proffesor-for-testing__agentic-qe/docs/reference/skills.md

Agentic QE Fleet - Skills Reference

This document provides comprehensive reference for all 41 specialized QE skills available to agents.

Overview

QE skills are specialized knowledge modules that agents can invoke to enhance their capabilities. Skills are organized into phases and categories based on testing domains.

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Phase 1: Original Quality Engineering Skills (18 skills)

Core Testing (3 skills)

agentic-quality-engineering

Using AI agents as force multipliers in quality work

Covers autonomous testing systems, PACT principles (Proactive, Autonomous, Collaborative, Targeted), and scaling quality engineering with intelligent agents.

Key Topics:

• AI-driven test generation
• Autonomous quality validation
• Agent coordination patterns
• Quality multiplier strategies

Usage:

Skill("agentic-quality-engineering")

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context-driven-testing

Apply context-driven testing principles

Practices are chosen based on project context, not universal "best practices". Focuses on adapting testing approaches to specific situations.

Key Topics:

• Context analysis
• Heuristic testing
• Risk-based decisions
• Situational awareness

Usage:

Skill("context-driven-testing")

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holistic-testing-pact

Holistic Testing Model evolved with PACT principles

Applies the Holistic Testing Model with Proactive, Autonomous, Collaborative, and Targeted principles for comprehensive quality coverage.

Key Topics:

• Quadrant-based testing
• Whole-team quality
• PACT evolution
• Agile testing strategies

Usage:

Skill("holistic-testing-pact")

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Testing Methodologies (4 skills)

tdd-london-chicago

London and Chicago school TDD approaches

Understanding different TDD philosophies (inside-out vs outside-in) and choosing the right testing style for your context.

Key Topics:

• London School (mockist TDD)
• Chicago School (classicist TDD)
• When to use each approach
• Trade-offs and benefits

Usage:

Skill("tdd-london-chicago")

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xp-practices

Extreme Programming practices

Apply XP practices including pair programming, ensemble programming, continuous integration, and sustainable pace.

Key Topics:

• Pair/Mob programming
• Continuous integration
• Refactoring discipline
• Test-first development

Usage:

Skill("xp-practices")

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risk-based-testing

Focus testing on highest-risk areas

Use risk assessment and prioritization to allocate testing effort where it matters most.

Key Topics:

• Risk identification
• Risk matrix creation
• Prioritization strategies
• Coverage optimization

Usage:

Skill("risk-based-testing")

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test-automation-strategy

Comprehensive test automation strategies

Design and implement effective test automation that balances coverage, maintenance, and execution speed.

Key Topics:

• Test pyramid/trophy
• Automation framework selection
• Maintenance strategies
• ROI optimization

Usage:

Skill("test-automation-strategy")

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Testing Techniques (4 skills)

api-testing-patterns

Comprehensive API testing patterns

Contract testing, REST/GraphQL testing, and integration testing for APIs.

Key Topics:

• Contract testing (Pact)
• REST API testing
• GraphQL testing
• Authentication testing

Usage:

Skill("api-testing-patterns")

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exploratory-testing-advanced

Advanced exploratory testing techniques

Session-Based Test Management (SBTM), RST heuristics, and test tours for structured exploration.

Key Topics:

• SBTM sessions
• RST heuristics
• Test tours
• Charter creation

Usage:

Skill("exploratory-testing-advanced")

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performance-testing

Performance, scalability, and resilience testing

Load testing, stress testing, and performance optimization techniques.

Key Topics:

• Load testing patterns
• Stress testing
• Performance profiling
• SLA validation

Usage:

Skill("performance-testing")

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security-testing

Security vulnerabilities using OWASP principles

Test for security vulnerabilities using OWASP principles and security testing techniques.

Key Topics:

• OWASP Top 10
• SAST/DAST
• Penetration testing
• Security compliance

Usage:

Skill("security-testing")

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Code Quality (3 skills)

code-review-quality

Context-driven code reviews

Conduct effective code reviews focusing on quality, testability, and maintainability.

Key Topics:

• Review checklists
• Testability assessment
• Maintainability metrics
• Constructive feedback

Usage:

Skill("code-review-quality")

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refactoring-patterns

Safe refactoring patterns

Apply safe refactoring patterns to improve code structure without changing behavior.

Key Topics:

• Refactoring catalog
• Test coverage first
• Incremental changes
• Design patterns

Usage:

Skill("refactoring-patterns")

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quality-metrics

Measure quality effectively

Actionable metrics and KPIs for measuring and improving software quality.

Key Topics:

• Metric selection
• Dashboard design
• Trend analysis
• Leading indicators

Usage:

Skill("quality-metrics")

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Communication (3 skills)

bug-reporting-excellence

High-quality bug reports

Write bug reports that get fixed quickly with templates, examples, and best practices.

Key Topics:

• Bug report structure
• Reproducibility
• Severity assessment
• Clear communication

Usage:

Skill("bug-reporting-excellence")

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technical-writing

Clear, concise technical documentation

Create effective technical documentation that practitioners actually want to read.

