Last updated on Jul 26, 2024
- All
- Engineering
- Agile Methodologies
Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community
1
Define clear and testable acceptance criteria
2
Use a testing pyramid approach
3
Apply test-driven development or behavior-driven development
4
Perform exploratory testing and usability testing
Be the first to add your personal experience
5
Review and refine user stories and tests
Be the first to add your personal experience
6
Here’s what else to consider
User stories are short and simple descriptions of a feature or a function from the perspective of a user. They are the building blocks of agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban, that help teams deliver value to customers. But how do you test user stories to ensure they meet the acceptance criteria and the quality standards? In this article, you will learn some practical tips and techniques to test user stories effectively and efficiently.
Key takeaways from this article
-
Define acceptance criteria:
Creating clear, testable acceptance criteria is key. Use the Given-When-Then format to outline exact conditions for a feature's success, ensuring nothing is overlooked when it comes to functionality.
-
Collaborative refinement:
Involve your team in refining user stories and tests. This collaboration can bring to light additional scenarios that need testing, which a Product Owner alone might miss, strengthening the final product.
This summary is powered by AI and these experts
- Taina Soares Sabino Product Owner | Scrum Master | Leading…
- Jennifer Simpson Stoic Scrum Master | LinkedIn Top Voice…
1 Define clear and testable acceptance criteria
The first step to test user stories is to define clear and testable acceptance criteria that specify the expected behavior and outcomes of the feature or function. Acceptance criteria are the conditions that must be met for the user story to be considered done and accepted by the customer. They should be written in a simple and concise language, using the Given-When-Then format or a checklist. For example, given a user is logged in, when they click on the profile button, then they should see their personal information and settings.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Jennifer Simpson Stoic Scrum Master | LinkedIn Top Voice for Agile Methodologies
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
You might also consider using the phrase "done when" along with the checklist format. This helps to easily communicate to the developer that this user story "will be done when" all of the bulleted items are complete. If your team struggles with scope creep or gold plating user stories, you can highlight items that are "out of scope" in the done when/acceptance criteria. Using the login example from above, you could highlight that "seeing the user's photo/avatar is out of scope of this user story".
Like
Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 3 - Jennifer Simpson Stoic Scrum Master | LinkedIn Top Voice for Agile Methodologies
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
You might also consider using the phrase "done when" along with the checklist format. This helps to easily communicate to the developer that this user story "will be done when" all of the bulleted items are complete. If your team struggles with scope creep or gold plating user stories, you can highlight items that are "out of scope" in the done when/acceptance criteria. Using the login example from above, you could highlight that "seeing the user's photo/avatar is out of scope of this user story".
Like Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 2 - Jennifer Simpson Stoic Scrum Master | LinkedIn Top Voice for Agile Methodologies
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
You might also consider using the phrase "done when" along with the checklist format. This helps to easily communicate to the developer that this user story "will be done when" all of the bulleted items are complete. If your team struggles with scope creep or gold plating user stories, you can highlight items that are "out of scope" in the done when/acceptance criteria. Using the login example from above, you could highlight that "seeing the user's photo/avatar is out of scope of this user story".
Like Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 1 - Jennifer Simpson Stoic Scrum Master | LinkedIn Top Voice for Agile Methodologies
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
You might also consider using the phrase "done when" along with the checklist format. This helps to easily communicate to the developer that this user story "will be done when" all of the bulleted items are complete. If your team struggles with scope creep or gold plating user stories, you can highlight items that are "out of scope" in the done when/acceptance criteria. Using the login example from above, you could highlight that "seeing the user's photo/avatar is out of scope of this user story".
