QA Docs Essentials: Test Basis, Scenarios & Test Cases

14 Jul, 2025
- Testing 101

In software testing, structured documentation isn’t just a formality; it’s the backbone of a well-defined quality assurance process. It brings consistency, traceability, and clear communication between QA, development, product teams, and stakeholders. In this context, the so-called Testing Artifacts play a key role.

What Are Testing Artifacts?

Testing artifacts are documents or assets that guide the planning, design, execution, and validation of testing efforts within a QA team. They are more than just templates; they formalize product knowledge, maintain team alignment, and enable scalable testing, both manual and automated.

The main QA artifacts include:

Test Basis: the source of truth: what needs to be tested
Test Scenarios: high-level views of what to validate
Test Case Specifications: detailed instructions on how to perform tests

This article will walk you through each artifact, explain how they connect, and provide practical examples and approaches to help you refine your process. Let’s get started!

1. What Is a Test Basis?

A Test Basis is any source of information describing how the system should work. It provides the input required in order to do test design and analysis. In simple terms, it answers: “What are we going to test?”

Common Test Basis Types:

Functional requirements documents (FRD)
User stories or epics in Agile boards (e.g., in Jira)
Design documents (wireframes, mockups)
API specifications (e.g., Swagger/OpenAPI)
User manuals or help documentation
Source code or database schema

Practical Example

Let’s say we have the following user story: “As a user, I want to reset my password via email, so I can log in if I forget it.”

This user story becomes part of the test basis. It defines what functionality must exist and the expected behavior. Any ambiguities or missing acceptance criteria should be clarified here before moving on to test design.

💡 Tip: In Agile or DevOps environments, the test basis is a living document. Regular reviews help ensure alignment between planned and developed features.

2. What Are Test Scenarios?

A Test Scenario describes high-level conditions or functionalities to validate. They represent user flows or interactions with the system. Derived directly from the test basis, test scenarios help ensure test coverage from a user, business, or functional perspective.

Characteristics:

High-level, not step-by-step
One scenario can generate multiple test cases
Focus on what to test, not how
Useful for risk-based prioritization

Practical Example

From the password reset user story, test scenarios might include:

✅ Verify that a registered user can successfully reset their password via email.
❌ Verify behavior when an unregistered email is submitted.
🕒 Verify system behavior when the password reset link has expired.
🧪 Verify the input error output when email field is left blank.

💡 Tip: Use scenarios as a foundation for automating critical business flows, especially within CI/CD pipelines.

3. What Is a Test Case Specification?

A Test Case specifies in detail how a particular test should be executed. It includes inputs, actions, preconditions, expected outcomes and any necessary setup conditions. Test cases are the most granular and repeatable testing unit.

Key Components:

Test Case ID
Description / Objective
Preconditions
Test Steps
Test Data / Inputs
Expected Result
Postconditions / Cleanup
Status (Pass/Fail)

Practical Example

Field	Example
ID	TC-001
Scenario	Password reset via email
Objective	Ensure reset email is sent to registered users
Preconditions	User `john@example.com` exists in the system
Steps	1. Go to login page 2. Click “Forgot Password” 3. Enter email
Test Data	Email: `john@example.com`
Expected Result	User receives an email with the reset link
Postconditions	None

💡 Tip: Structure test cases for easy conversion to automated scripts. Maintain consistent naming conventions for better maintenance and traceability.

How These Artifacts Work Together

Understanding the relationship between these artifacts is crucial for building a robust QA process:

Test Basis defines what needs to be tested (the source of truth)
Test Scenarios define what areas or flows to validate
Test Case Specifications define how each scenario will be tested in detail

You can visualize this like a funnel:

Test Basis (broad scope)
    ↓
Test Scenarios (organized user flows)
    ↓
Test Cases (detailed execution)

Tips for QA Professionals at All Levels

For QA Beginners:

Always start by understanding the test basis before writing cases.
Derive clear scenarios from user stories.
Use templates to keep cases consistent.

For Experienced QA/Test Leads:

Establish traceability between requirements, scenarios, and cases (e.g., using Xray or TestRail).
Review scenarios with product and development teams to identify gaps.
Cover positive, negative, and edge cases thoroughly.

Tools That Can Help

Depending on your tech stack and team size, these tools support QA documentation and artifact management:

Jira + Xray / Zephyr – integrated story and test management
TestRail / PractiTest – comprehensive test management platforms
Notion / Confluence – flexible documentation and lightweight tracking
Excel / Google Sheets – still useful in small projects
Cucumber / Playwright / Cypress – link test logic to automation

Final Thoughts

Testing artifacts aren’t just paperwork, they are the backbone of a reliable QA process. When properly structured, they enable scalable testing, reduce errors, improve traceability, and strengthen cross-team collaboration.

Mastering these core Testing Artifacts will help make your testing more focused, efficient, and aligned with business goals.

Thank you for reading! And if you like this post, check more about API Testing here

Want to Learn More About QA Documentation?

If you’d like to go deeper into how to write solid test basis, scenarios, and test cases, check out my post 👉 How to Build a REST API Testing Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide — It’s the perfect complement to this guide.