# Determine the Right Test Duration

# Determine the Right Test Duration

Choose test duration based on the performance question being answered. A short smoke run can validate a script, while a longer run may be needed to observe steady-state behavior, resource growth, or reliability under sustained load.

## Common duration patterns

- Smoke validation: short run to confirm the scenario and data work.
- Baseline run: enough time to reach steady state and capture representative metrics.
- Endurance run: longer execution used to observe stability and resource trends.

## Before interpreting results

1. Exclude ramp-up and ramp-down periods when analyzing steady-state performance.
2. Confirm the run had enough valid samples for the metric being reviewed.
3. Document environment, load model, data, and duration with the result.

**Last updated:** September 18, 2026