What is the difference between a test scenario and a test case? Give an example of each.
What the interviewer wants to hear
- A test scenario is a high-level description of what to test
- A test case is detailed: preconditions, steps, test data and expected result
- One scenario usually leads to several test cases, positive and negative
- Scenarios are good for quick coverage and planning; cases for repeatable execution
Model answer
A test scenario is a one-line idea of what to test, such as "Verify a user can reset their password." It helps plan coverage quickly and discuss it with the team. A test case is the detailed, repeatable version: an ID, preconditions like "user exists with a verified email", steps such as opening the reset page, entering the email and clicking the link, the test data, and the expected result, for example "the new password works and the old one is rejected". One scenario turns into several cases: valid reset, expired link, reused link, unknown email and weak new password. I use scenarios early in a sprint and turn high-risk ones into full test cases in TestRail, especially those we run in every regression cycle.
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