Agile Testing
User Story
A short, simple description of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires it.
Full definition
A user story is a lightweight requirement format used in Agile development. It describes a feature from the user's perspective: who needs it, what they need, and why.
Format: As a [type of user], I want [goal], so that [reason]
Example: 'As a new student, I want to take a skill assessment quiz, so that I know which learning track to start with.'
INVEST criteria for good user stories:
- Independent: Can be developed separately
- Negotiable: Details can be discussed
- Valuable: Delivers value to the user
- Estimable: Team can estimate the effort
- Small: Completable in one sprint
- Testable: Has clear acceptance criteria
QA's role with user stories:
- Help refine stories during backlog grooming
- Write acceptance criteria (Given-When-Then)
- Identify missing scenarios and edge cases
- Create test cases based on stories
- Verify completed stories meet acceptance criteria
The 'T' in INVEST is critical — if you can't test it, the story isn't ready for development.