The Most Overlooked Steps in a Software Testing Plan

Creating a software testing plan is one of the most foundational steps in the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

However, it is also one of the more complicated and less discussed elements of software quality assurance (QA).

Taking the time to create a well-designed software testing plan helps ensure that the delivered software is fit for purpose, meets end user and other technical specifications, and avoids costly schedule slippages or defects.

But QA managers and testing teams can unintentionally overlook key steps in developing their testing plans, which can lead to missed deadlines, increased development costs, and overall lower product quality.

This article will highlight the three most commonly overlooked steps in creating a software testing plan and explain why addressing them can improve project outcomes.

Why Software Testing Plans Are Critical

A software testing plan can be considered a blueprint for the entire software testing process, defining not only what to test but also when to test, how to conduct the tests, and who is responsible at each stage.

A strong software testing plan also helps teams stay organized and aligned, ensuring thorough and effective testing. Without one, teams often:

• Miss critical tests that would uncover significant defects.
• Overlook business and other technical requirements during test development.
• Miss test cases, use incomplete test data, or utilize misconfigured test environments.
• Experience delays and cost overruns caused by rework and late-stage defect discovery.

By taking the time to develop a comprehensive testing plan, QA teams can better anticipate and address challenges before they happen and mitigate them before they create more extensive issues.

The Top 3 Most Overlooked Steps in a Software Testing Plan

While every software testing plan is unique to the development project and the QA team, the TestMonitor team wanted to highlight three of the most commonly overlooked steps in the process:

1. Defining Clear Entry and Exit Criteria

While there is agreement on the need to conduct software testing, knowing exactly when can be more of a sticky subject.

There are ample resources about how QA teams can better manage the actual test execution and development of test cases. Still, these resources often ignore the need to clearly define when testing should start and when it’s officially complete.

This lack of definition of start and end dates can lead to inconsistent testing windows, unproductive starts-and-stops, wasted effort, and even scope creep.

Why it matters:

• Starting too early—before a build is stable—can lead to wasted effort as testers find bugs ultimately caused by incomplete development.
• Continuing software testing without a predefined stopping point can unnecessarily prolong testing, leading to delayed releases.
• Without clear completion criteria, stakeholders may struggle to confidently know when the software is ready for release.

Recommended best practices:

• Set entry criteria for testing, such as a stable code freeze, deployment to a test environment, or completion of unit tests.
• Define exit criteria, such as passing a defined percent of test cases, resolving critical defects, or receiving formal stakeholder approval.
• Ensure that all testers understand and agree on these exit criteria.

2. Managing Test Data and Test Environment Setup

Unfortunately, many testing plans don't include steps for preparing test data or configuring test environments until they are needed. This "on-the-fly" approach can lead to inconsistent test results, delays, or even an inability to reproduce defects.

Why it matters:

• Inconsistent test environments can result in false positives and negatives in testing results.
• Missing or incorrect test data can prevent testers from running all required test cases or evaluating complex scenarios.
• Failing to prepare and manage test data and the test environment setup can cause inconsistencies and delays in testing.

Recommended best practices:

• Document the exact data sets that will be used for testing, including any edge cases or exploratory testing to be done.
• Specifically, identify environment configurations; including hardware, software, integrations, and other network settings.
• Assign owners to prepare test data and set up test environments.

3. Risk-Based Test Prioritization

Many test plans treat all test cases as equally important, but this is rarely the case. This lack of prioritization can ultimately lead to wasted time and effort on lower-priority tests, while higher-risk elements remain under-tested.

Why it matters:

• When timelines and budgets tighten, knowing which tests to focus on will help QA teams allocate testing resources and effort more effectively.
• Critical business requirements and other high-risk software design elements require more thorough testing than lower-impact features.
• Focusing on high-risk areas can reduce the chance of major defects being released into production environments.

Recommended best practices:

• Conduct a risk analysis of software requirements or functionality to identify the software's most critical and complex components.
• Rank test cases based on their business impact and technical risk.
• Focus testing efforts on higher-priority areas first.

Bringing It All Together

While there is no one-size-fits-all software testing plan and no testing plan will fully account for every risk, a well designed software testing plan can be an impactful tool that ensures quality and efficiency throughout the SDLC.

This is especially true when QA managers define clear entry and exit criteria, proactively manage test data and environment setup, and prioritize risk-based testing. Focusing on these common gaps in software test planning will ultimately help development teams deliver more reliable software on time and within budget.

Want to see an example of a comprehensive test plan? Check out our sample test plan.