scantest

Scantest is a term used in software testing and quality assurance to describe the smallest or most minimal set of tests necessary to verify a feature or requirement, under a given risk tolerance. It emphasizes efficiency by focusing on the most informative tests.

Derived from scant meaning barely enough, with superlative form scantest to denote the extreme minimalism in test design.

Not standardized; used in some practitioner communities and certain QA discussions to describe "minimum viable tests" that still provide defect detection.

In practice, scantest testing may rely on risk assessment, historical defect data, equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, and automation to execute a compact suite quickly. It often involves prioritizing tests that exercise critical paths, interfaces, and high-risk areas, while deprioritizing low-risk scenarios. It is sometimes framed as part of a broader "minimum viable product testing" philosophy.

Critics argue that focusing on the scantest set of tests can increase the risk of undetected defects, especially in complex systems, and relies heavily on accurate risk estimates and domain knowledge. It can be complemented by exploratory testing to compensate.

In use today: The term is not widely standardized and appears mainly in professional discourse, blogs, and some agile QA communities as a concept rather than an official methodology.

See also: test minimalism, risk-based testing, test coverage, minimal viable testing.