Test Specification
A test specification is a document that defines the tests to be performed, including test cases, procedures, data, and expected results.
“The complete documentation of the test design, test cases, and test scripts for a specific test item.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Test Specification?
It provides detailed information required to prepare and execute testing consistently and completely.
Detailed definition: Describes planned testing activities.
Execution support: Provides information needed for implementation.
Traceability: Links testing to requirements or objectives.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Test specification appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Test specification 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 Test specification and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Test specification is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Test specification in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Test specification to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
Test your knowledge with real ISTQB-style questions
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