How do you work with developers during a sprint?
AgileJunior
In shortGet involved early in refinement and planning, share test scenarios before coding, test small pieces as soon as they're ready, report bugs quickly and clearly, and talk directly instead of only through tickets.
Model answer
I see developers as teammates with the same goal. Here’s how a sprint usually looks for me:
Before coding
- In refinement and planning, I ask questions about edge cases and acceptance criteria, and help estimate testing effort.
- I write test scenarios early and share them with the developer, so they can check the obvious cases while coding.
During the sprint
- Test small pieces as soon as they’re ready, like an API endpoint or one screen, instead of waiting for the whole feature.
- Do quick pair testing or a demo with the developer on their branch.
- Join the daily stand-up to raise blockers (“I can’t test payments, the sandbox is down”).
When I find bugs
- For small issues during development, a quick message or showing them is often faster than a ticket.
- For real bugs, a clear bug report with steps, evidence and environment.
- Retest fixes quickly so stories don’t get stuck.
At the end
- Regression on affected areas, and a short summary of what was tested and any known risks.
- In the retrospective, suggest improvements, like “let’s add test data setup to the story”.
Example: sitting with a developer for 15 minutes on day 3 caught a validation issue that would otherwise have been a ticket ping-pong on day 9.
Learn more: SDLC and STLC
What they're looking for
A collaborative, continuous way of working across the sprint rather than "waiting for the build at the end", plus good communication habits.
Common mistakes
- Describing testing as something that only starts after development is finished.
- Communicating only through bug tickets.
- Treating developers as opponents.