What is a Test Case?

Definition of Test Case

- In software engineering, a test case is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine if a requirement upon an application is partially or fully satisfied. It may take many test cases to determine that a requirement is fully satisfied. In order to fully test that all the requirements of an application are met, there must be at least one test case for each requirement unless a requirement has sub requirements. In that situation, each sub requirement must have at least one test case.

More Definitions of a Test Case.

- A test case is also defined as a sequence of steps to test the correct behavior of a functionality/feature of an application.

- A set of inputs, execution preconditions, and expected outcomes developed for a particular objective, such as to exercise a particular program path or to verify compliance with a specific requirement.

- A test case is a list of the conditions or issues of what the tester want to test in a software. Test case helps to come up with test data. A test case has an input description, Test sequence and an expected behavior.

The characteristics of a test case is that there is a known input and an expected output, which is worked out before the test. The known input should test a pre-condition and the expected output should test a post-condition.

Under special circumstances, there could be a need to run the test, produce results - and a team of experts evaluate if the results can be considered as passed. The first test is taken as the base line for subsequent test / product release cycles.

Test cases include a description of the functionality to be tested taken from either the requirements or use cases, and the preparation required to ensure that the test can be conducted.