Edit

Share via

Get started with MSTest

The recommended way to create an MSTest project is to use the MSTest.Sdk, an MSBuild project SDK that provides a first-class experience for testing with MSTest. It includes all the recommended defaults and simplifies the project configuration.

Create a project with MSTest.Sdk

To create an MSTest project, set the Sdk attribute to MSTest.Sdk along with the MSTest version in your project file:

<Project Sdk="MSTest.Sdk/4.1.0">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Note

4.1.0 is given as an example and can be replaced with any newer version.

To simplify version management across multiple test projects, we recommend specifying the SDK version in a global.json file at the solution level:

<Project Sdk="MSTest.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

{
    "msbuild-sdks": {
        "MSTest.Sdk": "4.1.0"
    }
}

For more information, see Use MSBuild project SDKs.

When you build the project, all needed components are restored and installed using the standard NuGet workflow. You can use the same tooling (for example, dotnet test or Visual Studio) as any other test project.

Tip

By default, MSTest.Sdk uses the MSTest runner with Microsoft.Testing.Platform. For advanced configuration options such as extension profiles, switching to VSTest, or integrating with Aspire and Playwright, see MSTest SDK configuration.

Alternative: Use the MSTest NuGet package

If you prefer not to use MSTest.Sdk, you can use the MSTest NuGet meta-package, which includes:

  • MSTest.TestFramework, MSTest.TestAdapter, and MSTest.Analyzers for core MSTest functionality.
  • Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk for VSTest integration and test host support.
  • Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.CodeCoverage and Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.TrxReport for Microsoft.Testing.Platform (MTP) extensions.

NuGet packages overview

MSTest functionality is split across multiple NuGet packages:

Package Description
MSTest.TestFramework Contains the attributes and classes used to define MSTest tests.
MSTest.TestAdapter Contains the test adapter that discovers and runs MSTest tests.
MSTest.Analyzers Contains analyzers that help you write high-quality tests.

Note

If you're creating a test infrastructure project intended as a helper library for multiple test projects, install MSTest.TestFramework and MSTest.Analyzers directly into that project.

Language-specific tutorials

For detailed step-by-step tutorials in your preferred .NET language:

Sample projects

The MSTest team maintains sample projects in the microsoft/testfx repository demonstrating various features and scenarios:

Sample Description Link
Simple1 Basic MSTest runner setup View on GitHub
DemoMSTestSdk MSTest SDK project setup View on GitHub
BlankUwpNet9App UWP testing with .NET 9 View on GitHub
BlankWinUINet9App WinUI 3 testing with .NET 9 View on GitHub
NativeAotRunner Native AOT compilation View on GitHub
RunInDocker Containerized test execution View on GitHub
  • Last updated on