Like Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 1
2 Use a testing pyramid approach
The second step to test user stories is to use a testing pyramid approach that balances the different types and levels of testing. The testing pyramid is a model that illustrates how to allocate testing resources and efforts across unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests. Unit tests are the most granular and fast tests that verify the functionality of individual components or modules. Integration tests are the intermediate tests that check the interactions and dependencies between components or modules. End-to-end tests are the most comprehensive and slow tests that simulate the user journey and the system behavior from start to finish.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
For effective User Story testing:1. Clear Precise Acceptance Criteria with common understanding2. Feed acceptance criteria and NFR into the test case automation3. Eliminate any flaky tests4. Automate the test process5. Balanced approach of Shift-left and Shift-Right testing approach.
Like Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny
3 Apply test-driven development or behavior-driven development
The third step to test user stories is to apply test-driven development (TDD) or behavior-driven development (BDD) practices that integrate testing into the development process. TDD and BDD are agile methodologies that involve writing tests before writing code, following a red-green-refactor cycle. TDD focuses on writing unit tests that define the expected functionality of the code, while BDD focuses on writing acceptance tests that define the expected behavior of the system. Both TDD and BDD help teams create testable and maintainable code, reduce defects, and improve quality.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Taina Soares Sabino Product Owner | Scrum Master | Leading SAFe | PSPO I
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
I believe that is good to mention that even thought the PO is responsible for writing the TDD for example, is impossible for the PO to cover everything. Thats why I love the refinements section, because the team together with the PO can refine the user story and add the test scenarios that are missing.
Like Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 2
4 Perform exploratory testing and usability testing
The fourth step to test user stories is to perform exploratory testing and usability testing that complement the automated and scripted tests. Exploratory testing is a creative and intuitive testing technique that involves exploring the system without predefined test cases, looking for bugs, risks, and opportunities for improvement. Usability testing is a user-centric testing technique that involves observing and collecting feedback from real or representative users, evaluating how easy, efficient, and satisfying the system is to use. Both exploratory testing and usability testing help teams discover unexpected issues, validate user needs, and enhance user experience.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
5 Review and refine user stories and tests
The final step to test user stories is to review and refine user stories and tests based on the feedback and results of the testing activities. Testing is not a one-time event, but a continuous and iterative process that requires collaboration and communication among the team members, the customer, and the stakeholders. Reviewing and refining user stories and tests help teams ensure that they deliver value, meet quality standards, and align with customer expectations.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
6 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Taina Soares Sabino Product Owner | Scrum Master | Leading SAFe | PSPO I
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
I strongly recommend writing in the user stories the DOD (Definition of Done) and DOR (Definition of Ready), this will make the user story clear to understand when the story will be considered ready for the developer and done for the user.
Like Like Celebrate Support Love Insightful Funny 1
Agile Methodologies
Agile Methodologies
+ Follow
Rate this article
We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?
It’s great It’s not so great
Thanks for your feedback
Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.
Tell us more
Tell us why you didn’t like this article.
If you think something in this article goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
We appreciate you letting us know. Though we’re unable to respond directly, your feedback helps us improve this experience for everyone.
If you think this goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
More articles on Agile Methodologies
No more previous content
- You're facing delays in an Agile project. How can you keep stakeholders informed without sparking panic? 4 contributions
- Your Agile team is struggling with accountability. How can you ensure ownership of tasks among team members? 11 contributions
- Your project's dependencies suddenly shift. How will you ensure Agile project success amidst uncertainty? 2 contributions
- You're leading an Agile retrospective. How do you ensure each team member feels heard and valued? 3 contributions
- You're facing communication challenges in Agile teams. How can you ensure transparency across functions? 2 contributions
- Dealing with resistant stakeholders in Agile projects. How can you effectively gain their buy-in? 3 contributions
No more next content
Explore Other Skills
- Programming
- Web Development
- Machine Learning
- Software Development
- Computer Science
- Data Engineering
- Data Analytics
- Data Science
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cloud Computing
More relevant reading
- Agile Methodologies What are the best ways to test software in short sprints?
- System Development How can you manage testing and debugging when system development requirements are ambiguous?
- Scrum How do you test scrum in web, mobile, or embedded systems?
- Enterprise Software How can you involve the QA team in the development process?
