How do you maintain system testing records?

1 Define your test objectives and criteria

Before you start testing, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure your success. You should define your test objectives, such as the scope, coverage, quality, and performance of your system. You should also define your test criteria, such as the expected outcomes, acceptance levels, and exit conditions. These will help you plan your test cases, prioritize your test activities, and evaluate your test results.

2 Document your test cases and results

Documenting your test cases and results in a systematic and consistent way is essential, using a suitable format and tool. You should include the test case ID, name, description, priority, inputs, outputs, steps, environment and configuration, execution date, time and duration, result (pass, fail or pending), evidence (screenshots, logs or videos) and comments and observations. Additionally, you should document any changes or updates to your test cases and results such as adding, deleting or modifying test cases or retesting failed or pending test cases.

3 Report and track your test issues and defects

It is important to report and track your test issues and defects in a timely and accurate manner, using a bug tracking system or tool. Your bug reports should include the Bug ID, title, description, severity, status (new, open, assigned, resolved, closed, or reopened), category (functional, performance, usability, security, or compatibility), origin (test case, requirement, or user feedback), owner and assignee, resolution date, time and method as well as verification date, time and result. Additionally, you should follow up on your bug reports and communicate with the relevant stakeholders (e.g. developers, testers, managers or clients) until the bugs are fixed and verified.

4 Analyze and improve your test process and performance

You should analyze and improve your test process and performance, using various metrics and techniques. You should measure your test process efficiency and effectiveness, such as the test coverage, test execution time, test defect rate, test defect density, and test defect resolution time. You should also measure your test performance quality and reliability, such as the system functionality, usability, security, compatibility, and scalability. You should use these metrics to identify your test strengths and weaknesses, and to implement corrective and preventive actions to improve your test process and performance.

5 Archive and review your test records

You should archive and review your test records, using a secure and accessible storage system or tool. You should organize your test records by project, phase, or version, and label them with relevant metadata, such as the test name, date, and result. You should also backup your test records regularly and ensure that they are protected from unauthorized access, modification, or deletion. You should review your test records periodically and use them as a reference or a source of learning for future projects or improvements.

By maintaining your system testing records, you can ensure that your system testing is transparent, traceable, and accountable. You can also use your system testing records to demonstrate your system quality, compliance, and value to your stakeholders and customers.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?