testing-anti-patterns
Reviews test code to identify and fix common testing anti-patterns including flaky tests, over-mocking, brittle assertions, test interdependency, and hidden test logic. Flags bad patterns, explains the specific defect, and provides corrected implementations. Use when reviewing test code, debugging intermittent or unreliable test failures, or when the user mentions flaky tests, test smells, brittle tests, test isolation issues, mock overuse, slow tests, or test maintenance problems.
Install with Tessl CLI
npx tessl i github:rohitg00/skillkit --skill testing-anti-patterns96
Does it follow best practices?
Validation for skill structure
Discovery
100%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
This is an excellent skill description that hits all the marks. It provides specific concrete actions, comprehensive trigger terms that developers naturally use, explicit 'Use when...' guidance, and a clearly defined niche that won't conflict with other skills. The description uses proper third-person voice throughout.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists multiple specific concrete actions: 'identify and fix common testing anti-patterns', 'Flags bad patterns', 'explains the specific defect', 'provides corrected implementations'. Also enumerates specific anti-patterns: flaky tests, over-mocking, brittle assertions, test interdependency, hidden test logic. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what (reviews test code, identifies anti-patterns, flags issues, explains defects, provides fixes) AND when with explicit 'Use when...' clause covering reviewing test code, debugging failures, and multiple specific trigger scenarios. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Excellent coverage of natural terms users would say: 'flaky tests', 'test smells', 'brittle tests', 'test isolation issues', 'mock overuse', 'slow tests', 'test maintenance problems', 'unreliable test failures'. These are terms developers naturally use when encountering these issues. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Highly distinctive niche focused specifically on test code quality and anti-patterns. The specific terminology (flaky tests, over-mocking, test smells) clearly distinguishes it from general code review or testing skills. Unlikely to conflict with other skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
92%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a high-quality skill that provides concrete, actionable guidance for identifying and fixing testing anti-patterns. The BAD/GOOD code pattern comparisons are excellent and immediately useful. The workflow includes proper validation steps. Minor improvement could come from splitting detailed examples into separate files for better progressive disclosure.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is lean and efficient, using code examples to illustrate points rather than verbose explanations. It assumes Claude understands testing concepts and doesn't waste tokens explaining what tests or mocks are. | 3 / 3 |
Actionability | Every anti-pattern includes executable TypeScript code showing both BAD and GOOD patterns. The examples are copy-paste ready and demonstrate concrete fixes rather than abstract guidance. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The review workflow provides a clear 4-step sequence with explicit validation (step 4: verify test still fails when code breaks). The checklist and refactoring strategies provide clear decision points for error recovery. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content is well-organized with clear sections and a checklist, but it's a fairly long monolithic document. Some content like detailed examples for each anti-pattern could be split into separate reference files for better navigation. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
- Reviewed
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