How to Write and Manage Test Cases for Jira?

Jira started out as an issue-tracking and project-management tool in 2002. Companies initially used Jira for bug tracking. But over the years, it has become a ubiquitous platform for businesses to manage projects and ensure collaboration. Yet one issue has remained constant since the beginning: Jira does not have an in-built testing infrastructure. So, you can feed the defect information but cannot reuse it for further testing processes in the tool. But the good part is Jira allows integrations with some of the top-rated test automation tools, including Testsigma, for complete test case management.

Let’s look at how you can write and manage test cases for Jira.

What is Jira?

Jira is a widely used project management and issue-tracking tool by Atlassian. It provides a versatile platform for teams to plan, track, and manage their work efficiently. Multiple in-built features, such as customizable dashboards, real-time collaboration, and detailed reporting, make Jira a fan-favorite of many top companies.

But what stands out in the tool is its integration capabilities, extensive plugin marketplace, and compatibility with agile methodologies. For instance, businesses can easily combine their test automation platforms with Jira for easy and quick test case management and bug reporting. Our focus will be on this particular feature of the tool throughout the blog.

How to Setup Jira for Case Testing?

Jira does not have an inherent test case feature, but it has innumerable customization options. For case testing setup, we will use the Issue Type feature by creating a new custom issue that is specifically for case testing. Additionally, you will need to set up custom subtasks that testers can use to feed the test case results directly into Jira.

It is ideal to have your custom ‘Test Case’ issue type to have a summary, test case steps, and the expected results.

Once you have the vital information in place, let’s start with creating our custom issue type for case testing:

• Go to Jira Settings by clicking on the gear icon in the top-right corner and selecting Issues. You will require admin access for this.
• Under the Issues section, select Issue Types and click on the Add Issue Type button to create a Test Case issue.
• Provide details for the new issue type, including description and icon.
• Associate the new issue type with an issue type scheme. This determines which projects will use the new issue type. Go to Issue type schemes settings and click Edit on the Jira project you want to associate the issue type with.
• Assign a field configuration to the issue type, specifying which fields will be available and required. Don’t forget to add a summary, test case steps, and the expected results. You will find it under Screen Settings to Add Screens.
• After adding screens, go to Screen Schemes to add a screen scheme. This step is to add the screen scheme to the custom screen you created in the previous step.
• Next, go to Issue type screen schemes. Look for the Jira project in which you want to use the new Issue type. Then, select Associate an issue type with a screen scheme, and select the new issue type (e.g. Test Case) and its Screen scheme. Lastly, click on Add.
• And voila! You have successfully created a custom issue type for case testing with the necessary fields within the choice of your Jira project.
• Verify by creating a test issue of the new type to check if it behaves as expected.

Next up, you have to create a custom subtask, Test Case Results, that QAs can use to log the test results directly.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Follow the same first step to add the issue type. But this time, select Sub-Task Issue Type.
• Re-trace the same steps. Add screens, select the fields for the subtask, add screen schemes, and select the previously created screen as default.
• In the last step, when you are in the Issue type screen scheme, there is no need to create a new screen scheme. Look for the test case screen scheme set up prior and select Configure under Actions to Associate an issue type with a screen scheme.

How to Create Test Cases in Jira?

Creating test cases in Jira is easy now that you have an issue type and the necessary fields to describe and log your tests. It is similar to creating a new task.

Go to your Jira account and click on Create. Pick the issue type as Test Case and enter the details in the available fields. Remember to provide the steps to recreate the defect and the expected results for the developers to fully understand the issue.

Image source: maker.io

Steps for Writing Test Cases in Jira

All the essential elements are in place for you to start creating and managing test cases in Jira. The only thing left to do is start logging the issues.

Step 1. Create a Test Case Issue and Keep It Active

You can begin by creating a Jira task with the Issue Type Test Case that we made earlier. It will allow you to feed all the critical and important information about the issue in the task. However, there is a downside to this step. Jira tasks are not flexible. Once you create and publish it for everyone to see, it cannot be reused, which is a common practice in regression testing.

One way to tackle this is to keep the task open and update its description regularly with new tests that everyone in the project can follow.

Step 2. Change a User Story to Be a Test Case

Jira also enables users to create user stories, which you can use to serve as test cases. But again, these stories have the same problem as the tasks. Once they are pushed, you cannot use them to re-run the test cases.

Step 3. Add a Testing as a Status in Jira Workflow

Another way to handle tests in Jira is to add an extra status in the workflow, i.e., testing. When you add a Test Case issue type, which is still in the testing stage, keep the status as Testing. Once the process is over, mark it as Done or Closed.

