Defines a charter to run an exploratory test session.
A test charter is a tool to run exploratory tests. With the test charter the stakeholders define the scope and goal of such a test. By writing down this information, the charter remembers the team to concentrate on a particular type of risk while exploring the software.
A good charter provides inspiration on how to run the test without determining on how to conduct it and without prescribing the test results.
This template - and this is true for all templates - is just a tool to help the stakeholders to write the important things down. You may add the three main aspects - mission, tools, information - of the charter in their own sections or write the information in just one sentence as the short description. Use what ever makes you feel more comfortable. If you want to alter the template to better suite your requirements, feel free to fork the project containing the blueprints!
Exploratory Testing
Exploratory testing is simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution.
James Bach. Exploratory Testing Explained. 16.4.2003
Explore It! by Elisabeth Hendrickson provides lots of information on how to explore software. Besides presenting many interesting aspects of exploratory testing and practical tips it gives an introduction on how to create good test charters. If you need to know more about exploratory tests her book is a recommended way to start!
There is also plenty of information on the internet. See Resources for some starting points.
The document type test charter provides the following properties:
Please note that only information about specific properties is provided here. Common document property used by all document types are documented by Document Properties.
List the names of stakeholders who may provide additional information on the area being examined.
Document the purpose of this test charter. This may contain the whole test charter information in a couple of sentences.
Write a short summary about the test result intended for other testers. A summary for the sponsors will be given in the test reports.
Especially beginners may find it easier to add information on the three main parts of a charter in separate sections. In case you find a shorter representation in one to three sentences consider to skip these sections and add this information as a short description or description.
State where the exploration is taking place.
The time-boxed session that logs everything the exploring team encounters. From short ideas on where to search next to hard and astonishing facts put everything in that document. This log of information will be the basis for the test report you want to write for the sponsors.
There may be more than one session, bit typically there is only one per charter.
Based on the charter and the session log, the team will create a report that summarizes the information found during the exploration. There may be more than one report if there are different sponsors with a different background interested in the outcome of the test.
Testers may want to break a larger charter into smaller charters to have several, more focussed sessions. In this case add the additional charters as child pages to this document. Keep in mind that the child relationship indicated that if - for some reason - the parent test charter is removed, all children should be removed, too. If this is not the case, better add the charters to the homepage.
Resource on running session based testing or exploratory tests.
