Did someone ever asked you to test a pen or a pencil? Or, did you ever had the curiosity to see how many test cases can you find for a pen(cil)?
Well, I did! And here is my 101 list of possible test cases for a given pen(cil):
- What kind of pen is it?
- Does it work with ink or with liquid gel?
- If it uses ink, is it a fountain pen or a dip pen? (see Wikipedia)
- Is it a ballpoint pen?
- Is it a marker? If yes, is it a whiteboard marker or a permanent one?
- If it is a whiteboard marker, does it write on whiteboards?
- But can you use the same whiteboard marker to write on other surfaces?
- If it is a permanent marker, is it really permanent?
- If it is a marker used to highlight text, can you do that? Can you still see the text after highlighting it?
- Is it a rollerball pen?
- What kind of ink can you use with it? Does is have to be a special ink? (or color)
- How often do you have to refill it?
- With what color does it write?
- Does it come in other colors? Is it a multi color pen? Could it be?
- What about the outside color?
- Does it come in other colors?
- Do the colors have any meaning or purpose other than esthetic?
- Does it write?
- How thin or thick does it write? and can I adjust this?
- Can I use it for drawing?
- Can I write with it on paper? normal paper?
- Can it write on oilpaper?
- Can I change the color it writes with?
- Do we have any specifications?
- What are its dimensions? Are they according to its specs?
- Is its ink / liquid reservoir replaceable? If yes, how?
- How many pages can I write with a new ink / liquid gel reservoir?
- Can I write with it on the ceiling? (upside down)
- Can I write with it horizontally?
- Does it have a cap?
- How can you take cap off? Does it have a small bumper or is it screwed?
- How can you break the cap mechanism? Or how long will it hold?
- Can the cap get stuck somehow? If you keep the pen in humid atmosphere for a long period of time
- After you remove the cap can you attach it to the other end? reducing the chances of losing it?
- If it doesn’t have a cap, does it have a mechanism to open / close?
- How does the mechanism work? Can something break?
- Is there any why through which the pen can open by itself in your pocket?
- Does it write under water?
- Does it write on cold winter night?
- Does it write on hot summer day?
- Can you use it to hold your hair? (I’ve seen this at a friend of mine once)
- Can you hang it by your pocket?
- How many parts does it have? Can something go wrong with one of them?
- Does it do everything that is written on it?
- How easy is it to use?
- Does your hand hurts after using it for a long period of time?
- Can you still write with it if you are left-handed?
- How hard do you have to press it against the paper in order to write?
- What is the smallest angle under which you have to hold it in order to be able to write with it?
- What kind of liquid gel replacements does it accept?
- What happens if you change its existent liquid gel reservoir with a smaller one? What about a larger one?
- If any part of it will break can it be changed? How easy?
- Can I write with it on walls?
- Can I write with it on the school’s desk?
- Can I write with it on my palm?
- Does it scratch the paper when I write with it?
- If I shake it enough will something break?
- If I drop it will it break? How resistant is it?
- If it uses ink and I will make sudden moves with it, will there be any ink spots on the paper (table)?
- Can I use it as a book sign?
- What kind of pen is it? Is it from metal or plastic?
- If it is a metal one how hard is it to break it?
- If it is a metal one and it doesn’t have a rubber head will I be able to hold it with my hands wet?
- Can I kill someone with it?
- Is it safe to chew parts of it?
- Can I write with it in space?
- How fast can I write with it?
- How small can I write with it?
- How young do you have to be in order to be able to use it?
- What about the older people, can they use it?
- Can children swallow any parts of it?
- If it is a charcoal pencil does it have a rubber?
- Does the rubber work? is it replaceable?
- Can the charcoal break inside it?
- Can you sharpen that pencil? If yes, how easy it is?
- Can you use to write with your foot? (I’ve seen this on television)
- Are its writing characteristics consistent across a long period of time of usage?
- If it uses ink and you leave it open, how long will it take to dry out?
- Will the ink / gel start to leak if you leave the pen in the sun for to long?
- Can the ink / gel ever dry out? If yes, how long does it takes?
- Can it be used to make jokes with it? Like shoot with small paper balls
- Can it be used to safe someone’s life? by using its tube to help someone to breath normally
- Can it be used to immobilize a broken finger? Like a splint
- How thin is it?
- And what about its thickness?
- Is it too short?
- Or too long?
- Maybe it is too heavy?
- Or too light?
- What about its shape, is it a cylindrical one?
- Do you have to hold in a special way in order to write? If it is a fountain pen then it may not work in every position
- Does it bend (or melt) when writing with it? Is it too flexible?
- Does it look expensive? Is it the kind of pen that a president will have?
- Is it from a series of limited edition of pens / pencils?
- Are there any pending patents?
- Are there any international or local regulations that it needs to follow?
- In what kind of environment can it be used? Medical, School, Civil Construction, War zone
- How does it perform versus similar products?
- Does it have a history? Are there any previous versions of this pen(cil)?
- Is it an universal pen(cil) that everyone can use? Do you need to have any specialization(s)?
- If it is an ink pen, can you tell how much ink does it have at a given moment?
Do you have another one in your mind? Leave a comment with it and I will add it to the list.
Download the PDF containing the entire list – 101 Test Cases for a Pen
Reference:
- To come up with this list I’ve used heuristics, wikipedia and running.