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Testing Metrics: Measure your Testing Success (Part 2)

Measuring Test Planning Process for effective Execution


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Test Planning, the second phase of STLC, plays a crucial role in defining test strategies and setting benchmarks for test execution. These in turn serve as references to ensure comprehensive test coverage, testing efforts optimization, and proactive readiness to address potential risks and challenges.


However, as project requirements evolve and timelines shift, even a well-crafted test plan can lose its effectiveness - forcing teams to compromise on either quality or deadlines.

This raises a critical question: can we proactively assess whether a test plan will remain effective in helping us meet our delivery commitments?


Just like our previous blog, Testing Metrics: Measure your Testing Success (Part 1) where we emphasized on how incorporating metrics during Requirement Analysis phase helps evaluate the requirements in terms of clarity, traceability and completeness, in this blog, we will explore some testing metrics that contribute to efficient test planning. thereby measuring the effectiveness of our testing process.


  1. Test Design Efficiency

This metric assesses how quickly requirements are translated to test cases by the testing team. It reflects both productivity and speed of the test design process.

Formula:

Test Design Efficiency = Number of tests designed/Total time

Target: Aligned with the internal baseline set in previous testing projects, considering both test case quality and requirements’ complexity.


  1. Requirements Coverage

This measures how well test cases align with documented requirements, ensuring full functionality is covered through test cases.

Formula: 

Requirements Coverage (%) = 
  (No. of requirements with test cases/Total no. of requirements) × 100

Target: 100% or more (considering some requirements have multiple test cases).


  1. Estimated Test Effort

Test estimation is not just a metric but a practice that impacts project planning and resource allocation. Few widely used techniques for calculating the testing efforts include:

  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) This involves breaking down the testing tasks into smaller units and estimating the effort required for each.

  • Function Point Analysis (FPA) In this technique, tasks are broken into modules, and a function point is assigned to each module depending on the complexity. Formula:

Total Effort = Total FP x Estimate per FP 

  • 3-Point Estimation This includes deriving estimates by using best case (b), worst case (w) and most-likely scenarios (m). Formula:

Estimate = (b + 4m + w) / 6

Target: Since there is no target for effort, this metric helps identifying if the efforts are aligned with project deadlines considering resource allocation.


  1. Manual vs. Automation Coverage

This shows the proportion of tests that can be automated. It helps identify areas where automation can save time and supports scaling the testing effort effectively.

Formula:

Automation Coverage (%) = 
  (No. of automated test cases/Total test cases) × 100

Target: 40% - 70%, depending on project complexity.


Sprint Metrics Matrix

Observe the matrix below during the test planning phase to help you make informed decisions based on these metrics.

Sprint/Metric

Test Design Efficiency

Requirements Coverage

Estimated Test Effort

Manual/ Automation Test Coverage

Report

5

40 cases/day

70%

Aligned with project deadlines

10%

Coverage needs improvement. More test cases should be selected for automation.

6

60 cases/day

90%

Aligned with project deadlines

30%

Add more tests to improve coverage. Review automation opportunities.

7

65 cases/day

120%

Aligned with project deadlines

50%

Test planning meets ideal standards. Ready for the next phase.

 

Final Thoughts

Defining the right metrics during test planning ensures a reliable and scalable QA process. These metrics don’t just measure progress - they illuminate risks and help teams make smarter decisions.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll explore key metrics for the Test Case Development phase.


References

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