Validation

Example usage

A tax calculation module is validated by checking, through examination and objective evidence, that it fulfills the requirements for its specific intended use — for example, that it correctly computes tax for a given set of real-world inputs under the jurisdiction it was built for. The evidence might be the results of acceptance tests, a demonstration to stakeholders, or an analysis report. Validation asks: did we build the right thing?

FAQ

What is the difference between validation and verification? Verification confirms that work products meet their specified requirements — did we build the thing right? Validation confirms that the requirements for a specific intended use or application have been fulfilled — did we build the right thing? Both use objective evidence.

Which one comes first? Verification typically comes first, through reviews and component testing. Validation follows at higher levels, culminating in acceptance testing by the user.

Is validation only done at the end? Acceptance-level validation happens at the end, but validation activities can occur throughout — every check that a product fulfills its intended use is validation.

Is acceptance testing a form of validation? Yes. Acceptance testing provides the objective evidence that the system satisfies the acceptance criteria and the requirements for its intended use.

Related terms

• verification — did we build the thing right?
• acceptance testing — the user-level validation activity
• testing — the overall process validation relies on
• review — a verification technique
• test oracle — the source of expected results used in validation
• traceability — the evidence chain linking requirements to tests

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