Strong Opinions on Test Reporting
I answered a bunch of questions for a Ministry of Testing Ask Me Anything session on Test Reporting this week. You can witness me filling an hour here, or read my answers to the questions we didn't have time for here. Here's a summary of my strongest opinions:
1. A test report is not one particular thing.
A test report may be written words. It may be a chart. It may be delivered verbally. But I don't have a template, or things I usually include, because:
2. A test report should be tailored to your audience.
Who should be listening? What do they care about? If you're reporting about your testing to a developer on your team and the CEO of your company, you'll need two different kinds of reports.
3. A test report is the beginning of a conversation, not the end.
Presenting a test report allows you to gather information on what matters to your stakeholders, involve your team to streamline your process, and reflect on the quality of your testing for yourself. Feed that back into what and how you're going to test next.
Resources I'd recommend for more on how to report about your testing: