Contents of a Test Plan

The contents of a Test Plan is specified by IEEE 829-2008 IEEE Standard for Software and System Test Documentation which replaces IEEE 829-1998 IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation.

The IEEE stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers but as the organization's scope of interest has expanded into other related fields it is now more commonly referred to as I triple E.

The standards can be purchased at IEEE 829-2008 and IEEE 829-1998.

As I don't have access to the 2008 document I will present here the list of what is specified by IEEE 829-1998 as being a template for a Test Plan document.

Test Plan Identifier
Introduction
Test Items
Features to Be Tested
Features Not to Be Tested
Approach
Item Pass/Fail Criteria
Suspension Criteria and Resumption Requirements
Test Deliverables
Testing Tasks
Environmental Needs
Responsibilities
Staffing and Training Needs
Schedule
Risks and Contingencies
Approvals