Gist for http://stackoverflow.com/questions/42244620/beforeclass-and-afterclass-in-testng

ChildClassOne.java

package com.rationaleemotions.stackoverflow;

import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class ChildClassOne extends MyBaseClass {
    public ChildClassOne() {
        super(false);
    }

    @Test
    public void testMethod() {
        System.err.println("Test Method from " + getClass().getName());
    }
}

ChildClassTwo.java

package com.rationaleemotions.stackoverflow;

import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class ChildClassTwo extends MyBaseClass {
    public ChildClassTwo() {
        super(true);
    }

    @Test
    public void testMethod() {
        System.err.println("Test Method from " + getClass().getName());
    }
}

MyBaseClass.java

package com.rationaleemotions.stackoverflow;

import org.testng.annotations.BeforeClass;

public class MyBaseClass {
    protected boolean shouldFail = false;

    public MyBaseClass(boolean shouldFail) {
        this.shouldFail = shouldFail;
    }

    @BeforeClass
    public void beforeClass() {
        if (shouldFail) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("Un-defined state");
        }
        System.err.println("BeforeClass invoked from " + getClass().getName());
    }
}

TestRunner.java

package com.rationaleemotions.stackoverflow;

import org.testng.TestNG;
import org.testng.xml.XmlSuite;

public class TestRunner {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        TestNG tng = new TestNG();
        tng.setVerbose(2);
        tng.setUseDefaultListeners(true);
        tng.setConfigFailurePolicy(XmlSuite.FailurePolicy.CONTINUE);
        tng.setTestClasses(new Class[] {ChildClassOne.class, ChildClassTwo.class});
        tng.run();
    }
}