A test case is a set of instructions, not a reminder to yourself. If only you can execute it, it fails as documentation and as evidence. A stranger should be able to follow it without asking questions and reach the same pass or fail verdict. That standard forces clarity about setup, steps, data, and expected results.
What every test case needs
- Preconditions: the state the system must be in before step one, including accounts and data.
- Steps written as actions, one per line, with the exact inputs to use at each step.
- Expected results stated observably, such as a message shown or a record created, not a feeling.
- Test data named explicitly, so the executor does not invent values that change the outcome.
Read your test case aloud once before saving it. Any sentence you stumble over will confuse the next person more.