Verification Test

A Verification Test (V-test) is an executable check paired with a requirement or deliverable that returns pass or fail, distinguishing verified completion from declared completion.

• AKA: V-Test.
• Context:
  • It can gate stage boundaries: work is complete when its test passes, not when its author asserts completion.
  • It can be paired one-to-one with a requirement identifier in a specification, giving each contract clause an executable falsifier.
  • It can be distinguished from a general Software Test by its governance role: it verifies that a claimed deliverable exists and behaves as claimed, rather than exploring behavior generally.
  • It can counter completion-declaration bias in both human and agent workflows.
• Example(s):
  • A release gate requires each advertised capability to pass its verification test — an executable command whose output confirms the artifact exists and behaves as claimed — before the release tag is created.
  • An Acceptance Test tied to a contract clause in a formal requirements document.
• Counter-Example(s):
  • An exploratory Unit Test suite — verifies code behavior, not deliverable-against-claim.
  • A manual review checklist without an executable check — declaration, not verification.
• See: Software Test, Acceptance Test, Software Specification, Requirement, Quality Gate, Test-Driven Development.

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References

• Published from the AGET framework; machine-readable concept: w3id.org/aget/vocab#Verification_Test