Building Regression Test Suites
The first part of a Regression Testing Strategy is to determine what should go into the regression test suite. Knowing which tests to include in the regression test suite is a matter of knowing the optimal test cases to execute. This is a matter of identifying the stable areas, the high-priority features, and the high-risk areas. This information can be gathered by answering questions like:
- What are the different priority levels of features and bugs, and how does the team define them?
- What are the high-priority features in the system? What are medium-priority? And so on.
- What are the stable features in the system?
- Which features are prone to errors?
- What are the test cases for each of those priority levels? And what are the test cases for the stable features?
Approaches to Regression Testing
There are different approaches that testers can include in their Regression Testing Strategy:
Two-Level Approach
Regression testing can be divided into two cycles: iteration regression tests and full regression tests. In iteration regression tests, the testers focus on specific areas of the system where changes have been implemented within the Sprint, instead of running tests on the entire system. Then they carry out a full regression test before releases or important milestones in the project.
Prioritised Approach Testing
In the prioritised approach, the testers can classify and arrange their tests according to their risk. High-risk features will be the primary focus of the regression tests, with medium and low-risk features to be tested next, depending on the time remaining.
Recommended Further Reading
The following materials may assist you in order to get the most out of this course: