Lesson 6 of 6
Reporting results
9 min
Execution and defects produce a lot of detail. The key user and the process owner need a short, honest picture: how far are we, what is broken, what is at risk, and can we sign. This lesson turns your runs and defects into that picture.
The daily status
During UAT, Contoso's key users send a five-line daily status to Priya, the test lead, who consolidates them. Each line answers one question.
| Line | Question | Example (order-to-cash, day 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Progress | How many planned tests are executed, passed, failed, blocked, not run? | 38 planned: 24 passed, 4 failed, 3 blocked, 7 not run |
| Defects | How many open defects by severity, and what changed today? | 2 high, 3 medium open; 2 closed today after retest |
| Blockers | What is stopping execution, and who owns it? | Stock for 172A missing (data team); credit role missing (security) |
| Risks | What might prevent sign-off? | Billing-to-accounting defect still open; month-end tests depend on it |
| Next | What happens tomorrow? | Retest pricing fix in build 15; start returns scenarios |
A five-line daily UAT status.
Numbers need words
"95% passed" can hide the one failure that matters. Always pair counts with the critical items: which scenarios are failing, which defects are high severity, which blocked tests cover important processes. A process owner would rather know that billing-to-accounting is broken than that 112 of 118 steps passed. Equally, do not let a long list of low-severity cosmetic defects make a sound process look unhealthy.
| Report says | What a process owner hears | Better version |
|---|---|---|
| "92% pass rate" | Probably fine | "92% pass; the 8% includes billing not posting to accounting (high), which blocks month-end tests" |
| "14 open defects" | Sounds bad | "14 open: 1 high (billing), 3 medium, 10 low layout issues" |
| "Testing on track" | Nothing to decide | "On track except returns, blocked by a missing role; security fixing by Thursday" |
Linking results to sign-off
Sign-off is judged against exit criteria agreed before UAT began. Typical examples: all planned critical scenarios executed; no open high-severity defects; medium defects have an agreed workaround and fix date; evidence attached for every passed scenario. Your job as a tester or key user is to make the status against each criterion visible. The decision belongs to the process owner. If a criterion is not met, the options are to fix and retest, to accept a documented risk with a workaround, or to delay. Each of those is a business decision with a name attached.
Keep the report honest in both directions. Do not soften a high-severity defect to make the dashboard green, and do not inflate cosmetic issues to win attention for them. If a key user disagrees with a severity set by the project, say so in the report and let the process owner decide. Credibility is the most valuable asset a key user brings to the exit review: Dan will sign on the word of Maria only if her earlier reports turned out to be accurate.
- Week 1ReadinessUsers, roles, data and build confirmed; first scenarios executed
- Week 2Execution peakMost scenarios run; defects raised and triaged daily
- Week 3Retest and regressionFixes retested; downstream and sibling checks; blocked tests cleared
- Week 4Exit reviewResults against exit criteria; open risks with owners; process owner decision
What would you do?
On the last day of UAT, 3 of 40 order-to-cash scenarios are blocked because returns roles were never delivered. Everything else has passed. Grace asks Maria whether she can sign. What is the most responsible answer?
- A daily status covers progress, defects, blockers, risks and next steps.
- Pair numbers with the critical items behind them.
- Exit criteria agreed in advance turn results into a sign-off decision.
- Blocked and not-run tests are untested risk and must be visible.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Why is "95% passed" on its own a weak status?
2. What are exit criteria?
3. Who decides whether to sign off with an open medium defect?
4. How should blocked scenarios appear in the final report?