---
title: TestNG’s prioritization
description: "**TestNG’s prioritization** TestNG’s **prioritization** feature gives you fine-grained control over the order in which your @Test methods run. By assigning a numeric priority to each test, you can ensure that setup or core‐scenario tests fire before dependent or cleanup tests—even…"
url: "https://vinothqaacademy.com/docs/testngs-prioritization/"
updated: "2025-09-13"
category: TestNG Framework
tags:
  - Testng Framework
---

# TestNG’s prioritization

**TestNG’s prioritization**

TestNG’s **prioritization** feature gives you fine-grained control over the order in which your @Test methods run. By assigning a numeric priority to each test, you can ensure that setup or core‐scenario tests fire before dependent or cleanup tests—even if they’re declared in a different order in code.

**1. What Is Prioritization in TestNG?**

Prioritization is the mechanism by which TestNG orders test method execution based on an integer value you supply via the priority attribute on @Test. Lower values run first; higher values run later.

```javascript

                @Test(priority = 0)   // runs earliest

@Test(priority = 5)   // runs after any priority <5

@Test               // no priority ⇒ defaults to 0
```

**2. How to Give Priority in TestNG Tests**

Simply add priority = <int> to your @Test annotation:

```javascript

                import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class PriorityExample {

  @Test(priority = 1)
  public void initialize() {

    System.out.println("1- initialize");

  }

  @Test(priority = 3)
  public void cleanup() {

    System.out.println("3- cleanup");

  }

  @Test // defaults to priority = 0
  public void defaultPriority() {

    System.out.println("0- defaultPriority");

  }

  @Test(priority = 2)
  public void coreLogic() {

    System.out.println("2- coreLogic");

  }

}
```

**Execution order**:

```javascript

                defaultPriority → initialize → coreLogic → cleanup
```

**3. Running Prioritized Tests in TestNG with Selenium**

In a Selenium test class you might want to open the browser, navigate, verify, then close—each as a separate test:

```javascript

                import org.testng.annotations.*;

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class SeleniumPriorityTest {

  private WebDriver driver;

  @BeforeClass
  public void setUp() {

    System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "/path/to/chromedriver");

    driver = new ChromeDriver();

  }

  @Test(priority = 0)
  public void openHomePage() {

    driver.get("https://example.com");

    System.out.println("Opened home page");

  }

  @Test(priority = 1)
  public void verifyTitle() {

    String title = driver.getTitle();

    assert title.contains("Example") : "Title mismatch";

    System.out.println("Verified title");

  }

  @Test(priority = 2)
  public void takeScreenshot() {

    // pseudo-code: ScreenshotUtil.capture(driver, "afterVerify");

    System.out.println("Captured screenshot");

  }

  @Test(priority = 3)
  public void closeBrowser() {

    driver.quit();

    System.out.println("Browser closed");

  }

}
```

Run via your usual Eclipse/IntelliJ run or testng.xml; TestNG will respect these priorities.

**4. Same-Priority Tests in TestNG**

If two or more methods share the **same** priority value (including the default 0), TestNG orders them **alphabetically** by method name:

```javascript

                @Test(priority = 1)
public void betaTest() { … }

@Test(priority = 1)
public void alphaTest() { … }
```

**Execution**:

alphaTest → betaTest

**5. Analyzing Test Sequence with Test Priority in Selenium**

To ensure your Selenium suite executes in the exact order you need:

1. **Map out your scenario** into discrete steps.

2. **Assign priorities** in ascending order of execution.

3. **Verify** by adding System.out.println or logging in each method.

Example run log:

0) defaultPriorityTest

1) openBrowser

2) navigateToHomePage

3) verifyTitle

4) logoutOrCleanup

If the sequence deviates, check for missing or duplicate priority values, or name collisions.

**6. How to Skip a Test Case in TestNG**

A. Using enabled=false

Quickly disable any test without removing it:

```javascript

                @Test(enabled = false)
public void flakyTest() {

  // won’t run or appear in reports

}
```

B. Using Groups/Exclusions in XML

In testng.xml:

```xml

                <test name="MyTests">

  <groups>

    <run>

      <exclude name="slow"/>

    </run>

  </groups>

  <classes>

    <class name="com.example.tests.PriorityExample"/>

  </classes>

</test>

And mark tests with @Test(groups="slow").
```

**7. Putting it all Together**

By combining **prioritization** with **grouping**, **dependencies**, and **conditional skipping**, you can fully orchestrate complex Selenium suites that run exactly in the order—and only under the conditions—you specify.