testing-audit

name	testing-audit
description	Audit the test suite for coverage gaps, test quality, flaky tests, and strategy alignment. Use when assessing test health before a release, or when tests feel weak, slow, or flaky.
user-invocable	true

Testing Audit

Core Rule

Distinguish test gaps from test churn. Report missing critical-path coverage and flaky tests separately; never recommend tests beyond reproducibility need.

Kit Context

Before starting this skill, ensure you have completed session boot:

1. Read CODEBASE_MAP.md for project understanding
2. Read CLAUDE.project.md if it exists for project-specific rules
3. Read tasks/lessons/_index.md for accumulated corrections (Top Rules + index)

If any of these haven't been read in this session, read them now before proceeding.

When to Use

Invoke with /testing-audit when:

• Test suite is unreliable or has frequent flaky tests
• Coverage numbers look good but bugs still slip through
• Planning a testing strategy improvement
• Reviewing test quality after rapid feature development
• Assessing confidence level before a major release

Default Behavior

When the user asks to audit, scan, review, or "give me a report" for test coverage and quality, produce the full testing-audit report automatically using the Process and Output Format sections below. Do not require the user to specify fields.

Only modify files when the user explicitly requests implement / fix / apply / refactor. By default, this skill is report-only.

Scope Rules

• Analyze ONLY the files and directories relevant to this skill's purpose
• Do not refactor, fix, or modify code — this is a read-only analysis unless explicitly stated otherwise
• Log unrelated issues found during analysis under tasks/todo.md > ## Not Now
• State every assumption explicitly before acting on it
• If the user specified a scope (files, directories, modules), respect it strictly

Context Gathering

Before analysis, map the project:

1. Read project config (package.json, pyproject.toml, go.mod, Cargo.toml, etc.)
2. Identify the tech stack, frameworks, and key dependencies
3. Map source directories — skip node_modules, vendor, build, .next, dist, __pycache__
4. Check for existing configurations relevant to this analysis (linters, formatters, CI configs)
5. If the user specified a scope, narrow to those files/directories only

Process

Phase 1: Inventory (first-pass leads)

This pass produces candidates, not findings. Treat counts as leads for deeper inspection in later phases. Do not report Phase 1 raw output as the final result.

Map the current test landscape:

1. Find test files — scan for test directories, *.test.*, *.spec.*, *_test.*, test_*.*
2. Identify test framework — Jest, Vitest, pytest, Go testing, JUnit, etc.
3. Categorize tests — unit, integration, e2e, snapshot, contract
4. Check test config — coverage thresholds, timeout settings, parallel execution

Phase 2: Coverage Analysis

Assess what is and isn't tested:

Structural Coverage

• Which modules/directories have no tests at all?
• Which critical paths (auth, payment, data mutation) lack tests?
• Are edge cases covered? (empty input, boundary values, error paths)
• Are error/failure paths tested, not just happy paths?

Meaningful Coverage

• Do tests assert the right things? (behavior, not implementation)
• Are there tests that always pass? (no real assertions, tautological checks)
• Are there tests that test the framework instead of the application?
• Do integration tests actually test integration? (or are they unit tests with extra setup)

Phase 3: Test Quality

Evaluate test code quality:

Readability

• Are test names descriptive? (describe what, when, and expected outcome)
• Is the Arrange-Act-Assert / Given-When-Then pattern followed?
• Are test utilities and helpers well-organized?

Reliability

• Flaky tests: tests dependent on timing, external services, or execution order
• Test interdependence: tests that fail when run individually but pass in suite (or vice versa)
• Non-deterministic: tests using random data, current time, or system state
• Shared mutable state: global variables modified across tests without reset

Maintainability

• Over-mocking: mocking so much that the test doesn't test real behavior
• Under-mocking: integration tests that hit real external services without sandboxing
• Brittle assertions: asserting exact strings, snapshots of entire objects, or implementation details
• Test duplication: same scenario tested multiple times in different files
• Setup overhead: tests requiring 50+ lines of setup for simple assertions

Phase 4: Testing Strategy

Assess the overall testing strategy:

• Test pyramid balance: ratio of unit : integration : e2e tests
  • Too many e2e tests = slow, brittle feedback loop
  • Too few integration tests = false confidence from unit tests
• Missing test types: no contract tests for APIs, no smoke tests for deployment
• CI integration: are tests run on every PR? Is the feedback loop fast enough?
• Test data management: how is test data created and cleaned up?

Output Format

# Testing Audit Report

## Test Inventory
| Category | Count | Framework | Status |
|----------|-------|-----------|--------|
| Unit     | N     | Jest      | ...    |
| Integration | N  | ...       | ...    |
| E2E      | N     | ...       | ...    |

## Coverage Gaps
### Untested Critical Paths
1. [module/feature] — [risk if untested]

### Weak Test Areas
1. [file:line] — [what's missing]

## Quality Issues
### Must Fix
- [issue + location + recommendation]

### Should Fix
- [issue + location + recommendation]

## Testing Strategy Assessment
- Pyramid balance: [top-heavy / balanced / bottom-heavy]
- Confidence level: [low / medium / high]
- Key risk: [single biggest testing risk]

## Recommendations
1. [Highest impact improvement]
2. ...

Report Guidelines

• Use tables for structured findings — they're scannable and diffable
• Include file paths with line numbers (file.ts:42) for every finding
• Separate findings by severity: Critical > Major > Minor
• End with actionable recommendations, not just observations
• If no issues found in a category, state it explicitly — don't omit the section

Notes

• If no tests exist, the output should focus on a recommended testing strategy rather than auditing
• Don't recommend 100% coverage — focus on critical path coverage
• Consider the project's risk tolerance and deployment frequency when making recommendations