Test Estimation
Test estimation predicts how much time and effort testing a given piece of work will require — factoring in complexity, risk, available automation, and team experience — informing sprint planning and release schedules with a realistic testing timeline rather than an afterthought guess.
Testing is notoriously prone to being under-estimated or left out of planning entirely, treated as something that "just happens" in whatever time remains after development — realistic test estimation pushes back on that by explicitly accounting for test design, execution, defect retesting, and regression time as real, planned work.
Common estimation techniques mirror development estimation — story points, historical velocity from similar past work, or simple expert judgment — with risk-based testing informing where extra estimated time is actually justified, versus lower-risk areas that can reasonably get a lighter testing pass.
