Acceptance Testing
Acceptance Testing is a type of software testing performed to determine whether a system satisfies the business requirements and is ready for delivery to the end user. It is typically the final level of testing before a product goes live.
Purpose of Acceptance Testing:
To ensure the software works as intended for the end user or client in a real-world scenario.
Key Characteristics:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Goal | Verify system meets business needs |
| Performed by | End users, customers, or QA team on their behalf |
| Test Basis | Requirements and business processes |
| Environment | Production-like or staging environment |
| Outcome | Pass/fail decision for release approval |
Types of Acceptance Testing:
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- Conducted by the end users.
- Focuses on real-world business scenarios.
- Business Acceptance Testing (BAT)
- Ensures business goals are met.
- Contract Acceptance Testing
- Validates that contractual requirements are met.
- Regulation Acceptance Testing
- Checks compliance with laws and regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
- Alpha Testing
- Done in-house by internal staff.
- Beta Testing
- Done by a limited set of actual users before full release.
Common Acceptance Testing Activities:
- Preparing test plans and acceptance criteria.
- Creating user-focused test cases.
- Running test scenarios using real-world use cases.
- Logging and tracking defects.
- Obtaining user feedback.
Example Scenario:
Suppose you’re building an online bookstore. In acceptance testing, a user might:
- Search for a book.
- Add it to the cart.
- Checkout using a credit card.
- Receive a confirmation email.