This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

“As Agile methods have entered the mainstream, we’ve learned a lot about how the testing discipline fits into Agile projects. Lisa and Janet give us a solid look at what to do, and what to avoid, in Agile testing.”
—Ron Jeffries, www.XProgramming.com

“An excellent introduction to agile and how it affects the software test community!”
—Gerard Meszaros, Agile Practice Lead and Chief Test Strategist at Solution Frameworks, Inc., an agile coaching and lean software development consultancy

“In sports and music, people know the importance of practicing technique until it becomes a part of the way they do things. This book is about some of the most fundamental techniques in software development—how to build quality into code—techniques that should become second nature to every development team. The book provides both broad and in-depth coverage of how to move testing to the front of the development process, along with a liberal sprinkling of real-life examples that bring the book to life.”
—Mary Poppendieck, Author of Lean Software Development and Implementing Lean Software Development

“Refreshingly pragmatic. Chock-full of wisdom. Absent of dogma. This book is a gamechanger. Every software professional should read it.”
—Uncle Bob Martin, Object Mentor, Inc.

“With Agile Testing, Lisa and Janet have used their holistic sensibility of testing to describe a culture shift for testers and teams willing to elevate their test effectiveness. The combination of real-life project experiences and specific techniques provide an excellent way to learn and adapt to continually changing project needs.”
—Adam Geras, M.Sc. Developer-Tester, Ideaca Knowledge Services

“On Agile projects, everyone seems to ask, ‘But, what about testing?’ Is it the development team’s responsibility entirely, the testing team, or a collaborative effort between developers and testers? Or, ‘How much testing should we automate?’ Lisa and Janet have written a book that finally answers these types of questions and more! Whether you’re a tester, developer, or manager, you’ll learn many great examples and stories from the real-world work experiences they’ve shared in this excellent book.”
—Paul Duvall, CTO of Stelligent and co-author of Continuous Integration: Improving Software Quality and Reducing Risk

“Finally a book for testers on Agile teams that acknowledges there is not just one right way! Agile Testing provides comprehensive coverage of the issues testers face when they move to Agile: from tools and metrics to roles and process. Illustrated with numerous stories and examples from many contributors, it gives a clear picture of what successful Agile testers are doing today.”
—Bret Pettichord, Chief Technical Officer of WatirCraft and Lead Developer of Watir


Testing is a key component of agile development. The widespread adoption of agile methods has brought the need for effective testing into the limelight, and agile projects have transformed the role of testers. Much of a tester’s function, however, remains largely misunderstood. What is the true role of a tester? Do agile teams actually need members with QA backgrounds? What does it really mean to be an “agile tester?”

Two of the industry’s most experienced agile testing practitioners and consultants, Lisa Crispin and Janet Gregory, have teamed up to bring you the definitive answers to these questions and many others. In Agile Testing, Crispin and Gregory define agile testing and illustrate the tester’s role with examples from real agile teams. They teach you how to use the agile testing quadrants to identify what testing is needed, who should do it, and what tools might help. The book chronicles an agile software development iteration from the viewpoint of a tester and explains the seven key success factors
of agile testing.

Readers will come away from this book understanding

• How to get testers engaged in agile development

• Where testers and QA managers fit on an agile team

• What to look for when hiring an agile tester

• How to transition from a traditional cycle to agile development

• How to complete testing activities in short iterations

• How to use tests to successfully guide development

• How to overcome barriers to test automation

This book is a must for agile testers, agile teams, their managers, and their customers.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 17 Ratings

Only recommended if you are new to agile - 2009-12-23
Reviewer Rating:
Almost all of the material in this book is just a review of standard agile practices. If you are new to agile then it gives a good overview and will serve as a good guide. Otherwise it doesn't bring any new insight.

Testing find Agile - 2010-01-20
Reviewer Rating:
Lisa and Janet give us a path from testing specifications to testing in an Agile environment. In doing so, they have opened a new view on the importance and value that test provides Agile. Any one looking to take this journey is well advised to pack a copy of this book as it is a map to new ways of thinking about Agile, test, and value.

Essential to have a good cultural shift to Agile Testing in the enterprise - 2010-01-06
Reviewer Rating:
Agile testing is a great book to both new and seasoned test engineers and test managers. At 533 pages, the book might feel a bit heavy but it is actually a pretty light and practical read if you read it to get a solid foundation on agile testing and then as reference. Note that the book is not about test coding techniques.

Part I is an introduction to agile testing and proposes ten principles for agile testers. What I don't know is if there are really 10 principles or if Crispin and Gregory forced it to be that specific number because it sounds better than 9 or 11. In any case, this chapter is a must read for all. Part II discusses organizational challenges, specifically cultural, logistical, and transitional from typical processes. This is a must-read for managers and team leads, and highly advisable for engineers if you want to have a successful test organization fully integrated with an agile organization. I personally encourage the division between development and testing to disappear completely. Part III is about he testing quadrants proposed by Brian Marick (one of the Agile Manifesto signatories) a while back. This is the first time I see the quadrants treated in larger detail and highly recommend it as a must for all.

Part IV is about test automation. It is a good read to understand the advantages of test automation and proposes a test automation strategy. This is a good starting point for test organizations that are new to automation but for mature test automation organizations it might add little value. Test code writing techniques are beyond the scope of this book. Part V illustrates the previous parts and then some by following a tester's activities through an agile iteration and the activities prior to it.

One problem I see way too often in test organizations and the way companies treat their test organizations is due to a lack of understanding not only of the difference between Quality Assurance and testing but also because of the place testing has hi people's minds. This book is a big help to create a cultural shift for the better.

Good Agile book - 2009-11-10
Reviewer Rating:
This book is a very interesting and easy read book. Don't miss it!!you would find what you were looking from the experienced people.

Must read for Agile teams - 2009-11-02
Reviewer Rating:
Excellent book on how testing for Agile teams should work and identifies the common pitfalls to avoid. This book should be required reading for new Agile teams and Agile teams who are looking to increase velocity.

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