Questions Every QA should Ask In Requirements Discussions

In agile development, QA isn't just about testing — it's about asking the right questions early. For QA engineers, a requirements discussion is a golden opportunity to catch ambiguities, edge cases, and risks before a single line of code is written.

Here’s a list of most important questions every QA should ask during requirements discussions.

1. What is the goal of this feature?

Before jumping on how to test this feature, Understanding the business need of the feature is more important. Knowing the purpose makes the qa team to think end user perspective and

❓What is the goal of this feature?Example:

"Is this new dashboard meant to improve user retention or reduce support tickets?"

❓ Who are the primary users? What problem are we solving?Example:

"Are we targeting new users with this onboarding flow or existing ones who skipped setup?"

🧠 Why this matters:This helps you focus test scenarios on what's most valuable for the business and user.

📋 2. Clarify the Requirements

❓ Can you walk me through the expected user flow?Example:

"After uploading the CSV, does the user get immediate validation or do we save and validate in the background?"

❓ Are there any assumptions we need to clarify?Example:

"Are we assuming that users will always upload files under 5MB? Should we test larger files?"

🧠 Why this matters:Unspoken assumptions often lead to edge-case bugs. Clarifying them ensures complete test coverage.

✅ 3. Ensure Testability

❓ What are the acceptance criteria?Example:

"So, for the form submission, are we accepting both mobile and landline numbers?"

❓ What should happen with invalid or missing data?Example:

"What should we display if the user tries to save without entering mandatory fields?"

❓ Are there edge cases we should consider?Example:

"How should the system behave if the user has 1,000 saved records? Should we test pagination?"

🧠 Why this matters:Clear expectations = accurate tests. Without this, QA ends up guessing.

🔄 4. Explore Dependencies

❓ Does this depend on other systems or services?Example:

"This payment feature talks to Razorpay — should we test with sandbox credentials?"

❓ Will this impact existing functionality?Example:

"Adding a new discount rule — could this break any ongoing promotions or user carts?"

🧠 Why this matters:Uncover integration points and regression risks early to avoid production surprises.

🧪 5. Data and Environment Readiness

❓ What test data is required, and will it be available?Example:

"To test user roles, do we have sample accounts with admin, editor, and viewer permissions?"

❓ Will this be available in staging first or only in production-like UAT?Example:

"Can we test the API response formats in staging before it goes live with the frontend?"

🧠 Why this matters:QA readiness depends on having the right data and environment access.

🧠 6. Address Non-Functional Requirements

❓ Are there performance/load expectations?Example:

"If 500 users hit this endpoint simultaneously, what’s the acceptable response time?"

❓ Are there any security or accessibility considerations?Example:

"Do we need to test this signup flow for screen readers and keyboard navigation?"

🧠 Why this matters:These quality dimensions are often ignored early — but can fail compliance checks later.

🗓️ 7. Prepare for Change

❓ Is this a new feature or a modification to an existing one?Example:

"We're changing the pricing page — is the old discount logic still valid, or will it be deprecated?"

❓ Who is the go-to person for clarifications during testing?Example:

"If I get a 403 error while testing this API, should I reach out to the backend team or the product owner?"

🧠 Why this matters : Prevents blockers during testing and improves communication flow within teams.

Final Checklist: Ask These Before Development Starts

Category	Key QA Questions	Example
🎯 Business Goal	What is the goal? Who is the user?	“Improving onboarding for new users.”
📋 Clarity	Are there assumptions? Can you walk through the flow?	“Do we validate the CSV before upload?”
✅ Testability	What’s the expected behavior for invalid input?	“Empty form → show required field errors?”
🔄 Integration	Dependencies? Existing features impacted?	“Any impact on Razorpay or user carts?”
🧪 Data	Is test data ready? Is the env set up?	“Do we have admin/test user accounts?”
🔐 Non-Functional	Performance, security, a11y needs?	“Screen reader test required?”
🧭 Change Scope	Is it new or updated? Who to contact?	“Updating old logic or replacing?”

Final Thoughts

A good QA doesn’t just test after the fact — they ask smart questions early to guide the team toward quality. These questions:

• Prevent misunderstandings

• Improve test coverage

• Align testing with user value

💡 Great QA isn't just about finding bugs. It's about asking the right questions so they never happen in the first place.