Testing Debt

What is Testing debt?

Testing debt can be described as a subsection of technical debt and can include things like outdated scripts, large regression suites or slow and complicated automation. The build up of testing debt can be a project decision in the same way as technical debt. Both generally arise from compromises or shortcuts designed to speed up things now.

Examples for testing debt can include not running tests, either automation, regression or any other type. Ignoring failing tests as they are known to be ‘flaky’. A lack of test artefacts or out of date documentation.

Over time unaddressed testing debt can lead to lower quality software, more test effort due to lack of reliable automation, higher bugs in production and increased maintenance costs. As with technical debt, some debt can be valuable but unaddressed debt left over time can cause a number of issues. 

Test debt is the accumulation of testing work that has been postponed or skipped during software development. This can include untested features, incomplete test coverage, missing regression runs, or delayed automation. Just like technical debt in development, it builds up over time and increases the risk of defects, slows down future releases, and makes maintenance harder.It can happen when deadlines take priority over thorough testing, when changes are made but not fully validated, or when automation is deferred. 

The longer it remains unresolved or remains in backlog, the more effort it takes to fix, as gaps in testing can lead to bugs that surface late in the process. Keeping track of what has been missed and addressing it as soon as possible helps prevent small gaps from turning into major quality risks.