Test Case Duration Report (Test Case Duration Analysis)

The Test Case Duration report analyzes test execution times to help you identify slow tests, optimize test suites, and improve CI/CD pipeline performance. This report is essential for maintaining efficient testing processes and reducing feedback loops.

What This Report Shows

The Test Case Duration report displays:

1. Summary Metrics: Average, minimum, and maximum execution times
2. Test Case Duration Details: Individual test execution times and counts
3. Duration Trends: Execution time patterns across multiple runs
4. Folder Organization: Test cases grouped by folder for focused analysis
5. Execution Frequency: How many times each test has been executed

When to Use This Report

Use the Test Case Duration report when you need to:

• Optimize CI/CD pipelines by identifying and improving slow tests
• Reduce test execution time to provide faster feedback
• Identify performance regressions in test execution
• Plan test parallelization by understanding test duration distribution
• Estimate testing effort for sprint or release planning
• Balance test suites for efficient resource utilization

Understanding the Report

Summary Metrics

At the top of the report, you'll see three key duration metrics:

Summary Circles Display:

• Average Time: Mean execution time across all tests
• Min Time: Fastest test execution time
• Max Time: Slowest test execution time

Example Summary:

Average time: 2m 24s
Min time: 1m 20s
Max time: 4m

Interpretation:

• Average (2m 24s): Typical test takes ~2.5 minutes
• Min (1m 20s): Fastest test is relatively quick
• Max (4m): Slowest test takes nearly twice the average - candidate for optimization

Duration Table

Below the summary, you'll find detailed test case information:

Column	Description
Name	Test case name and description
Execution Count	Number of times test has been executed
Duration (min)	Fastest execution time
Duration (max)	Slowest execution time
Duration (avg)	Average execution time

Example Table:

Name                                             Count  Min     Max     Avg
Correct display of blocks and buttons in navbar    1    2m 40s  2m 40s  2m 40s
User should see "About Us" page after clicking     1    1m 20s  1m 20s  1m 20s
User should see "Today's Menu" block               1    1m 30s  1m 30s  1m 30s
Changing to corresponding cursor...                1    2m      2m      2m
Correct display in different screen resolutions    1    3m      3m      3m

Folder Organization

Tests are organized by folder structure:

📁 Navbar
  └─ Test 1: 2m 40s (avg)
  └─ Test 2: 1m 20s (avg)
  
📁 About us
  └─ Test 3: 1m 30s (avg)
  
📁 Checkout
  └─ Test 4: 3m (avg)
  └─ Test 5: 2m (avg)

Folder Insights:

• Total folder time: Sum of all test durations in folder
• Folder average: Mean duration for folder tests
• Slowest tests: Identify optimization candidates per folder

Generating the Report

1. Open your QA Sphere project
2. Click Reports in the top navigation
3. Select Test Case Duration
4. Click Next
5. Choose the way to select test cases for the report: by Milestone, Test Run or time Period
6. Click Build report

Export Options

Export XLSX:

• Raw data export for further analysis
• Open in Excel, Google Sheets, or BI tools
• Click ... and then Export XLSX button

Export PDF:

• Full report with charts and tables
• Professional formatting for stakeholder distribution
• Click ... and then Export PDF button

Print:

• Direct print for physical documentation
• Formatted for standard paper sizes
• Click ... and then Print button

Best Practices

1. Track Duration Trends

Establish Baselines:

Baseline (Sprint 20):
- Average: 2m 30s
- Total suite: 45m
- Slowest test: 5m

Monitor Changes:

Sprint 21:
- Average: 2m 45s (+15s) ⚠️
- Total suite: 48m (+3m) ⚠️
- Slowest test: 6m (+1m) ⚠️
Trend: Degrading - investigate!

Set Alerts:

• Alert if average > 3m
• Alert if total suite > 60m
• Alert if any test > 10m
• Alert if variance > 50%

2. Optimize High-Impact Tests

Use the 80/20 Rule:

• 20% of tests typically consume 80% of time
• Focus optimization on slowest 20%
• Biggest ROI from optimizing slow tests

3. Set Duration Targets

Establish Standards:

Fast Tests (Target: < 30s):

• Unit tests
• Simple integration tests
• API tests
• Smoke tests

Medium Tests (Target: 30s - 3m):

• UI integration tests
• Database integration tests
• Multi-step workflows

Slow Tests (Target: 3m - 10m):

• Complex E2E scenarios
• Cross-system integration
• Performance tests

Too Slow (> 10m):

• Needs optimization or restructuring
• Consider splitting into multiple tests
• May need architectural changes

Example Policy:

Unit Tests:    Must be < 10s
API Tests:     Must be < 30s
UI Tests:      Must be < 5m
E2E Tests:     Must be < 10m
Total Suite:   Must be < 1h

4. Regular Duration Reviews

Review Cadence:

• Daily: Check if any tests exceeded thresholds
• Weekly: Review trend in average duration
• Sprint: Comprehensive duration analysis
• Quarterly: Major optimization initiative

Review Checklist:

• Average duration stable or improving
• No tests exceed maximum thresholds
• Variance is acceptable (< 50%)
• Total suite time within budget
• New tests follow duration standards

5. Document Performance Requirements

Include in Test Design:

Test Case: User Registration
Expected Duration: 2 minutes ± 30s
Maximum Allowed: 3 minutes
Performance Requirements:
- Page load < 2s
- API calls < 500ms
- Database queries < 100ms

Benefits:

• Sets clear expectations
• Enables performance regression detection
• Guides test optimization efforts

6. Balance Speed and Thoroughness

Don't Sacrifice Quality for Speed:

• Faster isn't always better
• Some tests legitimately need time
• Important: Accurate > Fast

When Long Duration is OK:

• Complex multi-step workflows
• Necessary wait times (email delivery, processing)
• Comprehensive integration scenarios
• Performance/load tests

When to Optimize:

• Unnecessary waits
• Redundant operations
• Inefficient test design
• Can be faster without compromising accuracy

Related Reports

• Test Runs Scorecard Analysis: Compare duration across multiple test runs
• Test Case Success Rate Analysis: Correlate duration with flakiness
• Testing Effort Analysis: Total time spent on testing activities

Getting Help

For assistance with this report:

1. Verify test runs include duration data
2. Check the Reports Overview for general guidance
3. Review test framework configuration for duration tracking
4. Contact QA Sphere support: [email protected]

---

Quick Summary: The Test Case Duration report helps you optimize testing speed. Focus on the slowest 20% of tests for maximum impact. Track duration trends to detect regressions early. Balance test suite for efficient parallelization. Set and enforce duration standards to maintain fast feedback loops.