Formatting of Test Cases – Test Case Creation Guide

Proper formatting ensures that test cases are easy to follow, reproducible, and consistent across projects. Below are the recommended structures and best practices.

1. Test Case Structure

Each test case should contain the following columns:

 

Column	Description
Test Case ID (mandatory)	A short, unique ID (e.g., TC-01).
Section (optional)	Useful for grouping test cases into logical sections.
Test Case Name	Short, unique, clear title (recommended <48 characters).
Preconditions (optional)	Conditions that must be true before execution (e.g., “User is logged in”).
Steps to Reproduce	One or more steps describing what the tester should do.
Expected Results	What the tester should see or verify after each step.
Additional Information (optional)	Any attachments or evidence the tester should provide.

 

Formatting Guidelines:

• Test Case IDs follow the format TC-01 to TC-XX, unless instructed otherwise by the client.

• Each Test Case Name must be unique; duplicates are not allowed.

• Write one action per step. Complex actions (e.g., buying a product) should be broken down into multiple steps.

• Use sequential numbering for all steps and expected results. Do not skip numbers.

• If multiple items need to be checked for a single expected result, list them under the same number.

• Do not merge any cells in the document.

Example:

Test Case ID	Section	Test Case Name	Steps to Reproduce	Expected Result
TC-01	Section 1	Test Case Name 1	Action 1 Action 2 Action 3 Action 4	Expected Result 1 Expected Display 1 Expected Content 1: Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Expected Result 2

 

 

 

2. Best Practices and Guidelines

Size and Execution Time

• Keep each test case ≤ 5 steps.

• Average execution time should be ≤ 3 minutes.

• Longer scenarios should be split into multiple test cases to maintain focus and accuracy.

Clarity

• Provide clear, simple instructions.

• Avoid technical terms unfamiliar to testers.

• Ensure instructions are self-contained; do not rely on external documents.

Flow of Testing

• Test cases are executed in order.

• Structure the suite logically so running test cases in sequence reflects the correct user flow.

• Add preparation test cases at the start of the suite if needed.

Almost there! To wrap everything up read this article for final Content & Structure guidelines.