Data-driven Testing
Data-driven testing is a test automation approach in which test logic is separated from test data, allowing the same test to execute with multiple input values.
“A scripting technique that uses data files to contain the test data and expected results needed to execute the test scripts.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Data-driven Testing?
Instead of creating separate scripts for each scenario, test data is stored externally and supplied to a reusable automated test.
Reusable scripts: One test script supports many data combinations.
External data sources: Test data may come from spreadsheets, databases, or files.
Efficiency: Reduces duplication and simplifies automation maintenance.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Data-driven testing appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Data-driven testing as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Data-driven testing and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Data-driven testing is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Data-driven testing in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Data-driven testing to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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