But there might be cases where the tests are over, but the testing is still not done. So, you will have to find a workaround in that situation.

Report on Test Cases in Jira

The final round of testing is to prepare a comprehensive report that aids in analyzing and understanding the bugs. In Jira, you can rely on two ways for test reporting:

• Writing it manually with all the necessary screenshots and steps

For this approach, you need to make a child issue to the parent issue, i.e., the test case. 

Click on Add a Child Issue and choose Test Case Results, which we created in the earlier section. Next, enter all your findings along with relevant screenshots and steps to help everyone relate the results with the right test case. This way of reporting simple but comes with a few disadvantages: it is manual, requires developers to keep switching between Jira and their application, and demands technical skills to log issues. Opting for an automated approach is the alternative here.

• Integrating a third-party tool with the host to do all the reporting work automatically

Since Jira does not offer support for test case reporting automatically, a bug reporting tool takes the lead here. A well-thought integration with the right tool for case testing and bug reporting for Jira will assist both testers and developers in easily doing their work.

Dedicated Test Case Management Tool with Jira Integration

Testsigma is a dedicated test case management tool and comes equipped with features to aid bug reporting in Jira. Our test automation tool enables QAs to:

• Push bugs directly to Jira’s project
• Capture screenshots, annotate bugs, and share them with your team
• Follow your choice of test case template and re-produced bugs with the right steps to feed in Jira

Integrate Testsigma with Jira in a few easy steps to simplify your bug-reporting process.

But wait! That’s not all. Testsigma is a full-fledged web automated testing tool that provides end-to-end testing capabilities for mobile and API without coding.

Sign up to experience the best of no-code automation testing with Testsigma

Problems with Writing Test Cases in Jira

Every step we discussed that pertains to writing test cases in Jira has encountered a problem. It is a highly manual process, does not support re-running of test cases, and requires time and skill to create a single test case.

Jira is a dedicated project management tool, and even though there are ways you can make writing test cases possible within Jira, it is not good practice to do so.

Advantages of using Jira for Test Case Management

Despite all the backlogs Jira has when it comes to test case management, there exist a few advantages that must not be overlooked.

• Jira provides a centralized repository for storing and organizing test cases. This centralization ensures easy access, version control, and efficient management of test artifacts.
• Seamless integration between Jira and development tools streamlines communication between testing and development teams.
• Jira offers robust traceability features, linking test cases to requirements, user stories, and defects.
• Jira supports agile and Scrum methodologies, allowing testing teams to align with iterative development cycles.
• Teams can design custom workflows in Jira to reflect their specific testing processes, incorporating stages for planning, execution, test case review, and closure.
• Jira provides real-time visibility into testing progress through customizable dashboards and reports.

Disadvantages of using Jira for Test Case Management

Let’s look at some of the disadvantages as well.

• Jira’s extensive customization options can lead to complexity during initial setup. Teams may face challenges in configuring workflows, screens, and issue types.
• Jira can be resource-intensive, especially in instances with a large number of projects, issues, or concurrent users.
• While customization is a strength, excessive customization can lead to maintenance challenges. Constantly changing configurations may create dependencies and impact the stability of the testing environment.
• Jira’s native test management features are basic compared to specialized test management tools. Advanced test case management functionalities, such as test case design, traceability matrices, and test execution analytics, may require additional plugins or integration with dedicated test management tools.
• The feature-rich interface of Jira can overwhelm users, especially those focused primarily on test case management.

Conclusion

The Jira project management tool can serve as a test case management and bug-tracking tool. But when the stakes are high, it is not always the right way to go. There are multiple ways you can use Jira for your testing purposes, and the majority of them include improving collaboration and focusing on getting the right information across to the developers.

If you wish to use Jira as a case management tool, this blog can help you get a hold of the tool’s capability in every way. Alternatively, multiple integration possibilities exist as well. But no matter your choice, remember to focus on creating a clear and concise test case report that captures as much information as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Jira work for test case management?

Yes, Jira can be used for test case management. It provides a flexible and customizable platform that supports various testing methodologies, including manual and automated testing. The latter is done using third-party integrations.

What is the test case template in Jira?

In Jira, a test case template serves as a predefined structure or blueprint for creating test cases with consistent formatting and information. This template includes standard sections, fields, and steps that testers can use as a starting point when designing test cases.Particularly, a test case template in Jira would be a new issue type that we created in this blog in one of the sections.