The document discusses creating dynamic test plans that provide flexibility based on risks explored during testing. It recommends creating branching test plans that can take different paths based on outcomes of initial test activities. Each test activity provides more information to assess risk levels and determine the next steps. While requiring more upfront effort, dynamic test plans are more accurate and efficient than static plans by continuously incorporating new information to guide subsequent testing.

1. Dynamic Test Plans
Building Flexibility into your Test Plans

2. Purpose
• When creating a test plan up front for what test activities to execute in a
project, creating a static plan based on known risks at the start of the project
is most likely sub-optimal
• The more we test, the more of the risk-space is explored – after having
executed the first test activity, we know more about what we need to test
than we did at the start of the project
• Creating a dynamic plan with many different paths based on explored risks
during a project is more flexible and efficient, but requires more of the
project organization
• This presentation just covers to basic concept, and it needs to be adapted
to specific organizations and projects

3. Dynamic Test Plans Basics
Large Test Activity
Assess risk level
based on outcome
of initial test
activity
Medium Test Activity
Small Test
Activity
Small Test
Activity
No Test
Activity

4. Dynamic Test Plan Overview
Until Test Stop
Criteria are met
Test Stop Criteria are met

5. How to create Dynamic Test Plans
• It does not matter if you are executing scripted manual tests, exploratory
testing, or running automated tests, you should always have a plan which
has an inbuilt feedback loop
• Create a branching test plan as illustrated on the previous slide, that take
into account different scenarios, with their respective costs
• This will require a slightly increase effort upfront, but will be much more
accurate since it does not give a false sense of security that we know all
risks at the start of the project

6. How to create Dynamic Test Plans
• Every test activity we execute give us more information – not using this
information to improve our plans incrementally is very inefficient
• Not planning for that we will get this information during the project is also
not very efficient
• Our plans need to be created so that they use this inbuilt feedback loop
efficiently
• One way is to have a risk assessment after each test activity which then
selects on which branch in the test plan to continue on

7. How to create Dynamic Test Plans
• Every test activity we execute give us more information – not using this
information to improve our plans incrementally is very inefficient
• Not planning for that we will get this information during the project is also
not very efficient
• Our plans need to be created so that they use this inbuilt feedback loop
efficiently
• One way is to have a risk assessment after each test activity which then
selects on which branch in the test plan to continue on

8. Planning Estimates
• By having these branching test plans it will be more difficult to give one
figure when it comes to cost and time
• It is necessary to provide the project with a span of times and costs, which
span from the first possible stop testing scenario, the most likely scenario,
to the scenario with the largest cost and longest time

9. Summary
• By implementing dynamic test plans, not only will the test plans be more
accurate, but we will work in a more efficient way, both with regards to
costs, and risk level
• It will require a slightly increased effort upfront, but will reduce the amount of
unnecessary testing during the project due to using the information gained
from test activities to select how to proceed according to the different
branches in the plan