What is the purpose of a 'test strategy'?

The purpose of a test strategy is to outline the testing approach and overall testing goals for a software project. This document serves as a high-level description of the testing process, including the scope, resources, schedule, and key milestones. It allows stakeholders to understand the testing objectives, align with the project's goals, and ensure that the testing efforts are effectively coordinated and managed.

A well-defined test strategy helps in identifying the testing types that will be necessary (such as functional, non-functional, regression, etc.) depending on the project’s requirements. It also addresses the selection of tools, methodologies, and test environments needed to achieve the desired quality standards. By providing a comprehensive overview, the test strategy acts as a roadmap for the entire testing process, ensuring that all team members are aligned on the approach.

In contrast, defining user acceptance criteria pertains specifically to what users expect from the software to consider it acceptable, and managing team dynamics focuses on interpersonal relationships and collaboration within the team. Describing coding standards relates to the guidelines on how code should be written and maintained, which is also important but is not a focus of the test strategy. Each of these other options serves a distinct purpose that is important in its own right but does not encapsulate the holistic approach and goals