Test Tier Selection
Automatic guidance for selecting appropriate test tiers based on change context and scope.
When to Use This Skill
| Use this skill when... | Use test-consult instead when... |
|---|---|
| Mechanically deciding which tier to run for a given change | Reviewing overall test pyramid balance or strategy |
| Mapping change type (refactor, API, UI) to required tiers | Designing a new feature's test approach |
| Justifying why an E2E run is or isn't needed | Diagnosing flaky tests in an existing suite |
| Picking between test-quick, test-run, and test-full | Setting up a project's test infrastructure (use test-setup) |
Test Tier Definitions
| Tier | Duration | Scope | When to Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | < 30s | Single function/module | After every code change |
| Integration | < 5min | Component interactions | After feature completion |
| E2E | < 30min | Full user flows | Before commit/PR |
Decision Matrix
Change Type → Test Tier
| Change Type | Unit | Integration | E2E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single function fix | Required | Skip | Skip |
| New feature (1 file) | Required | Required | Skip |
| Multi-file feature | Required | Required | Required |
| Refactoring | Required | Required | Optional |
| API changes | Required | Required | Required |
| UI changes | Required | Optional | Required |
| Bug fix (isolated) | Required | Optional | Skip |
| Database changes | Required | Required | Required |
| Config changes | Required | Required | Optional |
Escalation Signals
Escalate to Integration when:
- Changes span multiple files
- Business logic affected
- Service boundaries modified
- Database queries changed
Escalate to E2E when:
- User-facing features modified
- Authentication/authorization changes
- Critical path functionality
- Before creating PR
Commands by Tier
# Tier 1: Unit (fast feedback)
/test:quick
# Tier 2: Integration (feature completion)
/test:full --coverage
# Tier 3: E2E (pre-commit)
/test:full
Agent Consultation Triggers
Consult test-architecture agent when:
- New feature module created
- Coverage drops > 5%
-
3 flaky tests detected
- Framework questions arise
- Test strategy needs adjustment
Consult test-runner agent when:
- Need test execution with analysis
- Multiple failures to diagnose
- Want concise failure summary
Consult system-debugging agent when:
- Integration test failures with unclear cause
- Environment/timing issues
- Flaky tests related to concurrency
Quick Reference
After Small Change
1. Run /test:quick
2. If pass: Continue working
3. If fail: Fix immediately
After Feature Completion
1. Run /test:full --coverage
2. Check coverage targets met
3. If gaps: /test:consult coverage
Before Commit/PR
1. Run /test:full
2. All tiers must pass
3. Review coverage report
For New Features
1. /test:consult new-feature
2. Write tests (TDD)
3. Run /test:quick during development
4. Run /test:full before PR
Activation Triggers
This skill auto-activates when:
- User mentions "test", "run tests", "testing"
- After code modification by Claude
- During TDD workflow
- When
/test:*commands invoked - When discussing test strategy