Free template
A free test plan template in Word covering test stages, entry and exit criteria, UAT scenarios, defect severity and sign off, written for system implementations.
By Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
A note before you start
Testing is where optimistic plans meet reality, and user acceptance testing is the stage most often squeezed. The fix is to agree the entry and exit criteria early, write scenarios from real business processes rather than screens, and give testers protected time. If users are testing in the gaps between their day jobs, the go live date is already at risk.
Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
Agree the test stages and who owns each one. Write UAT scenarios from end to end business processes, such as order to cash or month end, using realistic data where you can. Set entry criteria so testing does not start on an unstable build, and exit criteria so sign off means something. Log every defect with a severity and an owner, and hold a short daily defect call during UAT.
[Organisation name] | Version 0.1 | [Date] | Owner: [Name, role]
| In scope | Out of scope |
|---|---|
| Stage | Purpose | Owner | Environment | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit and system testing | Each component works as designed | Supplier | ||
| System integration testing (SIT) | Systems and interfaces work together | Supplier with client | ||
| User acceptance testing (UAT) | The business can run its processes on the system | Business | ||
| Performance and security testing | The system copes with volume and is secure | Supplier | ||
| Cutover rehearsal | The migration and switch over work in the time available | Programme |
| Entry criteria | Exit criteria |
|---|---|
| SIT complete with no open critical defects | All priority scenarios passed |
| Test data loaded and reconciled | No open critical or high defects |
| Testers trained and their time protected | Workarounds agreed for open medium defects |
| Scenarios approved by process owners | Signed off by process owners and the sponsor |
| ID | Business process | Scenario | Expected result | Tester | Date | Pass or fail | Defect ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severity | Definition | Target fix time |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Stops a core process with no workaround | Within one working day |
| High | Major impact and the workaround is painful | Within three working days |
| Medium | Limited impact with a reasonable workaround | Before go live or an agreed release |
| Low | Cosmetic or minor | A planned release |
| ID | Date | Raised by | Description | Severity | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process | Process owner | Decision | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Template by PEF Consulting Partners, pefconsultingpartners.co.uk. Free to use and adapt.
Related reading: what UAT is and how to run it, what hypercare is, the ERP implementation plan guide, the RAID log template.
User acceptance testing: the stage where business users confirm that a new system lets them run their real processes before it goes live. It comes after the supplier has tested that the system works as designed.
User acceptance testing. You will also see it called business acceptance testing or end user testing.
System integration testing checks that the systems and interfaces work together, and is usually run by the supplier. UAT checks that the business can do its job on the system, and is run by the business.
The process owners for each area and then the sponsor, against exit criteria agreed before testing started. The supplier should not sign off its own acceptance.
If UAT keeps slipping and the defect count is rising, an independent read of test readiness is cheaper than a go live you have to reverse.