Test Strategy and test plan. What is the difference?

Test Strategy

Test strategy is a set of basic principles that define test development and determine how the software testing process will be executed. A test strategy aims to provide a systematic approach to the testing process for quality, traceability, reliability, and better planning.

Test Plan

A test plan is a detailed document that describes the testing strategy, goals, schedule, evaluation, results, and resources required to test a software product. The test plan helps determine the approaches needed to check the quality of the tested program. 

A test plan is an important document. It helps keep the team working in a coordinated manner. It serves as a reference point and ensures that the final product has no bugs and meets the expected requirements. The document also helps everyone outside the team understand the testing process. One of the important aspects of test plans is that they can be constantly changed and differ depending on the product. 

The difference between a test strategy and a test plan

Key differences

• The test plan is a document that describes all the work to be done by the testing team on a project. It includes risks, a list of required resources, a schedule, and a description of various testing processes, while the test strategy describes how testing should be performed.
• The test plan is used at the project level, while the test strategy is used at the organization level.
• The main purpose of the test plan is a description of how to test, when to test, and who will test, while the test strategy focuses on what techniques should be followed and which module to test.
• The test plan is a dynamic document, while the test strategy is fixed.
• The test plan is created by the test manager, and the test strategy is created by the project manager.

To summarize, both documents are an inseparable and equally important part of any project. If properly executed, the testing process will result in a product of the highest quality. However, if some steps are skipped, there is a chance that the final product may still have bugs.

Also, keep in mind that there is no universal document that can be used as a model and applied to all types of projects.