qa-test-strategy

name	qa-test-strategy
description	Generate comprehensive test strategy documents covering scope, approach, testing types, environments, risk assessment, entry/exit criteria, and resource planning.
output_dir	docs/plans
dependencies	{"recommended":["qa-diagram-generator","qa-risk-analyzer"]}

QA Test Strategy

Purpose

Create comprehensive test strategy and test plan documents that define the overall approach to testing for a project or release. Aligns with ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-3 and provides a strategic blueprint for all testing activities.

Trigger Phrases

• "Create a test strategy for..."
• "Generate test strategy document"
• "Define testing approach for project"
• "Test plan with risk assessment"
• "Comprehensive QA strategy"

Output Sections

Every test strategy document includes:

Section	Content
Test Scope & Objectives	In-scope/out-of-scope, measurable goals, success criteria
Testing Types Breakdown & Rationale	Unit, integration, E2E, performance, security, accessibility, etc. — with rationale for each
Environment Requirements	Dev, staging, prod parity, data, tooling
Risk Assessment Matrix	Technical, business, process risks with probability/impact and mitigations
Entry/Exit Criteria	Conditions to start and complete testing at each level
Resource & Timeline Estimation	Roles, effort, schedule, dependencies
Defect Management Process	Triage, severity, workflow, escalation
Definition of Done/Ready	DoD for stories; DoR for sprint readiness
Test Data Strategy	Sources, masking, refresh, synthetic data
CI/CD Integration Strategy	Pipeline gates, automation triggers, reporting

Testing Pyramid Guidance

Apply the testing pyramid principle for balanced coverage:

Layer	Ratio (typical)	Focus
Unit	70%	Fast, isolated, high volume
Integration	20%	Component interactions, APIs
E2E	10%	Critical user journeys, smoke

Reference references/testing-types.md for detailed type descriptions and when to apply each.

Risk-Based Test Prioritization

1. Identify risks — Technical, business, process (see references/risk-matrix.md)
2. Score — Probability × Impact = Risk score
3. Prioritize — High-risk areas get more coverage and earlier testing
4. Mitigate — Allocate exploratory, security, performance tests to high-risk zones

Integration with Other Skills

Need	Skill	Usage
Gantt charts, timelines	qa-diagram-generator	references/gantt.md for schedule visualization
Mind maps, flowcharts	qa-diagram-generator	references/mindmap.md, references/flowchart.md for scope/process
Detailed sub-plans	qa-plan-creator	Test plan, sprint plan, regression plan, performance plan
NFR analysis	qa-nfr-analyst	Performance, security, usability requirements

Workflow

1. Input: Project context (scope, tech stack, timeline, constraints)
2. Scope: Define in/out boundaries and objectives
3. Types: Select testing types from references/testing-types.md with rationale
4. Pyramid: Apply unit > integration > E2E ratios
5. Risk: Populate risk matrix from references/risk-matrix.md
6. Criteria: Apply entry/exit from references/entry-exit-criteria.md
7. Visuals: Call qa-diagram-generator for Gantt, mind maps, flowcharts
8. Sub-plans: Call qa-plan-creator for detailed test/sprint/regression plans
9. Output: Complete test strategy document

Scope

Can do (autonomous):

• Generate full test strategy documents from project context
• Populate all 10 output sections
• Apply testing pyramid ratios and risk-based prioritization
• Call qa-diagram-generator for Gantt, mind maps, flowcharts
• Call qa-plan-creator for detailed sub-plans
• Reference testing-types, risk-matrix, entry-exit-criteria

Cannot do (requires confirmation):

• Change project scope or release dates set by stakeholders
• Override organizational test policy or standards
• Assign resources without approval

Will not do (out of scope):

• Execute tests or automation
• Modify production code or environments
• Approve strategy (approval is stakeholder responsibility)

Quality Checklist

• All 10 output sections present and populated
• Test scope clearly defines in/out boundaries
• Testing types include rationale (why each type)
• Pyramid ratios applied (unit > integration > E2E)
• Risk matrix populated with mitigations
• Entry/exit criteria are testable and level-specific
• Resource/timeline estimates are realistic
• Diagrams generated for schedule/scope (Gantt, mind map)
• References to qa-diagram-generator and qa-plan-creator correct
• No hardcoded secrets

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Strategy too generic	Insufficient context	Ask for scope, tech stack, timeline, team size
Missing diagrams	qa-diagram-generator not invoked	Explicitly call for Gantt, mind map, flowchart
Wrong testing types	Project type unclear	Clarify web/mobile/API/embedded; use testing-types reference
Risk matrix empty	No risk input	Prompt for known risks; use risk-matrix template
Entry/exit vague	Subjective language	Use entry-exit-criteria reference; make criteria measurable
Pyramid inverted	E2E-heavy approach	Recommend rebalancing; explain pyramid rationale
Duplicate content	Overlap with qa-plan-creator	Strategy = high-level; plan = detailed; delegate sub-plans

Reference Files

Topic	Reference
Testing types	references/testing-types.md
Risk assessment	references/risk-matrix.md
Entry/exit criteria	references/entry-exit-criteria.md