What  is a Test Plan:
The ANSI/IEEE Standard defines a Test Plan as -
A document describing the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of intended testing activities. It identifies test items, the features to be tested, the testing tasks, who will do each task, and any risks requiring contingency planning. Test plan is created by test lead or test manager. Test plan is used to keep track of each steps of activities in testing. If we follow the test plan, a quality product can be deliverable.


Objectives of Test Planning:
The objective for the test plan is to provide a set of tools to support the test team in various ways. Some of these benefits include:
     *        Reducing the risks that vital tasks will be omitted, mis-estimated or forgotten.
    *        Prioritize the tasks to be completed.
    *        Estimate the risks involved in the project (technical and procedural) and identify mitigation steps if possible.
    *        Organize the testing efforts.
    *        Monitor progress of the testing efforts and the project as a whole.

Designing a Test Plan - Test Planning Process:
    
Test planning is a process very like software project management, and often closely reflects the steps involved in project management.
       . The basic outline is to;

            1.   Analyze the project.
            2.   Identify the  tasks.
            3.   Determine priorities.
            4.   Schedule tasks.
            5.   Assign responsibilities.
            6.   Maintain and update the plan during execution.

Why do a tester need a Test Plan:     
                 
-  Writing a test plan gives tester a chance to collect thoughts and ideas. When writing a test plan make sure most areas are covered. 

-  Writing a test plan make the tester to understand the products well.  The tester has to drill down the requirements in more detail.

-  The test plan also give an oppurtunity for the tester to communicate with the test team, the developers and the test managers.

-  The test plan tells about the responsibility sharing of all the people involved in testing.

-  Writing the test plan will improve the test process and tools.

-  The tester has to tell the manager what they are doing.

-  The tester must know what to plan when the requirement or the design changes.

-  The test plan has to set other teams or partners expectation.



Advantages of Test Plan for Managers:

Sometimes testing the product may need additional resources such as machines, people, time and budget. By looking the test plan, the manager can arrange for those additional resources in advance. By that way, the testing can be done without any delays or breaks. Also sometimes, to test the particular item or component, it may need some additional resources. The manager can also make some arrangements for this situation with the help of the test plan. The manager can relocate the resources for that particular period.

Different audiences

The test plan is not only the chance to inform other testers, managers and others in the team of the particular tester's vision, also the chance to discover their perspectives. If there is only one lengthy test plan that addresses  every issue, it might be the trouble of getting people to read it. So it is always better to segment the planning, by that way documents can be created that can speak to the specific concerns of the individuals involved.

Test Plan - Objective & Benefits