QA & test management, clearly explained.
A growing glossary and field guide for teams shipping real products. No certification jargon, no academic taxonomy — just the concepts your team actually uses on a sprint, written so a tester or a PM can read them in two minutes.
Foundations
What is test management?
Organising cases, runs, and results so a team can answer what was tested, by whom, when.
02What is a test case?
A defined check of one specific behaviour: preconditions, steps, expected result.
03What is a test run?
Executing a chosen set of test cases against a specific build, with pass/fail/blocked results.
04Test coverage, really
Code, requirement, risk coverage — what each one means, and which matters when.
AI & test generation
Where AI actually helps a QA team today — turning requirements, specs, and tracked issues into structured, reviewable test cases — and where a human still has to decide.
AI test case generation, explained
Turn a requirement, spec, or tracked issue into a structured, reviewable draft of test cases.
AIAI in software testing: where it helps (and where it does not)
An honest map of where AI helps QA teams today — generation, triage, coverage — and where it still needs a human.
AIGenerate test cases from a Linear issue
Turn a Linear issue into structured, reviewable test cases with AI, each linked back to the issue.
AIHow to generate test cases from a Jira ticket
Turn a Jira ticket into structured test cases with AI, mapped to your template and linked back to the issue.
AIAI test management tools: what to look for
What “AI” actually means in a test management tool, the capabilities worth checking, and the questions to ask.
Concepts
The small set of nouns every QA team uses on Monday morning. Read these first if you’re new to test management or onboarding into a QA role.
What is test management?
The practice of organising test cases, runs, and results so a team can answer what was tested, by whom, when, and what happened.
ConceptWhat is a test case?
A defined check of one specific behaviour: preconditions, steps, expected result. The basic unit of structured testing.
ConceptWhat is a test run?
An execution of a chosen set of test cases against a specific build or environment, producing a pass, fail, or blocked result per case.
ConceptTest coverage, what it actually means
Coverage means different things in different contexts. Code, requirement, risk — here’s the practical breakdown and which matters when.
ConceptDefect lifecycle
A defect typically moves through new → triaged → in progress → fixed → verified → closed. What each stage means in practice.
Comparisons
The pairs of words people mix up. Same family, different jobs — knowing the difference saves arguments in standup.
Test case vs test scenario
A scenario describes a workflow at a high level. A case is a specific, executable check. Both have a place — when each fits.
ComparisonSmoke vs sanity testing
Smoke checks that a build is stable enough to test further. Sanity checks that a specific narrow change works.
ComparisonTest cycle vs test run
A cycle groups multiple runs across a period or release. A run is one execution of a chosen set of cases.
ComparisonTest plan vs test strategy
Strategy describes the QA approach across the whole product. A plan is specific to a release or feature.
ComparisonAcceptance criteria vs test case
Acceptance criteria define when a story is “done.” Test cases verify the criteria are met. They overlap but are not the same.
Practices
The things teams actually do. Each piece walks through a real workflow with examples — not vague principle-talk.
Exploratory testing
Unscripted, learn-as-you-go testing where the tester designs and runs tests in real time. Catches what scripted cases miss.
PracticeRegression testing
Re-running existing cases to confirm a change has not broken previously-working behaviour — without testing everything every time.
PracticeShift-left testing
Moving testing earlier in the process — into design and development — rather than only at the end. What it actually involves.
Methodology
The mental models people argue about on Twitter. Read these to know which conversation you’re being pulled into.
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