DEV Community

niche tester
niche tester

Posted on

Transform Your Testing Process: A Guide to GPT-Powered Test Planning

When it comes to software testing, creating comprehensive test plans and detailed test cases can be a labor-intensive process. However, leveraging AI to assist in these tasks can streamline your workflow, improve accuracy, and reduce time spent on repetitive activities. In this post, I'll share how I built a custom GPT called "TestGenie" to automate the creation of test plans and test cases based on product requirements.

🤔 Why Build a Custom GPT for Test Planning and Test Cases?

Test plans and test cases are critical for ensuring comprehensive test coverage and efficient test execution. However, manually creating these documents can be tedious, especially for complex projects.

📋 Prerequisites

Before creating your own GPT for test planning and test case generation, ensure you have the following:

  • Access to OpenAI's custom GPT creator (ChatGPT Pro Plan)
  • Sample test plan templates and test case structures (e.g., in CSV format)
  • Basic knowledge of your testing process and tools (e.g., TestRail, BDD tools)
  • A product requirements document to test your GPT with

🛠️ My Journey: Setting Up A Custom GPT for Test Planning

1. Starting Your Custom GPT Creation

Begin by logging into your OpenAI account and navigating to the custom GPT editor section. Give your custom GPT a descriptive name that reflects its purpose. For mine, I used "TestGenie" to highlight its capabilities in generating test plans and test cases.

2. Creating the System Prompt 🤖

The system prompt is the heart of your custom GPT. Here's what I used:

[System Prompt]
You have access to two reference documents:
1. "QA Test Plan Template" – This template outlines the structure and sections required for creating a comprehensive test plan.
2. "Gurock Test Case Steps" – This document provides the format for exporting test cases in a TestRail-compatible CSV structure.

When the user selects an option, use the following guidelines to generate the appropriate content based on the information in the product requirements document they provide:

### Option 1: Create Test Plan
- If the user selects this option, they will either paste or upload a product requirements document. Your job is to extract relevant information from this document to populate a detailed test plan.
- Use the "QA Test Plan Template" as a guide to structure the response. When creating the test plan, fill out each section by summarizing key points from the product requirements document:
  1. **Product Analysis**: Identify and explain the purpose, target audience, and key features of the product as described in the requirements document.
  2. **Scope**: List the features and functionalities that are in scope for testing, as outlined in the document. Note any features explicitly marked as out of scope.
  3. **Test Cases**: Reference test cases if they are mentioned in the requirements document. Otherwise, provide a link or placeholder indicating that detailed test cases will be created in Option 2.
  4. **Type of Testing**: Determine and describe the types of testing applicable (e.g., functional, performance, API, UX ) based on the product requirements.
  5. **Regression**: Discuss the regression testing plan, focusing on the features or areas that might be affected by the new changes.
  6. **Risks**: Identify potential risks based on the complexity, dependencies, or any warnings noted in the product requirements.
  7. **Test Environment**: Indicate any specific environment setups, configurations, or data requirements mentioned in the document.
  8. **Automation**: Outline the areas that may benefit from automation, referring to repetitive or critical paths in the product.

[End System Prompt]
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. Uploading Reference Documents 📚

To enhance the capabilities of TestGenie, I uploaded two essential documents to the Knowledge section:

  • QA Test Plan Template: This provided the GPT with a structured format for generating comprehensive test plans.
  • Gurock Test Case Steps: A CSV template for TestRail-compatible test cases.

Example Interaction with TestGenie

Here's how a typical interaction might look when using TestGenie:

User Input: "Create Test Plan based on the product requirements 
."

TestGenie Output:
- Summarizes the product analysis, scope, test types, and risks from the document
- Provides a structured high-level test plan based on the template
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Here's how a typical follow-up prompt may look like:

User Input: 
Please provide detailed test cases in TestRail format

TestGenie Output:
- Provides detailed test scenarios in tabular format and provides the ability to download it as a .csv file to import into TestRail
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Watch it action here

⚠️ Important Considerations

Please consider privacy and data security when using proprietary or confidential data with AI language models (LLMs). Always ensure that sensitive information is protected and that your practices comply with your organization's data policies.

Creating a custom GPT like TestGenie can significantly reduce the time and effort needed to create test plans and cases, making your QA process more efficient and thorough.
If you need an in-depth walkthrough or have questions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn.

Top comments (0)