Cycle Management

Clone a Cycle

Cloning a cycle creates a new test cycle that contains the same set of test cases as the original. This is the fastest way to set up a new round of testing when the test case selection remains the same but the execution context changes (new build, new environment, new sprint).

How to Clone a Cycle

1. Navigate to the test cycle you want to clone, either from the cycle listing or by opening the cycle detail view.
2. Click the Clone action from the cycle's action menu (the three-dot menu or the cycle toolbar, depending on where you are).
3. A new cycle is created instantly. The cloned cycle will appear in the cycle listing.
4. Open the cloned cycle and update the name, description, dates, and environment fields as needed for the new round of testing.

What Gets Cloned vs. What Does Not

Use Cases for Cloning

• Regression testing across builds -- Clone your regression cycle after each build to quickly set up the next round of regression testing with the same test case selection.
• Cross-environment testing -- Clone a cycle to run the same tests on a different environment (e.g., clone a Staging cycle to create a Production verification cycle).
• Re-testing after bug fixes -- Clone a cycle where failures were found, then re-execute only the previously failed tests in the new cycle. This preserves the original results as a baseline.
• Sprint-over-sprint testing -- If your regression suite is stable, clone the previous sprint's cycle and add any new test cases for the current sprint's features.
• Template cycles -- Create a "master" cycle with your standard regression test case selection and clone it whenever a new round of testing is needed. This acts as a reusable template that the team can rely on.

Download CSV

TestKase allows you to export a test cycle's execution results as a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file. The CSV export provides a portable snapshot of the cycle that can be shared with stakeholders, imported into spreadsheets, or archived for compliance and audit purposes.

How to Export

1. Open the test cycle you want to export.
2. Click the Download CSV button in the cycle toolbar.
3. The CSV file is generated and downloaded to your browser's default download location.

CSV Columns

The exported CSV file contains the following columns for each test case in the cycle:

Example CSV Output

Test Case ID,Test Case Title,Folder,Priority,Execution Status,Assigned Tester,Executed By,Executed At,Comments,Linked Defects
TC-101,Verify login with valid credentials,Authentication,Critical,Pass,Jane Smith,Jane Smith,2026-02-28T14:30:00Z,,
TC-102,Verify login with invalid password,Authentication,High,Pass,Jane Smith,Jane Smith,2026-02-28T14:35:00Z,,
TC-103,Verify password reset flow,Authentication,High,Fail,Jane Smith,Jane Smith,2026-02-28T14:45:00Z,"Reset email not sent after 5 min wait",DEF-22
TC-201,Add item to cart,Checkout,Critical,Not Executed,John Doe,,,,

Use Cases for CSV Export

• Stakeholder reporting -- Share test results with project managers, product owners, or clients who do not have access to TestKase. CSV files can be opened in any spreadsheet application.
• Compliance and auditing -- Archive test execution records for regulatory compliance (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, FDA validation, HIPAA). The CSV provides a tamper-evident snapshot of results at a specific point in time.
• Spreadsheet analysis -- Import the CSV into Excel or Google Sheets for custom pivot tables, charts, or filtering that goes beyond what TestKase's built-in reports offer.
• Cross-tool comparison -- Compare results from TestKase with data from other tools by importing the CSV into a shared data pipeline or business intelligence tool.

Cycle History

Every test cycle in TestKase maintains a complete audit trail of all changes made to the cycle and its test case executions. The cycle history provides full traceability, which is essential for debugging test failures, understanding who changed what, and satisfying compliance requirements.

What Changes Are Tracked

The following events are recorded in the cycle history with a timestamp and the user who performed the action:

• Test cases added -- When test cases are added to the cycle, including which test cases were added and by whom.
• Test cases removed -- When test cases are removed from the cycle, with the removed test case identifiers recorded.
• Execution status changes -- Every time a test case's execution status is updated (e.g., from "Not Executed" to "Pass", or from "Pass" to "Fail"), including both the previous and new status values.
• Tester assignment changes -- When a test case is assigned to a tester, reassigned to a different tester, or unassigned entirely.
• Cycle metadata updates -- Changes to the cycle name, description, start date, end date, or environment field.
• Comments added -- When comments are added to individual test case executions within the cycle.
• Defects linked or unlinked -- When defects are created, linked to, or unlinked from test case executions.

Viewing Cycle History

To view the history for a cycle, open the cycle and navigate to the History tab. The history is displayed in reverse chronological order (most recent changes first). Each entry shows:

• The action performed (e.g., "Status changed from Not Executed to Pass").
• The user who performed the action.
• The exact timestamp of when the action occurred.
• The affected test case (for test case-specific events).

Using History for Investigations

Cycle history is invaluable for investigating discrepancies and answering questions like:

• "When was this test case marked as Pass, and by whom?" -- Useful when a bug is found in production and you need to understand why the test passed during QA.
• "Was this test case ever marked as Fail before being changed to Pass?" -- Helps identify cases where a status was changed without proper re-testing.
• "Who removed test case TC-105 from this cycle?" -- Tracks test case additions and removals for accountability.
• "What was the original environment set on this cycle?" -- Metadata changes are tracked so you can see if the cycle was repurposed for a different environment.