A–Z Cheatsheet
Testathon Cheatsheet
The A-to-Z playbook for winning testing hackathons & contests — the exact moves Ajay and I lean on under the clock. Tick each play as you prep; your progress saves on this device.
A–Z
Winning plays
2
Co-authors
5 min
Pre-contest read
Created by Ajay Balamurugadas & Rahul Parwal · Tick items as you go — saved on this device, not shared.
The A–Z Playbook
Twenty-five field-tested moves, in order. Open a link to dive deeper, or tick it off once you’ve prepped it.
- A — Accounts: Line up every login, role, and test account before the clock starts.
- B — Bugs: Skim the classic catalog of common software errors to spark bug ideas. Common Errors
- C — Competitor Evaluation: Study rival products to surface missing features and fresh oracles. craft.co
- D — Data Flow: Trace data end-to-end to expose fragile, high-risk paths.
- E — Energy Levels: Manage energy, not just hours — balance sprints with real breaks. Watch
- F — Fieldstones: Stockpile test ideas; the Test Heuristics Cheat Sheet is a goldmine. Ministry of Testing
- G — Groundwork: Pre-build your environment and personal toolkit before kickoff. Testing Titbits
- H — Heuristics (FEW HICCUPPS): Use consistency oracles to recognise problems on sight. DevelopSense
- I — Interview Stakeholders: Ask context-free questions to learn goals, risks, and constraints. DevelopSense
- J — Journeys: Walk real user journeys to drive coverage that actually matters. Martin Fowler
- K — Knowledge from Other Sources: Borrow ideas from adjacent domains, talks, and communities. Watch
- L — Learnings from Past: Mine past contest retros for what worked and what bit you. Testing Titbits
- N — Networking: Talk to organisers, peers, and devs — people unlock context fast. Synapse QA
- O — Organize: Keep notes, files, and evidence tidy so nothing slips away. Watch
- P — Pairing: Pair with known and unknown testers; two minds catch more. Read
- Q — Questioning Toolkit: Sharpen your questions; better questions find better bugs. Toolkit
- R — Risks: Hunt the riskiest areas first and advocate them loudly. RiskStorming
- S — Social Media: Search #SoftwareFail and social chatter for real-world failure modes. Search
- T — Tools / Toolkit: Carry a productivity toolkit that kills friction under pressure. Leanpub
- U — Uninterrupted Focus: Protect deep-focus blocks; mute everything during the sprint. Watch
- V — Visual Thinking: Map the product visually to see coverage and gaps at a glance. Watch
- W — Weakness: Know your weak spots and lean into your strengths instead. Watch
- X — X-Factor: Bring your unique edge — your niche is your differentiator.
- Y — Yes! Keep Looking: Never settle; the next bug is one more idea away.
- Z — Zeal: Finish strong — zeal in the final hour wins contests.
These plays won real contests.
See where this cheatsheet paid off — then take it into your next testathon.