There's a cruel irony in programming: The one thing that's supposed to save you time unit tests often ends up being the thing nobody wants to read, let alone maintain.

And trust me, I've been there.

For the last 4+ years, I've been building automation tools in Python. Scripts that move data around, rename files, scrape APIs, the usual "save-me-from-boring-work" kind of stuff. But here's the thing: when I started writing tests, I made them unreadable. I buried logic inside my tests, over-engineered fixtures, and basically wrote a second codebase that was harder to understand than the actual code.

It was the programming equivalent of writing IKEA instructions in Latin.

The Trap: Tests That Nobody Reads

At first, my tests looked clever:

  • Dynamic data generation
  • Abstracted helper functions
  • Nested assertions

But the problem? They weren't helping.

When bugs showed up (and they always do), I found myself squinting at my own test suite trying to decode what the test was even testing. Debugging my tests became harder than debugging the production code.

Sound familiar?

The "Aha" Moment

Last year, while working on an automation script that processed client reports, I spent two days fixing a failing test. The actual bug? A missing comma in a CSV header.

The test, instead of pointing me to the issue, was a maze of indirection. That was the day I threw out half my test suite and started writing tests that humans not machines could actually read.

Here's what I changed:

# Old way: "clever" but unreadable
def test_parser_handles_various_cases(parser):
    for file_type in ["csv", "json", "excel"]:
        result = parser(file_type)
        assert result is not None
# New way: explicit and obvious
def test_parser_handles_csv():
    result = parser("csv")
    assert result is not None
def test_parser_handles_json():
    result = parser("json")
    assert result is not None

Yes, I repeated myself. Yes, it looks "boring." But now, when something breaks, I know exactly which test failed.

Explicit is better than implicit.

The Rule I Follow Now

I follow a simple framework for writing tests:

  1. Write for humans first. If another dev (or my future sleep-deprived self) can't understand the test in 5 seconds, I rewrite it.
  2. Be boring. Clever tests are fun to write but hell to debug.
  3. Keep the logic out. If your tests look like production code, you've already lost.
  4. Name tests like headlines. test_upload_rejects_large_files tells me everything I need without opening the file.

Think of your tests like documentation that executes.

Why This Works

  • Faster debugging. When a test fails, the name tells me what broke. No mental gymnastics.
  • Onboarding made easy. New developers don't need a PhD in your test framework to understand the suite.
  • Future-proofing. Tests that read like stories survive longer because they're easy to extend.

Programs are meant to be read by humans and only incidentally for computers to execute.

I'd argue tests should follow that rule twice as strictly.

My Procrastination Trick

Here's a confession: sometimes I procrastinate on writing tests. I'll finish the "fun" part (the automation script) and put off testing until later.

But here's the hack I use: I write just one obvious test first, something like:

def test_parser_accepts_valid_csv():
    result = parser("valid.csv")
    assert result == "parsed"

It's quick, painless, and gets me rolling. Once I see it pass, momentum kicks in and I usually end up writing five more without even realizing it.

Pro Tip: If you dread writing tests, lower the barrier. Write the laziest test possible first. Progress beats perfection.

My Advice to You

If you're starting out (or even if you've been at it for years), stop treating tests like an art gallery where every piece needs to be "clever."

Write them like sticky notes for your future self. Repetitive, blunt, and painfully obvious.

Because when 2 AM production bugs hit, you won't thank your past self for writing a "universal test runner." You'll thank them for naming a test test_login_fails_with_wrong_password.

Simple. Clear. Human.

And remember:

The best unit test isn't the smartest one. It's the one you'll actually read.

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