Run JUnit Tests contained in dependency jar using Maven Surefire

(This is just restating what is in a comment above from khmarbaise, but since it wasn't clarified, I think it's worth restating):

Use the test-classes directory instead of the classes folder as outputDirectory:

<plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <id>unpack</id>
            <phase>process-test-classes</phase>
            <goals>
                <goal>unpack</goal>
            </goals>
            <configuration>
                <artifactItems>
                    <artifactItem>
                        <groupId>de.mwx.test</groupId>
                        <artifactId>selenium-test-base</artifactId>
                        <version>0.1</version>
                        <overWrite>true</overWrite>
                          <outputDirectory>
                              ${project.build.directory}/test-classes
                          </outputDirectory>
                    </artifactItem>
                </artifactItems>
            </configuration>
        </execution>
    </executions>
</plugin>

There is a way of running a test in maven from another jar. from maven-surefire-plugin version 2.15 you can tell maven to scan your test jars for tests and run them. You don't need to extract the tests jar. Just add a dependency to your test jar and:

<plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
            <dependenciesToScan>
                <dependency>test.jar.group:test.jar.artifact.id</dependency>
            </dependenciesToScan>
        </configuration>
    </plugin>

Took this stuff from https://gist.github.com/aslakknutsen/4520226 And https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SUREFIRE-569

As expected, this works for JUnit and Testng. Will probably work for anything that surefire can run.

As described in the issue you need to have a Suite which is contains in your project which is NOT located in the test jar.