qa-aman/uat-plan

Overview

Based on Writing Effective Use Cases by Alistair Cockburn - where each use case's main success scenario plus extensions directly become test scenarios. Also draws on Mastering the Requirements Process by Robertson & Robertson where Fit Criteria are the testable conditions for acceptance, and Requirements Engineering by Hull, Jackson, and Dick for the V-Model that maps business requirements directly to acceptance tests. The key insight: UAT scenarios should not be invented by testers. They should be derived directly from use cases (Cockburn), fit criteria (Robertson), and business requirements (Hull's V-Model). If you wrote good requirements, the UAT plan writes itself.

Workflow

Step 1: Define the UAT scope and approach

PROJECT: [name]
RELEASE: [version or phase being tested]
UAT OBJECTIVE: [what business validation is needed before go-live]
TESTERS: [who will perform UAT - business users, not QA team]
ENVIRONMENT: [UAT environment details - must mirror production]
TIMELINE: [start date, end date, buffer for defect resolution]

Step 2: Define entry and exit criteria

ENTRY CRITERIA (before UAT starts):
- [ ] All functional testing passed (QA sign-off)
- [ ] UAT environment provisioned and verified
- [ ] Test data prepared and loaded
- [ ] Testers trained on new functionality
- [ ] Known defects documented with workarounds

EXIT CRITERIA (before release approval):
- [ ] [X]% of test scenarios passed (typically 95-100% for Must scenarios)
- [ ] Zero critical or high-severity defects open
- [ ] All Must requirements verified
- [ ] Business sign-off obtained from [role]

Step 3: Derive test scenarios from requirements

Use the V-Model mapping: business requirements map to acceptance tests.

For each use case (Cockburn method):

• Main success scenario = 1 happy-path test scenario
• Each extension = 1 additional test scenario (error, alternate, edge case)

For each requirement with a fit criterion (Robertson method):

• Fit criterion = test condition
• Measurement method = test procedure

| Scenario ID | Source | Description | Type | Priority |
|------------|--------|-------------|------|----------|
| UAT-001 | UC-01 Main Success | Customer places order successfully | Happy path | Must |
| UAT-002 | UC-01 Ext 3a | Order fails: item out of stock | Error path | Must |
| UAT-003 | UC-01 Ext 5a | Customer applies expired coupon | Edge case | Should |
| UAT-004 | FR-ORD-005 Fit | Order total calculated correctly with tax | Calculation | Must |

Step 4: Write detailed test scenarios

For each scenario:

SCENARIO: UAT-[number]
TITLE: [descriptive name]
DERIVED FROM: [use case ID + step, or requirement ID + fit criterion]
PRECONDITIONS: [setup required before executing]
TEST DATA: [specific data needed]

STEPS:
1. [Actor action]
2. [Expected system response]
3. [Actor action]
4. [Expected system response]

EXPECTED RESULT: [what success looks like]
ACTUAL RESULT: [filled during execution]
STATUS: [Pass / Fail / Blocked / Not Run]
DEFECT: [defect ID if failed]
TESTER: [name]
DATE: [execution date]

Step 5: Organize scenarios by business process

Group scenarios to match how users actually work, not by technical feature:

Business Process 1: Order Placement
  UAT-001: Place standard order (happy path)
  UAT-002: Place order with out-of-stock item
  UAT-003: Apply coupon to order
  UAT-004: Order total calculation

Business Process 2: Order Fulfillment
  UAT-010: Warehouse receives order notification
  UAT-011: Pick and pack confirmation
  ...

Step 6: Define the defect management process

DEFECT SEVERITY:
- Critical: Blocks core business process, no workaround
- High: Major functionality broken, workaround exists
- Medium: Minor functionality issue, does not block
- Low: Cosmetic or enhancement

DEFECT WORKFLOW:
Tester logs -> BA triages -> Dev fixes -> QA verifies -> Tester retests

GO/NO-GO RULE:
- Zero open Critical or High defects
- All Must scenarios passed
- Medium/Low defects documented with workarounds or deferred to next release

Step 7: Output the UAT plan

# UAT Plan: [Project / Release]

## 1. Scope and Approach
## 2. Entry and Exit Criteria
## 3. Test Scenarios (grouped by business process)
## 4. Detailed Test Cases
## 5. Defect Management Process
## 6. Schedule and Responsibilities
## 7. Sign-off Template

Include a sign-off template:

I confirm that UAT for [release] is complete and the system meets
the agreed acceptance criteria for go-live.

Name: ________________  Role: ________________  Date: ________________
Signature: ________________

Anti-Patterns

1. UAT scenarios invented from scratch Bad: Testers make up test cases based on what they think the system should do. Good: Every UAT scenario traces to a use case, requirement, or fit criterion. No requirement = no test.

2. QA team performs UAT Bad: The same team that did functional testing also performs UAT. Good: UAT is performed by actual business users or their representatives - they validate business value, not technical correctness.

3. No entry criteria - UAT starts on broken software Bad: UAT begins before QA has signed off, wasting business users' time on known bugs. Good: Strict entry criteria - UAT only starts when QA confirms the build is stable.

4. "Explore and find bugs" instead of structured scenarios Bad: Telling users to "play around and let us know what's wrong." Good: Structured scenarios with steps, expected results, and pass/fail recording.

5. No exit criteria - UAT never ends Bad: UAT drags on because there's no clear definition of "done." Good: Exit criteria defined upfront - specific pass rates, defect thresholds, and sign-off authority.

Quality Checklist

• [ ] UAT scope, testers, environment, and timeline defined
• [ ] Entry criteria documented and met before UAT starts
• [ ] Exit criteria documented with specific pass rates and defect thresholds
• [ ] Every Must requirement has at least one UAT scenario
• [ ] Scenarios derived from use cases (Cockburn) or fit criteria (Robertson)
• [ ] Each scenario covers: steps, expected result, and pass/fail recording
• [ ] Scenarios grouped by business process, not technical feature
• [ ] Defect management process defined (severity, workflow, go/no-go)
• [ ] Sign-off template included with named authority