| inclusion | auto |
| name | qe-context-driven-testing |
| description | Apply context-driven testing principles where practices are chosen based on project context, not universal 'best practices'. Use when making testing decisions, questioning dogma, or adapting approaches to specific project needs. |
| tags | ["context-driven","rst","exploratory","heuristics","oracles","skilled-testing"] |
Context-Driven Testing
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When making testing decisions or adapting approaches:
- ANALYZE context: project goals, constraints, risks, team skills
- QUESTION practices: "Why this? What risk does it address? What's the cost?"
- INVESTIGATE not just check: Does software solve the problem, or create new ones?
- ADAPT approach based on context, not "best practices"
- DOCUMENT discoveries, not pre-written plans
Quick Context Analysis:
- Mission: "Find important problems fast enough to matter" (not "execute test cases")
- Risk: Safety-critical = high rigor; internal tool = lighter touch
- Constraints: Startup with tight timeline ≠ enterprise with compliance
- Skills: Novice needs structure; expert adapts intuitively
Critical Success Factors:
- No "best practices" work everywhere - only good practices in context
- Testing is investigation, not script execution
- Context changes; your approach should too
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