Difference between test strategy and test plan

Today one colleague asked me an interesting question!

He asked me - difference between test strategy and test plan.

My answer was simple - test strategy talks more on technical aspect of testing and test plan talks about planning on how you manage the testing activities.

Test strategy can contain following:
1. Services/Program impacted
2. Applications/sub systems impacted and level of impact
3. Test objective
4. Test scope
5. Cross-release dependencies
6. Cross-project dependencies
7. Testing risks and mitigation
8. Test focus area
9. Levels of testing
10. Entry and exit criteria
11. Black box testing OR white box testing
12. Test Data Strategy
13. Test environment set-up
14. Acceptance criteria
15. Revision history

Test plan can contain following:
 1.  RACI chart
 2.  Requirements and plan to manage the requirements including test strategy
 3.  Testing schedule
 4.  Deployment strategy
 5.  Project risks and mitigation plan
 6.  Staffing and training plan
 7. Change management procedures
 8. Progress tracking proceure
 9. Defect tracking procedure
10. Test reporting
11. Revision history

However, few items may get interchanged based on company tailored process/templates, that are part of OPA (Organizational Process Assets).

Everything is hunky-dory? There are whole lot of information hidden behind each item.

What is program? What is RACI chart? What is test focus area? What are risks and what are mitigation plan? How a change is managed in real world? What is OPA?

Your wait begins till my next blog is published! Till then happy reading!

Please feel free to leave your valuable comments/questions.