A Software Test Plan is a document which describes the testing scope and activities of a project, and is the basis for formally testing any software or product.
It looks at the approach, resources and schedule of the intended test activities. It identifies the features to be tested, the testing tasks, who will be doing each task, the level of independence the tester will have, the test environment, the test design techniques and entry and exit criteria to be used, the reasoning for their choices and any risks that require contingency planning. It is essentially used as a record of the entire test planning process.
Test Plan Types
You can have one of the following types of test plans:
Master Test Plan: A single high-level test plan for a project/product that unifies all other test plans.
Testing Level Specific Test Plans: Plans for each level of testing, including:
Testing Type Specific Test Plans: Plans for major types of testing like Performance Test Plan and Security Test Plan.
Test Plans will be used by a wealth of professionals in the IT industry, including those within Quality Assurance jobs.