Key Topics:

• Documentation structure
• Audience awareness
• Code examples
• Maintenance strategies

Usage:

Skill("technical-writing")

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consultancy-practices

Software quality consultancy

Effective consulting practices for quality engineering engagements.

Key Topics:

• Client engagement
• Assessment frameworks
• Recommendation strategies
• Change management

Usage:

Skill("consultancy-practices")

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Phase 2: Expanded QE Skills Library (16 skills)

Testing Methodologies (6 skills)

regression-testing

Strategic regression testing

Test selection, impact analysis, and continuous regression management.

Key Topics:

• Test selection algorithms
• Impact analysis
• Risk-based regression
• Continuous regression

Usage:

Skill("regression-testing")

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shift-left-testing

Move testing earlier in development

TDD, BDD, and design for testability to catch bugs earlier.

Key Topics:

• Unit testing discipline
• TDD/BDD practices
• Testability patterns
• Early quality gates

Usage:

Skill("shift-left-testing")

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shift-right-testing

Testing in production

Feature flags, canary deployments, synthetic monitoring, and chaos engineering.

Key Topics:

• Feature flags
• Canary deployments
• Synthetic monitoring
• Production testing

Usage:

Skill("shift-right-testing")

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test-design-techniques

Advanced test design

Equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, and decision tables.

Key Topics:

• Test design methods
• Combinatorial testing
• Pairwise testing
• Decision tables

Usage:

Skill("test-design-techniques")

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mutation-testing

Test quality validation

Measure test suite effectiveness through mutation testing.

Key Topics:

• Mutation operators
• Kill rate analysis
• Coverage vs quality
• Tool integration

Usage:

Skill("mutation-testing")

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test-data-management

Realistic test data generation

GDPR compliance and data masking strategies.

Key Topics:

• Data generation
• GDPR compliance
• Data masking
• Synthetic data

Usage:

Skill("test-data-management")

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Specialized Testing (9 skills)

accessibility-testing

WCAG 2.2 compliance testing

Screen reader validation and inclusive design verification.

Key Topics:

• WCAG 2.2 criteria
• Screen reader testing
• Keyboard navigation
• Color contrast

Usage:

Skill("accessibility-testing")

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mobile-testing

Comprehensive mobile testing

iOS and Android testing including gestures, sensors, and device fragmentation.

Key Topics:

• Device fragmentation
• Touch gestures
• Sensor testing
• Platform-specific testing

Usage:

Skill("mobile-testing")

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database-testing

Database schema validation

Data integrity testing, migration testing, and query performance.

Key Topics:

• Schema validation
• Data integrity
• Migration testing
• Performance tuning

Usage:

Skill("database-testing")

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contract-testing

Consumer-driven contract testing

Microservices testing using Pact and API versioning.

Key Topics:

• Pact framework
• Contract validation
• Versioning strategies
• Provider verification

Usage:

Skill("contract-testing")

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chaos-engineering-resilience

Chaos engineering principles

Controlled failure injection and resilience testing.

Key Topics:

• Fault injection
• Resilience patterns
• Blast radius
• Recovery testing

Usage:

Skill("chaos-engineering-resilience")

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compatibility-testing

Cross-browser, cross-platform testing

Cross-device compatibility testing ensuring consistent experience.

Key Topics:

• Browser testing
• Platform compatibility
• Responsive design
• Progressive enhancement

Usage:

Skill("compatibility-testing")

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localization-testing

Internationalization (i18n) and localization (l10n)

Testing for global products including translations and locale formats.

Key Topics:

• i18n testing
• Translation validation
• Locale formats
• RTL languages

Usage:

Skill("localization-testing")

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compliance-testing

Regulatory compliance testing

GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, SOC2, and PCI-DSS validation.

Key Topics:

• GDPR compliance
• HIPAA validation
• SOC2 requirements
• PCI-DSS testing

Usage:

Skill("compliance-testing")

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visual-testing-advanced

Advanced visual regression testing

AI-powered screenshot comparison and UI validation.

Key Topics:

• Visual regression
• AI comparison
• Layout validation
• Responsive testing

Usage:

Skill("visual-testing-advanced")

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Testing Infrastructure (2 skills)

test-environment-management

Manage test environments

Infrastructure as code and environment provisioning.

Key Topics:

• IaC patterns
• Environment isolation
• Data management
• Configuration management

Usage:

Skill("test-environment-management")

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test-reporting-analytics

Comprehensive test reporting

Metrics, trends, and actionable insights from test data.

Key Topics:

• Report generation
• Trend analysis
• Metrics dashboards
• Actionable insights

Usage:

Skill("test-reporting-analytics")

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Phase 3: Advanced Quality Engineering Skills (4 skills)

Strategic Testing Methodologies (4 skills)

six-thinking-hats

Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats for comprehensive testing analysis

Apply Six Thinking Hats methodology to software testing for structured exploration from six perspectives: facts (White), risks (Black), benefits (Yellow), creativity (Green), emotions (Red), and process (Blue).

