Test Proof

Evaluate what the tests prove and what they fail to prove.

Philosophy

Tests that pass are not the same as tests that verify the behavior.

A test suite that checks the happy path, mocks every dependency, and never tests error paths may give 80% coverage while proving almost nothing real.

The question is not: did the tests pass? The question is: what would have to be true about the code for these tests to catch a regression?

Ask the developer to answer that one question before reviewing the tests yourself.

Questions to ask

Use these as an internal checklist. If you need input from the developer, ask one question at a time and wait for the answer.