won’t be able to evaluate the testing process with precision.
Whether manual testing or automated Selenium testing, real devices are non-negotiable in the testing equation. In the absence of an in-house device lab (that is regularly updated with new devices and maintains each of them at highest levels of functionality), opt for cloud-based testing infrastructure. By running tests on a real device cloud, QA managers can modulate testing processes so that they provide the desired results. Since Test Scenarios are integral to shaping a highly functional test cycle, testers and managers can utilize them accurately in every project to ensure their success.
