Definition of Done must include Testing ?

Is the increment potentially reléase releasable without testing?

* poteltially releasable 

* Potentially!! (sorry, my smartphone`s auto correct)

I like answer it depends :)

First of all lets back to the roots about DoD.

In short DoD, is shared understanding within the Scrum Team on what it takes to make your Product increment releasable.

Do you need test your product to be releasable and meet DoD of ST/organization standards? 

Does definition of Done must include testing ? It is recommended though, but I dont think it as must as it may vary with the context of dev team and organization. Thoughts ?

Why would the need to assure the immediate usability of each increment vary by context? Can you provide an example where the quality assurance that testing provides wouldn't matter?

If your organization/team is confident in leaving out testing, then none of us can say it is wrong.  The Definition of Done is the team's agreement and communication to outside the team.  So they can decide what they want to agree to and communicate.

With that being said, I have never seen a Definition of Done for a software product that didn't include some statements related to the work completed to validate and ensure quality.  Testing is usually mentioned in some way but I have also seen "All acceptance criteria is met" when teams utilize User Stories with Acceptance Criteria defined.  While not explicit to testing, in order to determine if the criteria is met, the has to be some way of validating that and that usually involves some type of testing. 

A side benefit of a Definition of Done is that it helps the team instill a level of trust that they are doing good work.  I would have a hard time trusting the work a team does if they didn't do some level of validations.  

I think "test" is necessary to ensure quality. But if a feature does not need to be tested and the team guarantees this, the Definition of Done can be considered without testing.

If testing is not part of the workflow to get to Done, why is time and money being spent on it?

However ...

Sometimes is always. Make it part of your workflow, and if it's not done, document that fact in the same way you would do or document testing.

In an exam context, a question such as the following:

Should the Definition of Done include testing?

A. No, it is not mandatory.

B. Yes, it is mandatory.

I agree that adding testing to the DoD makes a lot of sense, but would like to know if it is mandatory.

Thanks

In an exam context, a question such as the following:

Should the Definition of Done include testing?

A. No, it is not mandatory.

B. Yes, it is mandatory.

I agree that adding testing to the DoD makes a lot of sense, but would like to know if it is mandatory.

Where did that question come from? Eschewing testing may not be an option, but that doesn't mean it's mandatory in Scrum either.

If you look at the Scrum Guide's section that describes the Increment, it provides context for the Definition of Done as the commitment for the Increment. I do not see anywhere that any activity is said to be mandatory.  So to answer your question, no it is not mandatory. 

What product are you making? What would the tests be?
Not all products are software.

Suppose this week someone worked on a logo for a new candy bar. How would you test the logo?

Possibly with a user focus group?  Or by asking the stakeholder that asked for the new logo to validate that it meets the criteria that was provided? 

There are a large number of testing methods. Anything "made" can be tested in some way or another.

While testing is not explicitly mandated in the Definition of Done (DoD), it is generally considered an essential step for ensuring software quality and meeting the acceptance criteria. Testing can be accomplished through various methods, including automated and manual testing, and it should address both functional and non-functional requirements. However, the specific level and extent of testing may vary depending on the context of the development team and organization.

Regarding new candy bar logo example. Perhaps testing could include validation for things like...

• Compliant with accessibility standards
• Compliant with corporate branding guide
• Compliant with style guide
• Graphics and trademark check performed
• Copy edit reviewed
• Old content digital assets and files replaced

Borrowed from DoD learning path examples: https://www.scrum.org/learning-series/definition-done/characteristics-of-the-definition-of-done/characteristics-of-a-good-dod

Back to the "exam" question. My guess is that this is a third party question. Apply caution leveraging this if you are preparing for Scrum.org assessments. "Should" DoD include testing? Maybe. Is it mandatory as per Scrum Guide? No. 

The "Definition of Done" serves as a kind of checklist that can be used to determine when a task or project is truly completed. The requirement that testing be included in the "Definition of Done" means that, in order to declare something completed, it must first be verified through testing, which is the process of putting a creation to the test to see if it performs as intended.