Key Topics:

• Test strategy design
• Test retrospectives
• Failure analysis
• Multi-perspective evaluation

Usage:

Skill("six-thinking-hats")

Use Cases:

• Designing test strategies
• Conducting test retrospectives
• Analyzing test failures
• Evaluating testing approaches
• Facilitating testing discussions

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brutal-honesty-review

Unvarnished technical criticism for code and test quality

Brutally honest technical reviews combining Linus Torvalds' precision, Gordon Ramsay's standards, and James Bach's BS-detection. No sugar-coating, just surgical truth about what's broken and why.

Key Topics:

• Technical precision
• Quality standards
• BS detection
• Certification skepticism

Usage:

Skill("brutal-honesty-review")

Use Cases:

• Code/test reality checks
• Identifying technical debt
• Challenging questionable practices
• Evaluating certifications/training
• Senior-level technical reviews

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sherlock-review

Evidence-based investigative code review using deductive reasoning

Conducts methodical, evidence-based investigation of code, tests, and system behavior using Holmesian deductive reasoning. Investigates what actually happened versus what was claimed, seeing what others miss through systematic observation.

Key Topics:

• Evidence collection
• Deductive reasoning
• Claims verification
• Root cause investigation
• Systematic observation

Usage:

Skill("sherlock-review")

Use Cases:

• Verifying implementation claims
• Investigating bugs and fixes
• Validating performance claims
• Conducting root cause analysis
• Evidence-based code review

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cicd-pipeline-qe-orchestrator

Comprehensive quality orchestration across CI/CD pipeline phases

Intelligently select QE skills and coordinate specialized agents for holistic quality coverage throughout the software delivery lifecycle. Integrates all 41 AQE skills and 19 agents.

Key Topics:

• Pipeline phase analysis
• Skill selection strategies
• Agent orchestration
• Shift-left/shift-right testing
• Quality gates

Usage:

Skill("cicd-pipeline-qe-orchestrator")

Use Cases:

• Designing test strategies for CI/CD
• Planning quality gates per phase
• Implementing shift-left testing
• Implementing shift-right testing
• Holistic pipeline quality coverage
• Microservice pipeline testing
• Monolith pipeline testing
• Mobile app pipeline testing

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Phase 4: Community Contributed Skills (1 skill)

Testability Assessment

testability-scoring

Automated testability assessment using 10 principles of intrinsic testability

Evaluates software testability through automated analysis of 10 intrinsic principles, providing actionable scores (0-100) with letter grades, AI-powered recommendations, and visual HTML reports with Chart.js radar visualizations.

Contributed by @fndlalit - Based on testability-scorer

Key Topics:

• Observability & Controllability assessment
• Algorithmic simplicity & transparency
• Explainability & similarity analysis
• Stability & unbugginess metrics
• Smallness & decomposability evaluation
• HTML reports with radar charts
• AI-powered improvement recommendations

The 10 Principles:

1. Observability (15%) - State transparency and monitoring
2. Controllability (15%) - State manipulation and test data injection
3. Algorithmic Simplicity (10%) - Clear input-output relationships
4. Algorithmic Transparency (10%) - Understandable logic flow
5. Explainability (10%) - Documentation and clarity
6. Similarity (5%) - Standard patterns and familiar architecture
7. Algorithmic Stability (10%) - API versioning and compatibility
8. Unbugginess (10%) - Low defect rate
9. Smallness (10%) - Manageable size and modularity
10. Decomposability (5%) - Component isolation

Usage:

Skill("testability-scoring")

Quick Start:

# Run full assessment (10 principles)
.claude/skills/testability-scoring/scripts/run-assessment.sh https://your-app.com chromium

# Generate HTML report from JSON
AUTO_OPEN=false node .claude/skills/testability-scoring/scripts/generate-html-report.js tests/reports/testability-results-*.json

Use Cases:

• Assessing application testability before test automation
• Identifying testability gaps and improvements
• Generating visual testability reports
• Tracking testability improvements over time
• CI/CD quality gate integration

Scoring Scale:

• A (90-100): Excellent testability
• B (80-89): Good testability
• C (70-79): Acceptable testability
• D (60-69): Below average
• F (0-59): Poor testability

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Using Skills

Via CLI

# List all available skills
aqe skills list

# Search for specific skills
aqe skills search "testing"

# Show skill details
aqe skills show agentic-quality-engineering

# Show skill statistics
aqe skills stats

Via Skill Tool in Claude Code

// Execute a skill
Skill("agentic-quality-engineering")
Skill("tdd-london-chicago")
Skill("api-testing-patterns")

Integration with Agents

All QE agents automatically have access to relevant skills based on their specialization:

• Test generators use: agentic-quality-engineering, api-testing-patterns, tdd-london-chicago
• Coverage analyzers use: agentic-quality-engineering, quality-metrics, risk-based-testing
• Flaky test hunters use: agentic-quality-engineering, exploratory-testing-advanced
• Performance testers use: agentic-quality-engineering, performance-testing, quality-metrics
• Security scanners use: agentic-quality-engineering, security-testing, risk-based-testing

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Related Documentation:

• Agent Reference - All 19 QE agents
• Usage Guide - Complete usage examples

Related Policies:

• Release Verification Policy