Traceability
// Definition
The ability to link a test artefact — a test case, a defect, an automated check — back to the requirement, user story, or risk that motivated it, and forward to the build and release in which it was verified. Traceability is the foundation of coverage reporting: without it you cannot answer 'which requirements are untested?' or 'which tests would be affected by this change?' Requirements traceability matrices (RTMs) are the most common artefact; CI systems with linked test results provide automated traceability at scale. Regulated industries (medical devices, aviation, financial systems) treat formal traceability as a mandatory release gate — every requirement must be traceable to at least one passing test.
// Related terms
Requirements Traceability
The ability to link every requirement to the test cases that verify it, and trace every test case back to the requirement it covers. A requirements traceability matrix (RTM) makes gaps explicit: a requirement with no linked test case is a coverage hole; a test case with no requirement link is an orphan that may be testing undocumented behaviour. RTMs are a common audit artefact in regulated industries.
Test Coverage
A measure of which parts of the requirements or features have been exercised by tests. Distinct from code coverage — focuses on the spec, not the source.
Test Case
A single, executable specification: preconditions, steps, expected result, and pass/fail criteria for one verification.
Risk-Based Testing
Prioritising tests by the likelihood and impact of failure — the highest-risk areas get the most coverage, low-risk areas get less. The honest answer to 'we can't test everything before the release date'.