Built-in markers (skip, skipif, xfail) in PyTest - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the pytest marker @pytest.mark.skip do?

It tells pytest to skip the test unconditionally, so the test will not run at all.

beginner

How does @pytest.mark.skipif(condition) work?

It skips the test only if the given condition is true. If false, the test runs normally.

beginner

What is the purpose of @pytest.mark.xfail?

It marks a test as expected to fail. If the test fails, pytest reports it as an expected failure, not a test failure.

intermediate

When would you use skipif instead of skip?

Use skipif when you want to skip a test only under certain conditions, like missing dependencies or specific OS.

intermediate

What happens if a test marked with xfail passes?

Pytest reports it as an unexpected pass, which means the test was expected to fail but did not.

What does @pytest.mark.skip do?

A Runs the test only if a condition is true

B Marks the test as expected to fail

C Skips the test unconditionally

D Runs the test twice

skip skips the test no matter what.

When does @pytest.mark.skipif(condition) skip a test?

A Only if the condition is true

B Never

C Only if the condition is false

D Always

skipif skips only when the condition is true.

What does @pytest.mark.xfail indicate?

A Test should be skipped

B Test is expected to fail

C Test must pass twice

D Test is flaky

xfail marks tests expected to fail.

If a test marked with xfail passes, pytest reports it as:

A Skipped

B Fail

C Pass

D Unexpected pass

Passing an xfail test is an unexpected pass.

Which marker would you use to skip a test only on Windows OS?

A @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == 'win32')

B @pytest.mark.xfail

C @pytest.mark.skip

D @pytest.mark.run

skipif with a condition checks the OS and skips accordingly.

Explain the differences between skip, skipif, and xfail markers in pytest.

Think about when and why you would skip or expect failure.

Describe a real-life scenario where you would use @pytest.mark.skipif.

Consider tests that depend on external conditions.