Best Practices – Test Case Creation Guide

When converting or creating test cases from customer-provided documentation, it’s important to go beyond simply copying content. Following best practices ensures clarity, accuracy, and consistency, and improves the overall quality of testing.

1. Validate Against the App or Website

• Always check test cases against the actual app or website in scope.

• Client documentation may often be:

  • Outdated or not aligned with the current product.

  • Incomplete and not covering the entire application.

  • Inconsistent in language, terminology, formatting, or logical flow.

These discrepancies can lead to misunderstanding and reduce test quality.

2. Avoid Simple Copying

• Do not just copy and slightly modify client-provided test cases.

• Creating test cases from scratch often saves time and ensures higher quality.

• The effort and quality difference are noticeable to testers executing the cases.

3. Maintain Consistency

• Use a consistent format and structure for all test cases, unless otherwise instructed.

• Apply the same layout, terminology, and style across the suite.

• This improves readability and simplifies execution and reporting.

4. Cover All Scenarios

• Include all scenarios discovered during exploratory review of the app, unless instructed otherwise.

• Include negative scenarios, where the expected outcome is failure.

• Ensure every element of the app is checked and clearly documented.

5. Clear and Logical Instructions

• Write test cases that are easy to follow and logically structured.

• Avoid vague terms like “check the screen” or “verify it works.”

• Provide sufficient detail so testers understand the functionality and can avoid false positives.

6. Standard Naming and IDs

• Apply a consistent naming convention for test case titles and IDs.

• This ensures traceability and easier management of test cases.

7. One Scenario Per Test Case

• Each test case should cover only one scenario or functionality.

• This simplifies tracking, debugging, and reporting results.

8. State Assumptions and Limitations

• Explicitly mention if a test depends on:

  • Specific data sets

  • Environmental conditions

  • Device configurations

• Clear assumptions prevent misunderstandings during test execution.

Summary of Best Practices:
Validate against the current app/website
Avoid simple copying; aim for quality
Keep format and structure consistent
Cover all scenarios, including negative ones
Write logical, clear, detailed instructions
Use standard naming for titles and IDs
Limit one scenario per test case
Clearly state assumptions and limitations

Still not sure of how to get started? Read this article here for step by step guide and examples.