QA Expert

Set up test cases, execution tracking, bug reports and QA handoffs using AAA test structure and OWASP security categories.

When to Use This Skill

Trigger this skill when:

• Setting up QA infrastructure for a new or existing project
• Writing standardized test cases (AAA pattern compliance)
• Executing comprehensive test plans with progress tracking
• Implementing security testing (OWASP Top 10)
• Filing bugs with proper severity classification (P0-P4)
• Generating QA reports (daily summaries, weekly progress)
• Calculating quality metrics (pass rate, coverage, gates)
• Preparing QA documentation for third-party team handoffs
• Enabling autonomous LLM-driven test execution

Quick Start

One-command initialization:

uv run "<qa-expert-dir>/scripts/init_qa_project.py" "<project-name>" "<project-root>"

What gets created:

• Directory structure (tests/docs/, tests/e2e/, tests/fixtures/)
• Tracking CSVs (TEST-EXECUTION-TRACKING.csv, BUG-TRACKING-TEMPLATE.csv)
• Documentation templates (BASELINE-METRICS.md, WEEKLY-PROGRESS-REPORT.md)
• Master QA Prompt for autonomous execution
• README with preparation steps and links to the generated files

The output directory is the project root; the script appends tests/. Use a fresh destination: initialization overwrites its template files. Replace example CSV rows, write test specifications and bind the project harness before execution. Resolve <qa-expert-dir> from this loaded Skill's directory, not the target project.

For autonomous execution: Follow the master prompt for preparation, bounded execution and interruption recovery. Initialization creates templates; it does not run tests or install a scheduler.

Core Capabilities

1. QA Project Initialization

Initialize QA directories and templates:

uv run "<qa-expert-dir>/scripts/init_qa_project.py" "<project-name>" "<project-root>"

Creates directory structure, tracking CSVs, documentation templates, and master prompt for autonomous execution.

Use when: Starting QA from scratch or migrating to structured QA process.

2. Test Case Writing

Write standardized, reproducible test cases following AAA pattern (Arrange-Act-Assert):

1. Read template: assets/templates/TEST-CASE-TEMPLATE.md
2. Follow structure: Prerequisites (Arrange) → Test Steps (Act) → Expected Results (Assert)
3. Assign priority: P0 (blocker) → P4 (low)
4. Include edge cases and potential bugs

Test case format: TC-[CATEGORY]-[NUMBER] (e.g., TC-CLI-001, TC-WEB-042, TC-SEC-007)

Reference: See references/google_testing_standards.md for AAA guidelines and project-bound coverage and release acceptance.

For cross-platform adapters or compatibility with another runtime/implementation, load runtime compatibility acceptance before choosing mocks, expected results or supported-version cases.

For payment, procurement, fulfillment or refund recovery, load transaction recovery acceptance before selecting cases. For schema upgrades, accounting views or integration fixtures, load migration and fixture acceptance. For file-backed state, snapshot dependency checks, recovery or CLI output/read-cost changes, load file persistence and CLI acceptance. For responses, normalization or suggested edits that race with user changes, load asynchronous editing and conflict acceptance before selecting timing, session and related-object cases. Bind these recipes to the application's existing contract and test harness; retain the general AAA, tracking and reporting workflow.

3. Test Execution & Tracking

Ground Truth Principle (critical):

• Test case documents (e.g., 02-CLI-TEST-CASES.md) = authoritative source for test steps
• Tracking CSV = execution status only (do NOT trust CSV for test specifications)
• See references/ground_truth_principle.md for preventing doc/CSV sync issues

Manual execution:

1. Read test case from category document (e.g., 02-CLI-TEST-CASES.md) ← always start here
2. Execute test steps exactly as documented
3. Update TEST-EXECUTION-TRACKING.csv immediately after EACH test (never batch)
4. File bug in BUG-TRACKING-TEMPLATE.csv if test fails

Autonomous execution (recommended):

1. Copy master prompt from references/master_qa_prompt.md
2. Paste to LLM session
3. Execute the authorized batch, track each result, file reproduced bugs and report evidence

On interruption, read back checkpoints and reconcile uncertain side effects before choosing the first unmet test. Future execution requires an available, authorized host runner; a prompt alone does not keep a session running.

4. Bug Reporting

File bugs with proper severity classification:

Required fields:

• Bug ID: Sequential (BUG-001, BUG-002, ...)
• Severity: P0 (24h fix) → P4 (optional)
• Steps to Reproduce: Numbered, specific
• Environment: OS, versions, configuration

Severity classification:

• P0 (Blocker): Security vulnerability, core functionality broken, data loss
• P1 (Critical): Major feature broken with workaround
• P2 (High): Minor feature issue, edge case
• P3 (Medium): Cosmetic issue
• P4 (Low): Documentation typo

Reference: Initialization creates tests/docs/templates/BUG-TRACKING-TEMPLATE.csv.

5. Quality Metrics Calculation

Calculate metrics from the current tracking rows:

uv run "<qa-expert-dir>/scripts/calculate_metrics.py" "<project-root>/tests/docs/templates/TEST-EXECUTION-TRACKING.csv"

Metrics dashboard includes:

• Test execution progress (X/Y tests, Z% complete)
• Pass rate (passed/executed %)
• Unique linked bug IDs and test-priority breakdown
• Quality gates status (✅/❌ for each gate)

scripts/calculate_metrics.py owns the built-in checks and CSV field interpretation. Record results as ✅ PASSED or ❌ FAILED and completed status as Completed. Its P0 check only reads linked bug IDs and P0 in tracking notes; it does not read bug severity from the bug log. Coverage, OWASP mitigation and release acceptance need their own project evidence. The CLI prints failing checks but still exits 0; it is a report, not a release gate. Follow release acceptance. Calculate current totals on demand rather than maintaining another summary table.

