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Gherkin – ISTQB Definition
Last Updated: July 12, 2026 · SoftwareTestPilot QA Team
Official ISTQB Definition
The plain-text, structured language used by Cucumber and other BDD tools to describe scenarios in Given-When-Then form.
In simple words
The Given-When-Then syntax file format that Cucumber-family tools execute as tests.
Exam tip
Gherkin files use the .feature extension and are versioned alongside code.
Related terms
- Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)BDD writes tests as plain-English scenarios so business, devs and QA agree on what the feature should do before code is written.
- Given-When-ThenThe BDD scenario template: Given (context), When (action), Then (expected result).
- Keyword-Driven TestingWrite tests as spreadsheets of keywords ('login', 'add to cart') instead of code — non-coders can maintain them.
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