Why Is No One Talking About Acceptance Testing?

Why Is No One Talking About User Acceptance Testing?

As someone working in QA and software development, this question recently crossed my mind. There’s so much written about software development tools, productivity tips, and framework reviews.

But not a lot of attention goes toward this specific type of software testing, called User Acceptance Testing, or UAT for short.

What Is User Acceptance Testing?

The last phase of the software testing process. During UAT, actual software users test the software to make sure it can handle the required tasks in real-world scenarios, according to specifications. UAT is one of the final and critical software project procedures that must occur before newly developed software is rolled out to the market.

User acceptance testing (UAT), otherwise known as Beta, Application, or End-User Testing, it is often considered the last phase in the development process, the one before the final installation of the software on the client site, or final distribution of said software.

User Acceptance Testing Requirements

• Business Requirements must be available.
• Application Code should be fully developed.
• Unit Testing, Integration Testing, and System Testing should be completed.
• No Showstoppers, or High or Medium defects in the System Integration Test Phase.
• Only Cosmetic errors are acceptable before UAT.
• Regression Testing should be completed with no major defects.
• All the reported defects should be fixed and tested.
• The traceability matrix for all testing should be completed.
• UAT Environment must be ready.
• Sign off mail or communication from System Testing Team that the system is ready for UAT execution.

How to Get Started With UAT

Normally, UAT consists of four steps.

• But it can vary, based on whether the application is being delivered to a single customer, or whether it’s intended to be off-the-shelf software, available for purchase by anyone.
• First, the criteria under which the software is considered to be “working” needs to be assembled. These are likely to be collated from the system requirements, and user stories.
• Next, a set of UAT test cases must be created. Centric defines a UAT test case as:
• A set of test steps, execution conditions, and expected results developed for a particular objective, such as to exercise a particular program path or to verify compliance with a specific requirement.
• Each case covers a specific usage scenario of the software. It is normally a set of actions that the user can carry out and be able to verify if the software’s worked as intended.
• With these in place, the tests they have to be run and the results recorded. Were the tests successful, or did defects result? Any bugs then need to be corrected and re-tested.
• Finally, assuming that everything is working as expected, an orderly sign-off needs to be completed. This is done more easily with an individual client, where they state that what they’ve received works as expected and meets their criteria

The Best Tool for User Acceptance Testing

When considering User Acceptance Testing, you’re probably wondering, “isn’t there a tool for that?”

There is. In fact, there are a few. An easy-to-use UAT solution helps a lot when it comes to verifying if a certain solution works for the user. When it comes to User Acceptance Testing, it’s less about functional requirements and more about how the user perceives your product and if it works for the user.

By having a simple and easy-to-use feedback widget or any kind of feedback form, users can provide comprehensive feedback on your software. With such tools, UAT teams can easily gather qualitative feedback from users and testers.