Free Testing and Release Calendar Template for Excel
When are we testing, who must approve, and are we ready to release?
A release date is easy to announce. Finishing the tests, fixing the blockers and getting approval takes a little more work. This Excel calendar puts those dates and decisions together so your team can see what needs attention.
Plan test windows, link them to releases and calculate sign-off deadlines backwards from the release date. The workbook flags overdue tests and approvals, and shows whether each release meets its readiness conditions.
Download the Excel calendars See the previews
Download your testing and release calendar
Each workbook includes space for 100 test windows and 50 releases. Choose your year and colour theme. The light and dark versions have the same features.
Sample entries show how the calendar works. Replace them with your project details and update the review date before using the overdue flags.
Preview the light and dark calendars
The monthly view shows the number of test windows, tests ending, sign-offs due and planned releases on each date. Use the Tests and Releases sheets for names, owners and details. Select a preview to enlarge it.
What is in the workbook?
| Worksheet | What it does |
|---|---|
| Calendar | Displays a selected month and year, with daily schedule counts. Summaries show overdue test windows, overdue sign-offs, releases ready to go and overdue releases. |
| Tests | Records test scope, type, owner, planned start and finish, status, actual finish and evidence. Each test window links to a release through its Release ID. |
| Releases | Records the release owner, planned date, approval owner, approval decision, critical defect count and actual release date. Formulas calculate the sign-off deadline, linked tests, tests remaining and readiness. |
| Resources | Links to related Stakeholdermap templates for issues, decisions, approvals, procurement and cutover. |
How to use the calendar
- Set the project and review date. On Calendar, enter the project name, viewing month, viewing year and review date. Enter
=TODAY()if you want the review date to update when Excel recalculates. - Add your releases. Give each release a unique ID. Enter its owner, planned date, sign-off lead days and decision owner. The sign-off deadline calculates automatically.
- Add the test windows. Use one row for each test phase or retest. Copy the relevant Release ID, then enter the scope, owner, dates and status.
- Record results and evidence. When a test window passes, enter its actual finish date and an evidence reference. Use the notes to identify reports, defects or retest details.
- Review release readiness. Update the critical defect count and approval decision. Enter zero explicitly when there are no open critical defects.
- Record the release. After deployment, enter the actual release date and any useful release notes.
Replace sample input cells while keeping the lavender formula columns intact. Sign-off lead times use calendar days, including weekends. Test windows include both their start and finish dates.
What makes a release ready?
The workbook shows Ready when a release has linked test windows, all are Passed or Cancelled, no relevant input errors remain, open critical defects are zero, and approval is Approved.
A release with no linked tests shows No tests linked. Unfinished tests or open critical defects produce Testing incomplete. Once testing is complete, a release without approval shows Awaiting approval. A rejected approval also appears in the Alert column.
Cancelled windows do not count as unfinished testing. Record the reason for cancellation in the notes so the decision is clear to the team.
Entering an actual release date changes readiness to Released. If tests remain unfinished, critical defects remain open, approval is missing or no tests are linked, the alert asks you to review the released item.
Example: a release with unfinished testing
The sample customer portal release is planned for 30 October. A five-day sign-off lead time sets its approval deadline to 25 October.
Integration testing has passed, but user acceptance testing is unfinished and a regression retest is still planned. Two critical defects remain open. The release therefore shows Testing incomplete, even if someone changes approval to Approved.
Once the remaining tests pass or are cancelled, the defect count reaches zero and approval is recorded, readiness changes to Ready. This gives the release meeting a useful starting point: which conditions are still outstanding, and who is responsible for resolving them?
Frequently asked questions
Does changing the release date move the test windows?
No. It recalculates the sign-off deadline. Test dates are entered separately, so review them when you move a release.
Can I use it for UAT, security and performance testing?
Yes. The test type list includes Integration, UAT, Regression, Security, Performance, Smoke and Other. Each row represents a test window or phase, rather than an individual test script.
What does the review date control?
It controls overdue flags. The calendar shows scheduled dates and the latest statuses you have entered. Moving the review date back does not restore earlier test results or approval decisions.
Can I change the viewing year?
Yes. Change the year on Calendar to see another period. This changes the calendar view, but leaves dates in Tests and Releases unchanged.
Does it manage individual defects or send approval requests?
No. Enter the open critical defect count for each release and keep detailed defect records in your issue log or testing tool. Record approval decisions in the workbook; it does not send requests or reminders.
How is this different from the launch and cutover calendar?
This template organises testing and release readiness. The launch and cutover calendar plans the deployment steps, readiness checks and rollback actions around go-live.
