List the Tasks

The task list comprises those tasks that the participants will perform during the test. The list should consist of tasks that will ordinarily be performed during the course of using the product, documentation, and so on.

There are two stages to developing these tasks. In the early stages of developing the test, the task list description is intended only for members of the project team and not for eventual participants. You need to supply only enough detail so that reviewers of the test plan can judge whether the tasks are the correct ones and are being exercised properly.

Later, you will expand the tasks into full-blown task scenarios, which are presented to the participants. The scenarios will provide the realistic details and context that enable the participants to perform tasks with little intervention from the test moderator. Expanding the initial tasks into task scenarios is covered in Chapter 8. For now, your task list need only include the following.