Test First is a practice that defines success before implementation. It supports manual and automated testing, with a strong preference for automation to improve flow and quality.
Test First is a modern engineering practice that anchors the delivery of working software in clarity, confidence, and quality. It is a shift-left strategy where tests are defined before implementation begins, guiding design and enabling faster feedback loops.
At its core, Test First, as a practice, promotes defining success criteria upfront—whether through examples, scenarios, specifications, or executable tests. This clarity ensures that teams understand what “good” looks like before they write any code or build any components.
Test First applies to both manual and automated validation:
While manual testing has its place in exploratory and usability validation, automation is preferred. It enables fast feedback, supports continuous integration, and reduces the risk of regressions. In mature teams, manual Test First practices are often transitional scaffolding toward full automation.
Test First is a design practice, a collaboration practice, and a feedback practice. It improves flow by reducing rework, aligning expectations early, and ensuring that development efforts are always grounded in real customer outcomes.
In teams using Test First well, tests are not written to prove code works—they’re written to define what “working” means.
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