Various embodiments include at least one or systems, methods, and software providing abilities to automatically generate a test plan that mitigates risk involved in testing less than an entirety of a software system following modification. Some embodiments operate to allow a user to influence the scope of an optimized test plan while also reducing a number of tests and test execution effort involved. Such embodiments may identify portions of the software system to test and portions of the software system that will not be tested in a manner that reduces a total testing effort involved. Reductions in testing effort are performed in generation of the test plan in view of testing preferences which are utilized not only to reduce the total effort in executing a test plan, but also does so to optimize the test plan.