Test charter
A test charter is a short written mission for one session of exploratory testing: what area to explore, with what resources, and what information to look for. It aims a time-boxed session without scripting its steps. The idea comes from session-based test management, developed by James and Jon Bach.
The longer version
A widely used template, associated with Elisabeth Hendrickson, reads: Explore a target, with resources, to discover information. A filled-in charter might say: explore the checkout, with an expired card and a slow connection, to discover how payment failure is explained to the customer. The target says where to look, the resources say what to bring or which constraint to apply, and the information says what the session is trying to learn.
Scope needs care. A charter that says to explore the whole application gives the tester no direction, and one that lists the steps to take is a script with a new name. A good charter fits a session of an hour or two, which is the length session-based testing commonly works to, and is narrow enough that someone reading the session notes can tell whether it was achieved.
The charter also gives the session something to be reported against. The tester writes notes as they go, records bugs and open questions, and afterwards reviews the session with a lead, who can see from the charter what was meant to be covered. Several charters laid out across an area make a plan that is flexible and still countable.
Common questions
What is a test charter?
A test charter is a brief statement of the mission for a single exploratory testing session, naming the area to explore, the resources or conditions to use and the information the tester wants to find.
What is the charter template Explore with to discover?
The template reads Explore a target, with resources, to discover information, and it is associated with Elisabeth Hendrickson. It keeps a charter to one sentence and forces the author to say what the session is for.
How long should a session with a charter last?
Sessions in session-based testing commonly run for an hour or two without interruption. The charter should be small enough to be worked through in that time.
How is a test charter different from a test case?
A test case lists steps and an expected result to confirm known behaviour. A charter states a goal and leaves the tester to decide the steps while they learn, so it suits finding the unexpected.
Who writes a test charter?
A test lead or the tester themselves usually writes it, drawing on risks, recent changes and bugs found in earlier sessions. Charters can also be written during a session when the tester finds an area that deserves a session of its own.
Bug reports that arrive ready to triage.
Collect replay, console, network and browser context with the Free plan.