What is Azure DevOps Board?
Azure DevOps Boards is a work tracking system from Microsoft to manage software development tasks, bugs, user stories, and test management in one place. It supports Agile, Scrum, and Kanban frameworks.
You can explore more about it here: Azure DevOps official site
Why use DevOps Boards?
- Manage backlogs, sprints, and tasks visually
- Integrate with pipelines for continuous integration and deployment
- Provides traceability between requirements, tasks, and bugs
- Supports collaborative workflows with testers, developers, and product owners
- Includes powerful reporting tools
How to Access DevOps Boards
- Go to https://dev.azure.com/
- Log in with your Microsoft work account
- Create or select an organization and project
- Use the left-side menu to find “Boards”
How to Create Test Plans in DevOps Boards
- Navigate to Test Plans in the left panel
- Click “New Test Plan”
- Give it a name, area path, and iteration
- Add static or requirement-based test suites to group related tests
- Save the plan
How to Create Test Cases in DevOps Boards
- Inside a Test Plan, click “New Test Case”
- Add a title, priority, and description
- Define test steps: action and expected result
- Link to requirements if needed
- Save the test case
Executing Test Cases
- Open the test plan
- Select the test suite
- Click “Run for web app” to execute tests
- Mark Pass/Fail for each step and add evidence (screenshots/notes)
- Results are stored for reporting and metrics
Importing & Exporting Test Cases
- Use Azure DevOps Test Plans extension or REST API for imports
- Simple bulk import via Excel with the “Test Case Migrator” plugin
- Export test cases to Excel or CSV from the query results grid
- Always check field mapping before importing large data sets
Pro Tips
- Keep test titles meaningful and short
- Group tests into suites logically (e.g., Smoke, Regression, Performance)
- Use tags and priority fields to make searching easier
- Train your team on boards, sprints, and queries to maximize value
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to assign ownership to test cases
- Using unclear test titles that confuse readers
- Not updating results after execution
- Mixing unrelated test cases into one test suite
- Failing to link test cases to requirements for traceability