Scrum Sprint Testing Checklist¶

Overview¶

This checklist provides a comprehensive guide for testing activities throughout a Scrum sprint. Use this to ensure all critical testing tasks are completed and nothing is overlooked during your sprint cycle.

Pre-Sprint Planning¶

User Story Review¶

Review all user stories planned for the sprint
Verify each story has clear acceptance criteria
Ensure acceptance criteria are testable and measurable
Identify stories with unclear requirements for clarification
Check that stories follow Given-When-Then or similar format

Test Planning¶

Identify all testable items for the sprint
List dependencies between user stories and tests
Determine which stories need automated tests
Plan exploratory testing sessions
Identify non-functional testing needs (performance, security)

Estimation¶

Estimate testing effort for each user story
Account for automation development time
Include time for regression testing
Reserve time for defect retesting
Factor in test environment setup time
Consider time for exploratory testing sessions

Test Environment¶

Verify test environment availability for sprint
Confirm environment matches production configuration
Check test data availability and quality
Validate access credentials are current
Ensure necessary test tools are accessible
Test CI/CD pipeline is functioning

Definition of Done Review¶

Review and confirm Definition of Done with team
Ensure all team members understand testing criteria
Verify Definition of Done includes testing requirements
Confirm acceptance criteria alignment with DoD

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Not clarifying vague acceptance criteria early - ⚠️ Underestimating testing effort - ⚠️ Assuming test environment will "just work"

During Sprint¶

Daily Testing Activities¶

Daily Stand-up Participation¶

Share yesterday's testing accomplishments
Communicate today's testing plan
Raise any blockers or impediments
Flag test environment issues
Report critical defects found
Request clarifications from team members

Continuous Integration Testing¶

Monitor and maintain CI/CD pipeline health continuously throughout the sprint: - [ ] Monitor CI/CD pipeline for build failures - [ ] Investigate and report failed automated tests - [ ] Verify automated smoke tests pass on each commit - [ ] Review test coverage metrics from CI reports - [ ] Ensure regression tests run successfully

Story Acceptance Testing¶

Test completed stories as soon as they're ready
Execute test cases based on acceptance criteria
Perform exploratory testing on new features
Validate business logic and workflows
Test edge cases and error conditions
Verify integration with existing functionality
Confirm responsive design on different devices/browsers

Defect Management¶

Log defects with clear reproduction steps
Attach screenshots or videos to defect reports
Tag defects with appropriate severity and priority
Link defects to affected user stories
Participate in daily defect triage
Retest fixed defects promptly
Verify defect fixes don't introduce regressions

Test Automation Activities¶

Write automated tests for new functionality
Update existing tests affected by changes
Refactor flaky or unreliable tests
Add tests to regression suite
Review and optimize test execution time
Document automation progress

Collaboration¶

Pair test with developers when needed
Clarify requirements with Product Owner
Share testing insights in team discussions
Help team members with testing questions
Review code from testing perspective

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Waiting until sprint end to start testing - ⚠️ Not retesting defect fixes promptly - ⚠️ Ignoring flaky automated tests

Sprint Review / Retrospective¶

Sprint Review Preparation¶

Complete all planned test execution
Verify all acceptance criteria met
Document known issues and limitations
Prepare demo environment
Create test summary report
Gather quality metrics

Demo and Presentation¶

Demonstrate tested features to stakeholders
Present test results and coverage metrics
Show passing automated test suites
Explain any known issues or workarounds
Gather feedback from stakeholders
Document questions and concerns raised

Test Coverage Review¶

Calculate percentage of stories fully tested
Review test automation coverage
Identify gaps in test coverage
Document areas needing additional testing
Assess regression test suite effectiveness

Sprint Retrospective¶

What Went Well¶

Identify successful testing practices
Note effective collaboration moments
Recognize helpful tools or techniques
Document time-saving automation wins

What Needs Improvement¶

List testing challenges encountered
Identify bottlenecks in testing process
Note environment or tool issues
Document communication gaps

Lessons Learned¶

Record key insights about testing approach
Document new techniques or tools tried
Note effective defect prevention strategies
Capture knowledge for future sprints

Action Items¶

Create specific, actionable improvements
Assign owners to action items
Set deadlines for improvements
Plan to review action items next sprint

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Rushing through retrospective discussion - ⚠️ Not following up on action items from previous sprints - ⚠️ Focusing only on problems, not celebrating successes

Sprint Closeout¶

Final Verification¶

Run full regression test suite
Verify all critical and high priority defects resolved
Confirm all Definition of Done criteria met
Validate integration with existing features
Check that no new regressions introduced

Documentation Updates¶

Update test case repository
Document new test scenarios
Update automated test documentation
Record sprint metrics and trends
Archive test execution results

Preparation for Next Sprint¶

Identify carry-over testing tasks
Update test environment for next sprint
Plan automation improvements
Review and groom test backlog
Prepare for upcoming sprint planning

Key Metrics to Track¶

Test Execution Metrics¶

Number of test cases executed
Pass/fail rate
Test automation coverage percentage
Regression test suite execution time

Defect Metrics¶

Total defects found
Defects by severity
Defect fix rate
Escaped defects (if any)

Sprint Velocity and Quality¶

Story points completed vs. planned
Stories meeting Definition of Done
Test coverage per story point
Technical debt created or resolved

Templates¶

Test Plan Template - For sprint test planning
Test Case Template - For detailed test scenarios
Defect Report Template - For logging defects
Test Execution Report Template - For sprint review

Phase Guidance¶

Test Planning Phase - Detailed planning guidance
Test Case Development - Creating test cases
Test Environment Preparation - Environment setup
Test Execution Phase - Execution best practices
Test Results Analysis - Analyzing results
Test Results Reporting - Sprint reporting

Examples¶

Examples Directory - Practical examples (coming soon)

Scrum Testing Methodology - Comprehensive Scrum testing guide
Agile Testing Methodology - General Agile testing practices
Methodology Comparison - Compare different approaches

Tips for Success¶

For New Scrum Teams¶

Start with a simple Definition of Done and evolve it
Focus on automation from sprint one
Don't over-commit on testing in early sprints
Build time for learning and improvement

For Experienced Teams¶

Continuously refactor and improve test automation
Experiment with new testing techniques
Mentor team members on testing practices
Challenge yourselves to increase velocity without compromising quality

General Best Practices¶

Test early and test often throughout the sprint
Collaborate closely with developers
Automate repetitive tests
Keep test documentation lightweight but sufficient
Celebrate quality wins, learn from defects
Maintain sustainable testing pace

Checklist Usage Guidelines¶

How to Use This Checklist: 1. Review at sprint planning to prepare for the sprint 2. Reference daily during sprint execution 3. Use during sprint review to ensure completeness 4. Customize based on your team's specific needs 5. Print or pin for easy team access

Customization Tips: - Add team-specific items relevant to your context - Remove items that don't apply to your project - Adjust frequency of activities based on sprint length - Modify to align with your Definition of Done

This checklist is part of the BGSTM (BG Software Testing Methodology) framework. For more information, see the main documentation.