Agile and Scrum Methodology

Foundational skill (2015-2025). See the master guide for context.

QA in Agile: More Than "Test at the End"

The biggest shift agile brought to QA was timing. In waterfall, testing happened after development was "done." In agile, testing is woven into every sprint, every story, every conversation. A QA engineer in an agile team is not a gatekeeper who approves or rejects work at the end -- they are a quality advocate who shapes how work is defined, built, and verified from the start.

Topics Covered

1. QA in Sprints — 01-qa-in-sprints/

• Sprint Ceremonies — QA's role in planning, standup, review, and retrospective
• Definition of Done — building quality criteria into the team's workflow
• Estimation and Blockers — estimating test effort, managing blockers, and the QA checklist

2. Methodologies — 02-methodologies/

• Shift-Left Testing — moving testing earlier in the development lifecycle
• Three Amigos — aligning developer, QA, and product perspectives before work begins
• Test Quadrants — organizing testing activities across all four quadrants

3. Continuous Improvement — 03-continuous-improvement/

• Kanban Flow — continuous flow as an alternative to sprints
• Test Technical Debt — identifying, tracking, and paying down quality debt
• QA Role Evolution — from gatekeeper to quality coach, and interview talking points

How to Use This Chapter

Start with sprint mechanics to understand the daily rhythm of QA in agile. Move into methodologies that improve quality upstream. Finish with continuous improvement practices that keep your QA practice healthy over time.