Test Case

A test case is a documented set of conditions, input data, and expected results that defines how a specific function or requirement should be verified during software testing.

A test case captures everything a tester needs to execute a single verification: preconditions that must be true before execution begins, numbered test steps, the input data to supply, and the expected result for each step. Some formats also include a post-condition describing the system state after execution and fields for recording the actual result and pass/fail verdict. This structure makes outcomes repeatable and comparable across testers, environments, and releases.

Test cases sit at the intersection of test design and test execution. They are derived from requirements, user stories, or risk analyses using techniques such as equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, or decision-table testing. A single test scenario — for example, verifying a login function — typically expands into multiple test cases covering valid credentials, invalid passwords, empty fields, and account-locked states, each with distinct input data.

Within a QA process, test cases feed directly into execution plans and are tracked through defect management workflows when failures occur. They are stored and versioned in test case management tools, which link them to requirements and defect reports, providing traceability from a business need through to evidence of testing. Reusable test cases form the backbone of regression suites run after every code change.

Also known as: TC, test script

• en.wikipedia.org — Test case