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3.2Factors That Increase Testing Effort
| Factor | Impact | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple platforms/browsers | 2-4x test effort | "Test on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and mobile" |
| Complex data setup | Hours of preparation | "Need 10,000 products in the catalog for performance testing" |
| External system integration | Dependencies and timing risks | "Payment API has rate limits and a flaky sandbox" |
| New features without test infrastructure | Must build infrastructure first | "No page objects exist for the new admin panel" |
| Regulatory/compliance requirements | Documentation and audit trail | "Need evidence of every test case for SOC 2 audit" |
| Multiple user roles | Combinatorial testing | "Admin, manager, viewer, and guest all have different permissions" |
| Data migrations | Backward compatibility testing | "Migrating user table schema; verify no data loss" |
Estimation Guide
When the team estimates a story, QA should consider:
- How many test cases are needed? A simple bug fix might need 2-3 tests. A new feature might need 20+.
- Is test infrastructure ready? If page objects, test data, or environments need setup, add time.
- How many environments/browsers? Multiply effort by the number of platforms.
- Are there dependencies? External APIs, shared test data, or other stories that must be done first.
- What is the risk level? High-risk features (payment, authentication) need more thorough testing.