6. Progress Reporting

Generate QA reports for stakeholders:

Daily summary (end-of-day):

• Tests executed, pass rate, bugs filed
• Blockers (or None)
• Tomorrow's plan

Weekly report (every Friday):

• Use template: WEEKLY-PROGRESS-REPORT.md (created by init script)
• Compare against baseline: BASELINE-METRICS.md
• Assess quality gates and trends

Reference: See references/llm_prompts_library.md for task-specific reporting prompts.

7. Security Testing (OWASP)

Implement OWASP Top 10 security testing:

Coverage targets:

1. A01: Broken Access Control - RLS bypass, privilege escalation
2. A02: Cryptographic Failures - Token encryption, password hashing
3. A03: Injection - SQL injection, XSS, command injection
4. A04: Insecure Design - Rate limiting, anomaly detection
5. A05: Security Misconfiguration - Verbose errors, default credentials
6. A07: Authentication Failures - Session hijacking, CSRF
7. Others: Data integrity, logging, SSRF

Select security acceptance from the target project's authoritative release policy.

Each security test follows AAA pattern with specific attack vectors documented.

Day 1 Onboarding

For new QA engineers joining a project, complete 5-hour onboarding guide:

Read: references/day1_onboarding.md

Timeline:

• Hour 1: Environment setup (database, dev server, dependencies)
• Hour 2: Documentation review (test strategy, quality gates)
• Hour 3: Test data setup (users, CLI, DevTools)
• Hour 4: Execute first test case
• Hour 5: Team onboarding & Week 1 planning

Checkpoint: By end of Day 1, environment running, first test executed, ready for Week 1.

Autonomous Execution (⭐ Recommended)

Enable LLM-driven autonomous QA testing with single master prompt:

Read: references/master_qa_prompt.md

Features:

• Resume from the first unmet test after checkpoint and side-effect reconciliation
• Execute the project's approved test plan and schedule
• Auto-track results (updates CSV after each test)
• Auto-file bugs (creates bug reports for failures)
• Auto-generate reports (daily summaries, weekly reports)
• Stop on P0 bugs and report in the current conversation; external escalation needs authorization

Benefits:

• Consistent bug documentation
• Immediate progress visibility

Usage: Copy the master prompt, bind it to the actual project and execute an authorized batch. Reinvoke it to resume; use the host's authorized runner for unattended execution and verify its activity separately.

Adapting for Your Project

Small Project (50 tests)

• Timeline: 2 weeks
• Categories: 2-3 (e.g., Frontend, Backend)
• Daily: 5-7 tests
• Reports: Daily summary only

Medium Project (200 tests)

• Timeline: 4 weeks
• Categories: 4-5 (CLI, Web, API, DB, Security)
• Daily: 10-12 tests
• Reports: Daily + weekly

Large Project (500+ tests)

• Timeline: 8-10 weeks
• Categories: 6-8 (multiple components)
• Daily: 10-15 tests
• Reports: Daily + weekly + bi-weekly stakeholder

Reference Documents

Access detailed guidelines from bundled references:

• references/day1_onboarding.md - 5-hour onboarding guide for new QA engineers
• references/master_qa_prompt.md - Preparation, execution, recovery and reporting SOP
• references/llm_prompts_library.md - Prompts for specific QA tasks
• references/google_testing_standards.md - AAA pattern, coverage planning, release acceptance and fail-fast validation
• references/ground_truth_principle.md - Preventing doc/CSV sync issues (critical for test suite integrity)

Assets & Templates

Test case templates and bug report formats:

• assets/templates/TEST-CASE-TEMPLATE.md - Complete template with CLI and security examples

Scripts

Automation scripts for QA infrastructure:

• scripts/init_qa_project.py - Initialize QA infrastructure (one command setup)
• scripts/calculate_metrics.py - Generate quality metrics dashboard

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Starting Fresh QA

1. uv run "<qa-expert-dir>/scripts/init_qa_project.py" my-app "<fresh-project-root>"
2. Fill in BASELINE-METRICS.md (document current state)
3. Write test cases using assets/templates/TEST-CASE-TEMPLATE.md
4. Copy master prompt from references/master_qa_prompt.md
5. Verify the project harness and authorization, then execute the approved batch

Pattern 2: LLM-Driven Testing (Autonomous)

1. Read references/master_qa_prompt.md
2. Copy the master prompt and bind the project paths
3. Paste to LLM conversation
4. LLM executes the approved batch using project test specifications
5. LLM updates tracking CSVs automatically
6. LLM generates weekly reports automatically

Pattern 3: Adding Security Testing

1. Read references/google_testing_standards.md (OWASP section)
2. Write TC-SEC-XXX test cases for each OWASP threat
3. Apply the project's approved security acceptance
4. Document mitigations in test cases

Pattern 4: Third-Party QA Handoff

1. Ensure all templates populated
2. Verify BASELINE-METRICS.md complete
3. Package tests/docs/ folder
4. Include references/master_qa_prompt.md for autonomous execution
5. QA team verifies prerequisites, completes the applicable onboarding and follows the project schedule

Success Criteria

This skill is effective when:

• ✅ Test cases are reproducible by any engineer
• ✅ Quality gates objectively measured
• ✅ Bugs fully documented with repro steps
• ✅ Progress visible in real-time (CSV tracking)
• ✅ Autonomous execution enabled (LLM can execute full plan)
• ✅ Third-party QA teams can locate the harness and resume from verified prerequisites