01Anatomy of a test case
A typical test case has:
- Title — what's being checked, in one line
- Preconditions — what must be true before you start (logged in, on this page, with this data)
- Steps — the exact actions to perform, in order
- Expected result — what should happen, observable
- Priority — how important is this case (P0/P1/P2)
- Tags or labels — for grouping (smoke, regression, mobile, accessibility)
- Owner — who maintains this case
02Good vs bad test cases
A good test case is unambiguous: any tester reading it executes it the same way and reaches the same pass/fail conclusion.
A bad test case is "test the login page" with no steps. Or three pages of steps covering five distinct checks. Or a vague expected result like "looks right."
03Test cases vs ad-hoc testing
Test cases capture repeatable, scripted checks. Ad-hoc and exploratory testing capture the unscripted, learn-as-you-go work. Mature teams do both — see exploratory testing.
04Related
05Frequently asked questions
How is a test case different from a test scenario?
A test scenario describes a higher-level workflow ("user signs up and verifies email"). A test case is one specific check inside that scenario ("email verification link expires after 24 hours"). See test case vs test scenario.
How long should a test case be?
Short enough to run in one sitting, with a single clear pass/fail outcome. Multi-page test cases usually hide several real cases trying to escape.