In short
When can testing start, and when is it done? Without agreed rules, 'done' means whatever the deadline says. Entry and exit criteria fix that.
Entry criteria define when testing can begin (e.g. build is stable, environment is ready); exit criteria define when testing is considered complete (e.g. no critical bugs open) — clear thresholds prevent ambiguous 'are we done?' debates.
Think of it like this
Exam hall rules
You can't enter without an admit card and ID, and not after the gate closes. You can't leave in the first hour, and only after handing in your answer sheet. Clear rules for in and out keep the exam fair.
Watch it happen
Entry vs exit criteria
Entry: can we start?
- Build deployed and smoke passed
- Test cases reviewed
- Test data and accounts ready
Exit: are we done?
- All planned cases executed
- No open critical or major bugs
- Test summary shared and signed off
Agree both before testing starts. Then 'done' is a fact you check, not an argument.
The big ideas
What you need to know
Entry stops wasted effort
Testing a build that can't even log in wastes the whole team's day. Entry criteria block that.
Exit needs numbers
'Most bugs fixed' isn't checkable. 'Zero open critical, at most three minor with owners' is.
Exceptions are decisions
Sometimes a team releases with a known bug. That's fine if it's an informed, recorded decision.
Save yourself the pain
Common mistakes
Oops
Inventing exit criteria on release day.
Do this instead
Agree them in the test plan, before testing starts, with product and engineering.
Oops
Accepting a build that fails smoke because 'we're short on time'.
Do this instead
Send it back fast. Testing a broken build costs more time than waiting for a fix.
Your mission
Write criteria for a release
Quick check
Which is the best exit criterion?
Go deeper
- 1Draft entry and exit criteria for a hypothetical test cycle.
- 2Learn why starting testing before entry criteria are met usually wastes effort on a broken build.
- 3Practice defending an exit criteria decision when there's pressure to ship despite open issues.
More topics at this stop
Test Planning Basics
Test Strategy Documents
Requirements Analysis for Testing
Risk-Based Testing
Test Estimation Techniques
Test Environment Management
Traceability Matrix
Defect Management Process
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