What is a test plan and what does it contain?
ProcessMid-level
In shortA test plan describes what will be tested, how, by whom, when, with which environments, and what counts as done.
Model answer
A test plan is a document that describes the scope, approach, resources and schedule of testing for a specific project or release. Its real purpose is alignment: everyone knows what will be tested, what will not, and when testing is “done”.
Typical contents:
- Scope: features in scope and, just as important, out of scope.
- Approach: types of testing (functional, regression, accessibility…), manual vs automated.
- Environments and devices: for example iOS 17-18 on iPhone SE and 15, Android 13-15 on Samsung and Pixel, Chrome/Safari/Firefox for web.
- Test data and accounts needed.
- Roles and responsibilities.
- Schedule and milestones.
- Risks and mitigations: “payment sandbox may be unstable, so we will book extra time”.
- Entry criteria: when testing can start (build deployed, smoke test passed).
- Exit criteria: when testing stops (all high-priority tests run, no open critical bugs).
- Deliverables: test cases, bug reports, summary report.
In agile teams, a test plan is often a one-page wiki per release or epic rather than a large formal document. A test plan is different from a test strategy, which describes the company-wide approach, and from test cases, which describe individual checks.
Learn more: Writing a Test Plan
What they're looking for
The main sections of a test plan (scope, approach, environments, schedule, risks, entry/exit criteria) and the understanding that it is a communication tool, often lightweight in agile teams.
Common mistakes
- Confusing a test plan with a list of test cases.
- Forgetting to list what is out of scope, or leaving out exit criteria.
- Describing only a heavy 40-page document and ignoring agile reality.