Test case complexity tiers

What it means

Detailed mode splits the suite into three tiers by how hard a case is to automate. A basic case is a short, single-screen check; an average case walks a workflow across several screens with some data set-up; a complex case spans systems, needs prepared data, or exercises a long business process.

Each tier carries its own build time per case, so the suite's authoring cost reflects its actual mix rather than one average. Simple mode collapses the tiers to a 30 / 50 / 20 split and one average time; switching to Detailed keeps the totals intact.

Why it matters to the cost

The mix drives authoring cost more than the headline count does. Three hundred cases at 30 / 50 / 20 cost far less to build than the same three hundred at 10 / 40 / 50, because complex cases take four to twelve times longer than basic ones. If your suite is unusually complex — packaged-application testing usually is — the tiers are where that shows up.

Typical values

Around 30% basic, 50% average, 20% complex for a typical business application; packaged ERP suites skew heavier.

Typical values describe a category of tool — AI-native, codeless, script-based, homegrown, manual — never a named product. Why we do not price named products.

Where it appears in the model

Every name is a link to its definition. See the whole model.