This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Maric Run Test
👉 Spec (Specification) = The answer to “How should this system work?”
🎯 To test effectively, you need to clearly understand the system before you start testing.
đź“š Common Types of Specs
Depending on your development process (Waterfall, Agile, Scrum…), you may encounter various types of specs.
1. Business Requirement Document (BRD)
👉 Describes the business-level needs and goals.
- Explains the problem the system is solving
- Doesn’t go into technical details
- Read by: Business Analysts (BA), clients, PMs, and QA
2. User Story (Agile)
👉 Describes features from the user’s perspective.
Example:
"As a user, I want to transfer money between accounts so I can manage my finances."
Usually includes:
- Acceptance Criteria (when the feature is considered acceptable)
- Definition of Done (when the feature is complete)
3. Design Spec (Figma / Wireframe / UI Flow)
👉 Describes the UI layout and navigation.
4. API Spec (Swagger / Postman)
👉 Describes backend API details: endpoints, methods, parameters, responses, error codes.
5. Use Case / Flow Chart / Sequence Diagram
👉 Visual representations of process or user flow.
âś… Conclusion
As a tester, you're not just someone who follows checklists.
You're responsible for ensuring product quality, and that starts with understanding the requirements.
- Want to test right? → Read the spec.
- Want to test thoroughly? → Analyze the spec.
- Want to test smart? → Think like a user, a BA, and a developer.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Maric Run Test
Maric Run Test | Sciencx (2025-07-19T12:05:10+00:00) What Testers Should Know About Specs ?. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/07/19/what-testers-should-know-about-specs/
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