What is Acceptance Testing & Its Methodologies
Acceptance testing is the final phase of testing in software development, where the software is tested to ensure that it meets the requirements and specifications agreed upon by the stakeholders.
There are several methodologies used in acceptance testing, and some of them are:
User Acceptance Testing (UAT):
This type of testing is performed by the end-users or clients of the software. The focus is to validate the software against real-world scenarios and ensure that it meets the requirements of the users.
Alpha Testing:
This is a type of testing where the software is tested by a group of testers who are not a part of the development team.
The focus is to identify bugs and usability issues before the software is released to the public.
Beta Testing:
This is a type of testing where the software is released to a group of end-users for testing before the final release.
The focus is to identify any last-minute bugs or issues before the software is released to the public.
Acceptance Testing Procedure
The acceptance testing procedure typically involves the following steps:
- Define acceptance criteria: The first step is to define the acceptance criteria that the system must meet in order to be accepted. These criteria should be based on the requirements that were defined during the planning phase of the project (as part of Entry and Exit Criteria).
- Develop acceptance test plan: Based on the acceptance criteria, a test plan should be developed that outlines the testing process, including the testing tools and techniques that will be used.
- Prepare test environment: The testing environment should be set up to match the production environment as closely as possible. This includes setting up the necessary hardware, software, and network infrastructure.
- Execute test cases: The acceptance test cases should be executed according to the test plan. The results of each test case should be documented, including any defects or issues that are found.
- Report defects: Any defects or issues that are found during the acceptance testing process should be documented and reported to the development team.
- Retest defects: Once the defects have been fixed by the development team, the acceptance testing process should be repeated to verify that the fixes are effective.
- Sign off: Once all acceptance criteria have been met and any defects have been fixed, the system should be signed off as ready for release.
Characteristics or Attributes of Acceptance Testing
The attributes of acceptance testing are :
- UAT is User-centric which is focuses on the requirements and expectations of the end-users or clients.
- UAT is Black-box testing which means that the tester does not have access to the internal workings of the software.
- UAT is Validation-focused which means that it is performed to validate that the software meets the specified requirements.
- UAT is Business-driven which means that it focuses on the business requirements and objectives that the software is intended to address.
Acceptance Testing Entry and Exit Criteria’s
Acceptance Testing Entry and exit criteria are used to ensure that the acceptance testing is performed under the right conditions and that the results are reliable.
Here are some examples of entry and exit criteria for acceptance testing:
Entry Criteria:
- The software must have completed all previous stages of testing, including unit testing, integration testing, and system testing.
- All major defects found in previous stages of testing must have been fixed and retested.
- The software must have been fully deployed in a test environment that closely resembles the production environment.
- All necessary test data must be available for testing.
- Acceptance criteria must be clearly defined and agreed upon by all stakeholders
Exit Criteria:
- All acceptance criteria have been met, and the software functions as expected.
- All high-priority defects have been fixed and retested.
- All test cases have been executed and passed.
- The software has been signed off by the end-users or clients as meeting the acceptance criteria.
- All test artifacts have been archived for future reference.
Acceptance Testing Advantages and Disadvantages
Acceptance testing has several advantages and disadvantages, which are outlined below:
Acceptance Testing Advantages:
- Helps ensure that the software meets user requirements:
Acceptance testing is performed by end-users or clients to ensure that the software meets their requirements and is ready for deployment.
- Improves software quality
Acceptance testing helps identify and fix defects in the software, which improves its quality and reliability.
- Helps reduce development costs
Identifying defects early in the development cycle can help reduce development costs by avoiding the need for costly rework.
- Provides feedback for future improvements
Acceptance testing provides valuable feedback that can be used to improve future versions of the software.
- Helps build trust with customers:
Acceptance testing helps build trust with customers by demonstrating that the software meets their requirements and expectations.
Acceptance Testing Disadvantages:
- Time-consuming:
If Acceptance testing involves large users or complex scenarios
- Expensive Staffing
Hiring end-users or clients to perform acceptance testing can be expensive, especially if they are located in different parts of the world.
- May not cover all test scenarios
Acceptance testing may not cover all possible scenarios, which could result in defects being missed.
- May not be objective
End-users or clients may have biases that could influence their testing, which could lead to inaccurate results.
- May delay deployment
If defects are found during acceptance testing, they may need to be fixed before the software can be deployed, which could cause delays.