Acceptance Testing is a formal testing process conducted to determine whether a system satisfies the acceptance criteria, user needs, requirements, and business processes, enabling stakeholders to decide whether to accept the system. It is the final check in software development before release, ensuring the product meets business goals and user expectations. Key aspects include:
Types of Acceptance Testing:
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT): End-users verify the software meets their needs in real-world scenarios.
- Business Acceptance Testing (BAT): Checks alignment with business goals and workflows.
- Contract Acceptance Testing (CAT): Ensures all contractual requirements are fulfilled.
- Regulation Acceptance Testing (RAT): Verifies compliance with industry regulations.
- Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT): Confirms system readiness and infrastructure reliability (e.g., backup, disaster recovery, maintenance).
- Alpha Testing: Internal testing by developers to catch early bugs before external release.
- Beta Testing: Real-world testing by external users to gather feedback before general release.
Process: Acceptance testing typically involves requirement analysis, test plan creation, test case design, execution, and confirmation of objectives. It requires predefined test procedures, data, and comparison of actual vs. expected results.
Acceptance Criteria: These are a set of conditions that must be met before deliverables are accepted, often detailed and derived from user stories or requirements.
Importance: Acceptance testing validates user and business needs, reduces post-launch risks, acts as a final verification before deployment, and identifies requirement gaps. It ensures user satisfaction, mitigates risks, assures quality, ensures compliance, and builds stakeholder confidence.
