Best Practices for Test Cycles in Zephyr Scale

Introduction

Test Cycles are a core feature of Zephyr Scale and play a critical role in how QC teams plan, execute, and report testing activities inside Jira. Well-structured Test Cycles improve test visibility, execution efficiency, and reporting quality, while poorly managed cycles often lead to confusion and unreliable metrics.

This blog outlines best practices for using Test Cycles effectively, based on real-world QC and UAT workflows.

What Is a Test Cycle?

A Test Cycle in Zephyr Scale represents a specific testing scope or phase, such as:

• Sprint testing
• Regression testing
• UAT testing
• Release validation

A Test Cycle groups related test cases and tracks their execution status, results, and defects.

Best Practice 1: Create Test Cycles Based on Testing Scope

Each Test Cycle should represent one clear testing purpose.

✅ Good examples:

• Sprint 12 – Functional Testing
• Release 2.3 – Regression
• UAT – Payment Module

❌ Avoid:

• Mixing sprint, regression, and UAT tests in one cycle
• Creating very generic cycles like “Testing”

Clear scope improves execution focus and reporting accuracy.

Best Practice 2: Use Consistent Naming Conventions

Use a naming pattern that helps all stakeholders quickly understand the cycle.

Recommended format:

[Release/Sprint] – [Test Type] – [Environment]

Example:

• Sprint 8 – Regression – QA
• Release 1.5 – UAT – Staging

Consistency helps when filtering, reporting, and auditing.

Best Practice 3: Reuse Test Cases, Not Test Cycles

• Test Cases should be reusable assets
• Test Cycles should be temporary execution containers

✅ Reuse the same test cases across multiple cycles (e.g., regression every sprint)

❌ Do not duplicate test cases just to create a new cycle

This approach maintains clean test coverage and historical execution data.

Best Practice 4: Separate Manual and Automated Executions Clearly

If your team runs both manual and automated tests:

• Use labels or naming conventions to differentiate cycles
• Or create separate cycles for manual and automated execution

Example:

• Sprint 10 – Regression – Manual
• Sprint 10 – Regression – Automated

This prevents confusion and ensures accurate reporting.

Best Practice 5: Assign Ownership and Responsibilities

Each Test Cycle should have:

• A clear owner (QC lead or tester)
• Defined execution timeline

This helps ensure:

• Tests are executed on time
• Blockers are identified early
• Execution progress is visible

Best Practice 6: Track Defects Directly from Test Execution

When a test fails:

• Log defects directly from the Test Cycle
• Link defects to the failed test steps

Benefits:

• Strong traceability
• Faster defect analysis
• Better collaboration with developers

Best Practice 7: Avoid Editing Test Cases During Active Execution

Once a Test Cycle is in progress:

• Avoid modifying test steps
• Avoid changing expected results

If updates are needed:

• Create a new version of the test case
• Apply changes in the next cycle

This preserves execution integrity and audit history.

Best Practice 8: Use Execution Status Meaningfully

Encourage testers to use execution statuses correctly:

• Pass – Behavior matches expected result
• Fail – Behavior does not match expected result
• Blocked – Test cannot proceed due to external issues

Avoid marking tests as Pass or Fail without full execution.

Best Practice 9: Review Test Cycle Metrics Regularly

After execution, review:

• Pass/Fail rate
• Blocked tests
• Defects per cycle
• Execution progress

Use these insights to:

• Improve test coverage
• Identify unstable areas
• Plan regression scope

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Creating too many small cycles without purpose
• Mixing unrelated test scopes in one cycle
• Duplicating test cases instead of reusing them
• Closing cycles without reviewing results

Project Example: Sprint + Regression + UAT Test Cycles

Below is an example of how a QC team can organize Test Cycles in a real project using Zephyr Scale.

Project Context

• Product: Web Application
• Release: Version 2.1
• Sprint Duration: 2 weeks
• Environments: QA, Staging

Sprint Test Cycle

Cycle Name: Sprint 12 – Functional Testing – QA

Purpose:

• Validate new features delivered in Sprint 12

Test Cases Included:

• New feature test cases
• Updated test cases related to changed functionality

Execution:

• Manual execution during the sprint
• Defects logged directly from failed steps

Regression Test Cycle

Cycle Name: Release 2.1 – Regression – QA

Purpose:

• Ensure existing functionality is not broken by new changes

Test Cases Included:

• Core business flows
• High-risk and critical test cases
• Mix of manual and automated tests

Execution:

• Automated tests executed via Zephyr Automate
• Manual regression tests executed by QC team

UAT Test Cycle

Cycle Name: Release 2.1 – UAT – Staging

Purpose:

• Validate system readiness from a business perspective

Test Cases Included:

• End-to-end business scenarios
• Acceptance criteria validation

Execution:

• Executed by business users / UAT testers
• Results shared with stakeholders

Conclusion

When used correctly, Test Cycles in Zephyr Scale provide powerful visibility into testing progress and quality. By structuring cycles around Sprint, Regression, and UAT testing—and following a consistent checklist—QC teams can improve execution efficiency, reporting accuracy, and collaboration while keeping testing organized and scalable inside Jira.