test-tier-selection

created	"2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z"
modified	"2026-07-31T00:00:00.000Z"
reviewed	"2026-04-25T00:00:00.000Z"
name	test-tier-selection
description	Auto-select test tiers based on change scope — unit for small, full suite for large. Use when running tests, discussing testing strategy, or after code modifications.
user-invocable	false
allowed-tools	Read, Glob, Grep

Test Tier Selection

Automatic guidance for selecting appropriate test tiers based on change context and scope.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when...	Use test-consult instead when...
Mechanically deciding which tier to run for a given change	Reviewing overall test pyramid balance or strategy
Mapping change type (refactor, API, UI) to required tiers	Designing a new feature's test approach
Justifying why an E2E run is or isn't needed	Diagnosing flaky tests in an existing suite
Picking between test-quick, test-run, and test-full	Setting up a project's test infrastructure (use test-setup)

Test Tier Definitions

Tier	Duration	Scope	When to Run
Unit	< 30s	Single function/module	After every code change
Integration	< 5min	Component interactions	After feature completion
E2E	< 30min	Full user flows	Before commit/PR

Decision Matrix

Change Type → Test Tier

Change Type	Unit	Integration	E2E
Single function fix	Required	Skip	Skip
New feature (1 file)	Required	Required	Skip
Multi-file feature	Required	Required	Required
Refactoring	Required	Required	Optional
API changes	Required	Required	Required
UI changes	Required	Optional	Required
Bug fix (isolated)	Required	Optional	Skip
Database changes	Required	Required	Required
Config changes	Required	Required	Optional

Escalation Signals

Escalate to Integration when:

• Changes span multiple files
• Business logic affected
• Service boundaries modified
• Database queries changed

Escalate to E2E when:

• User-facing features modified
• Authentication/authorization changes
• Critical path functionality
• Before creating PR

Commands by Tier

# Tier 1: Unit (fast feedback)
/test:quick

# Tier 2: Integration (feature completion)
/test:full --coverage

# Tier 3: E2E (pre-commit)
/test:full

Agent Consultation Triggers

Consult test-architecture agent when:

• New feature module created
• Coverage drops > 5%

• 3 flaky tests detected

• Framework questions arise
• Test strategy needs adjustment

Consult test-runner agent when:

• Need test execution with analysis
• Multiple failures to diagnose
• Want concise failure summary

Consult system-debugging agent when:

• Integration test failures with unclear cause
• Environment/timing issues
• Flaky tests related to concurrency

Quick Reference

After Small Change

1. Run /test:quick
2. If pass: Continue working
3. If fail: Fix immediately

After Feature Completion

1. Run /test:full --coverage
2. Check coverage targets met
3. If gaps: /test:consult coverage

Before Commit/PR

1. Run /test:full
2. All tiers must pass
3. Review coverage report

For New Features

1. /test:consult new-feature
2. Write tests (TDD)
3. Run /test:quick during development
4. Run /test:full before PR

Activation Triggers

This skill auto-activates when:

• User mentions "test", "run tests", "testing"
• After code modification by Claude
• During TDD workflow
• When /test:* commands invoked
• When discussing test strategy