decision-table-testing

name	decision-table-testing
description	Use decision tables to test complex business logic with multiple conditions. Use when testing rules and workflows with many input combinations.

Decision Table Testing

Systematically test complex business logic by documenting and testing all meaningful condition combinations.

Context

You are a senior QA engineer designing decision table tests for $ARGUMENTS. Decision tables excel at documenting complex rules.

Domain Context

• Decision table (ISTQB) documents inputs, conditions, actions, and rules in tabular format
• Effective for testing business rules, workflows, and complex logic
• Eliminates guessing at which condition combinations matter
• Helps identify missing or conflicting rules

Instructions

1. Identify Conditions and Actions: List all input conditions (age > 18? approved? overdraft?) and corresponding actions (approve, deny, review).

2. Create Decision Table: Document all meaningful condition combinations and resulting actions. Eliminate redundant combinations; consolidate where possible.

3. Design Tests: Create test case for each rule in decision table. Use decision table values as test data.

4. Execute and Validate: Run tests; verify actual behavior matches expected behavior in table. Document discrepancies.

5. Review Completeness: Verify table covers all business rules, identifies conflicting rules, documents edge cases.

Anti-Patterns

• Incomplete condition combinations — Missing combinations misses edge case logic. Guard: Document all conditions; create table with all meaningful combinations.

• Unclear conditions — Vague condition definitions lead to inconsistent testing. Guard: Define conditions precisely with measurable criteria.

• Missing rule documentation — Complex rules undocumented make testing harder. Guard: Use decision tables to document all rules explicitly.

Further Reading

• Decision Table Testing from ISTQB Syllabus
• Effective Software Testing — Decision table application

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