How do I grant permissions to manage test plans in Azure dev-ops

Question

Problem: I do not have sufficient rights to create a test plan. I do have permission to create PBIs, and even test cases (for example by creating a link to a new item).

• For projects with an existing test plan, I cannot add test cases. The + button is simply not there.
• For projects without a test plan defined, I get a landing page with flashy images and a link to the test manager extension, which is completely useless, since it's not compatible with the current version of Azure dev-ops.

How do I get access?

(The same or a similar question has been asked before here, and here, and here too, and yet again, but microsoft insists on changing the procedure whenever there's a new stackoverflow answer.)

Answer 1

It sounds like you have a Basic subscription, which does not give permission to use test plans. This permission is included in the following subscriptions

• Visual Studio Enterprise
• Visual Studio Test Professional
• Test Manager (which as you write is deprecated)

Instead you need Basic + Test plans nowadays, which can be accessed from azure-devops. Though it is the cheaper option, it's still very expensive, 52 euro per user per month in Europe.

Practical tip: if there is another member with a VS Enterprise subscription, this person would be able to create a test plan and assign all tests to it (5 mins job), while any Basic user can create / run the test cases themselves.

If you want the Basic + Test plans license anyway, go to Organization settings -> Billing -> Basic + Test plans -> Start free trial, to get licenses. Assign the ordered licenses in Organization settings -> Users.

Now let's hope Microsoft doesn't change the flow next week...

Sources

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/test/manual-test-permissions?view=azure-devops#feedback
• https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/devops/azure-devops-services/