The Main Goal of Acceptance Testing

by Asha Jane Brown | October 5, 2011 10:00 am

Note: this article was updated in December 2019.

Have you already conducted all system tests? Are all the bugs found and fixed? Looks like you have done with testing, there is no more work to do, and the product is ready for launch. But do not hurry up, probably it is the time for acceptance testing!

Acceptance testing is the last stage of the Software Testing Process. It is conducted to check if the product meets all declared requirements. If it does, then here it is – market release.
Today we have decided to look at the acceptance testing more deeply to understand its main goals and stages.

Acceptance Testing: Types and Definitions

Acceptance testing is a testing type[1] conducted to determine if the system is ready for subsequent operation. Testing is conducted basing on test scenarios that cover all main product functions.
As a rule, acceptance testing is conducted by end-users of the product, however, the involvement of experienced testers reduces the time for testing and improves the reliability of the tests.
There are several types of acceptance testing, each pursuing slightly different aims.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

The aim of User Acceptance Testing (UAT testing), is to receive feedback[2] on the software from real customers. Thus, as a rule, UAT is conducted by people selected from the target audience. These conditions are the closest real-world usage of the product.

Business Acceptance Testing (BAT)

The aim of Business Acceptance Testing is primarily to estimate the business requirements of a company. It is directly related to the company’s mission and objectives.

Contract Acceptance Testing (CAT)

Contract acceptance testing is conducted to ensure that the requirements indicated in the contract are met for the software being developed. Acceptance criteria should be specified directly in the contract. Typically, such testing is used to make sure that a third-party development team has fulfilled its contractual obligations.

Regulations/Compliance Acceptance Testing (RAT)

Compliance Acceptance Testing allows you to make sure that the product complies with all laws and regulations of its industry and jurisdiction. Such testing should be carried out in the areas of health and finance, and moreover, with the introduction of GDPR, all European companies should focus on RAT.

Operational Acceptance Testing

The main aim of operational acceptance testing is to test the product with real-world settings and operation environment. Operational readiness is assessed based on the system’s performance, stability, recoverability, maintainability, and other important aspects.

Alpha Testing & Beta Testing

Alpha testing is performed by the organization developing the product, but not by the development team. Beta testing, or field testing, is performed by customers or potential customers at their own facilities. Both testings aim to receive feedback from potential or existing customers before selling a product.

Why and When to Conduct Acceptance Tests?

The goal of acceptance testing differs according to its type. In most cases, acceptance testing is conducted to ensure that the product meets all functional requirements. The main task of this testing stage is to verify that the client/customer receives a product that has all the required functional properties. Still, some types of acceptance testing also help to find bugs related to user-friendliness and simplicity of the product interface. To conclude, the main purpose of acceptance testing is to get confidence in the product before its market launch.
Mostly, acceptance testing is done after the system one, as the last stage of testing. However, a good decision is to conduct acceptance tests shortly after completion of development, so that you can quickly return to the previous stage if something does not meet the criteria. It makes sense to do this immediately after a unit or integration testing. This way you can make the necessary serious changes at an early stage before going on with the testing process.

Conclusion

If you want to make sure that your product meets all business criteria and user requirements, complies with regulation and laws, and is completely ready for the market, do not neglect acceptance testing. QATestLab team, in our turn, is always ready to help you with all types of acceptance testing, keep your confidence in the product and mitigate numerous business risks.

Related Posts:

• Main Types of Software Testing or Testers-Cats[3]
• Acceptance Criteria vs Acceptance Test[4]
• How to Build Acceptance Tests?[5]

Source URL: https://blog.qatestlab.com/2011/10/05/the-main-goal-of-acceptance-testing/

---