6.2Quadrant 1: Unit and Integration Tests (Technology-Facing, Supporting the Team)

What It Includes

• Unit tests
• Component tests
• Integration tests
• API tests

Characteristics

• Fully automated: No manual execution
• Run continuously: On every push and PR
• Developer-driven: Written primarily by developers, reviewed by QA
• Fast feedback: Results in seconds to minutes

QA's Role in Q1

• Review developer-written tests for coverage gaps
• Ensure integration tests cover API contracts and database interactions
• Monitor test reliability (flake rates)
• Advocate for adequate unit test coverage in the DoD

Example

// Unit test (Q1)
test('calculateTotal applies 10% discount for orders over $100', () => {
  const items = [{ price: 60 }, { price: 50 }];
  expect(calculateTotal(items)).toBe(99); // $110 - 10% = $99
});

// Integration test (Q1)
test('POST /api/orders creates order in database', async () => {
  const response = await request(app)
    .post('/api/orders')
    .send({ items: [{ productId: 1, quantity: 2 }] });
  expect(response.status).toBe(201);
  expect(response.body.orderId).toBeDefined();
});