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What the Testing Wheel is—and what it is not
Knott describes the wheel as a set of categories for discussing a tester’s areas of interest and possible growth. A team member and leader consider the person’s current work, rate skills independently, then compare their views and use differences to guide a conversation. The categories and number of sections can be adapted for a company, team, or project.
Knott’s categories are suggested prompts, not an empirically validated universal competency model. The wheel can help surface perceived strengths, missing skills, or potential development areas; it does not establish objective performance scores or prove that a person is effective or ineffective.
Which “Testing Wheel” do you need?
| Framework | Main purpose | Organizing dimensions | Useful output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Knott’s Testing Wheel | Tester skill development and coaching | Eight areas of testing, teamwork, and personal growth | A paired discussion about perceived strengths and growth areas |
| Abstracta’s Software Testing Wheel | Relate software quality factors and attributes to test types | Quality factors, attributes, and associated tests | A view of quality concerns and relevant testing approaches |
These frameworks address different questions, not competing versions of the same tool. Use Knott’s wheel to support a conversation about a tester’s development. Use Abstracta’s wheel when the task is to connect product-quality concerns with testing approaches.
Knott’s eight suggested categories
Use the labels below as written in Knott’s article. Explain each one in the context of the person’s actual work; a category name on its own may mean different things to different teams.
- Understand the Project need
- Testing Essentials
- Test Automation
- Get it Done
- Listen & Learn
- Testing Team
- Personal Growth
- Agile
Knott says teams can adjust the categories and the number of sections to suit their setting. Treat the list as a starting point, not a required checklist or a standard against which all testers should be judged.
How to use the wheel for a development conversation
- Set the purpose. Explain that the wheel is for coaching and development, not employee performance testing. Make clear that the ratings are discussion prompts rather than validated measurements.
- Translate the categories into the current context. Take time to explain each category and map it to the person’s project and responsibilities. Agree what each label means before rating it.
- Rate independently. Have the team member and team leader each assess the team member’s current skills on a 0–7 scale. Complete the ratings separately before comparing them, so one person’s first impression does not shape the other’s.
- Bring the assessments together. Put both views into one diagram, using the same categories and scale so differences are visible.
- Discuss gaps as questions, not verdicts. Ask what experiences or expectations led to each rating. A difference is a reason to learn more about how the two people see the work, not evidence that one score is objectively right.
- Agree on a next step. Turn a useful discussion into a practical development action, such as a skill to practise or an opportunity to gain relevant experience. Revisit the conversation when it makes sense for the team; the sources do not prescribe a fixed review schedule.
Knott’s article describes a downloadable PDF template. It is a convenience, not a purchase requirement: the framework can be applied with a diagram that captures the categories, scale, and two independent assessments.
Use the ratings responsibly
The conference materials describe the wheel as a way to bring possible problems or missing skills to the surface and support a leader in guiding and coaching a team member. They explicitly caution against using it for performance testing. That boundary matters: a 0–7 rating is a person’s view of a skill in a particular context, not a standardized test result.
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- Do not use a rating by itself to make hiring, promotion, compensation, or disciplinary decisions.
- Do not treat a low rating as proof of poor performance or a high rating as proof of proficiency.
- Invite the team member’s explanation and consider project opportunities, role expectations, and differing interpretations of a category.
- Adapt or remove categories that do not fit the work, rather than penalizing someone for an irrelevant dimension.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Using it as a test-plan template
The wheel does not specify product risks, test cases, environments, or release criteria. For those tasks, use a test-planning approach suited to product coverage; do not mistake a tester-development conversation for a coverage plan.
Scoring before agreeing on meanings
If the team member and leader interpret a category differently, their scores may not be comparable. First explain and map the category to the current project, then rate independently.
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Letting the manager’s score become the answer
The purpose of independent ratings is to reveal perspectives worth discussing. Preserve both views and ask what informs them instead of replacing one with the other.
Turning the wheel into a universal standard
Knott presents adaptable categories, not a validated universal taxonomy. Tailor the sections to the team’s work and avoid treating the wheel as a complete definition of testing competence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Testing Wheel a test plan?
No. Knott’s wheel is for discussing tester skills and development; it does not plan product test coverage.
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No. They are individual assessments used to start a coaching discussion, not validated measurements.
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