What should entry criteria ensure before moving to the next testing phase?

To ensure a smooth transition to the next testing phase, entry criteria should confirm that specific quality levels and performance benchmarks are achieved. This means that before advancing, the testing team must assess whether the product meets the defined standards for quality and performance that have been established for that phase. Entry criteria act as a quality gate ensuring that the software is not only functional but also meets the expectations set for reliability, usability, and performance.

Achieving these specific quality levels is crucial because it helps mitigate the risks of uncovering significant issues later in the process, where they might be more difficult and costly to resolve. It reflects a proactive approach to quality assurance, ensuring that the subsequent stages of testing or deployment are based on a solid foundation of where the product stands in terms of its functionality and performance metrics.

While having all features fully implemented, completing documentation, and logging defects are important aspects of the testing process, they do not encompass the overarching goals of the entry criteria as effectively as ensuring that quality levels and performance benchmarks are met. Therefore, focusing on quality levels is key to advancing efficiently to the next phase in the testing lifecycle.