Acceptance Test
An Acceptance Test is a software system test designed to determine if a system fulfills the specified system requirements
- Context:
- It can range from being a Formal Acceptance Test to being a User Acceptance Test.
- It can be an input to an Integration Test Task.
- It can be performed by end-users, client representatives, or a dedicated testing team to simulate real-world usage scenarios.
- It can involve various testing methods such as Black-Box Testing and Automated Testing to assess different aspects of system functionality and performance.
- It can also be mandated by regulatory standards, requiring Regulatory Acceptance Testing to ensure compliance.
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- Example(s):
- An acceptance test conducted by a hospital IT department to verify a new patient management system meets all functional and security specifications before going live.
- A software company conducting a series of beta tests to gather user feedback on a new project management tool before its official release.
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- Counter-Example(s):
- a Unit Test, which is more granular and focuses on individual components rather than entire systems.
- a Chemical Test, which is unrelated and pertains to the composition and properties of chemical substances.
- a Physical Test, which generally refers to the testing of physical properties of materials and not software.
- See: Software Testing, Smoke Testing (Software), System Requirement, Performance Test (Assessment), Systems Engineering, Black-Box Testing, Software System, User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
References
2024
- Perplexity
- An acceptance test is a type of software testing performed to evaluate whether a system meets the specified requirements and satisfies the intended use case from the end-user's perspective. It is typically the final testing phase before the software is released or deployed to production.[1][2][3][4]
The main objectives of acceptance testing are:
- To verify that the developed system meets all functional and non-functional requirements agreed upon by the stakeholders and end-users.[1][2][3] - To validate that the system is user-friendly, reliable, secure, and performs as expected in real-world scenarios.[2][3][4] - To gain confidence from end-users or clients that the software is ready for operational use and meets their business needs.[1][4][5]
Acceptance testing is usually conducted by the end-users, client representatives, or a dedicated testing team simulating real-world usage scenarios.[1][2][3][4] It helps ensure that the software aligns with the user's expectations and requirements before final acceptance and deployment.[5]
- Types of Acceptance Testing
The common types of acceptance testing include:
- **User Acceptance Testing (UAT)**: Performed by end-users or client representatives to validate if the system meets their business requirements and expectations.[2][3][4] - **Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT)**: Focuses on validating the operational aspects of the software, such as backup, recovery, monitoring, and maintenance processes.[2][4] - **Contract Acceptance Testing (CAT)**: Ensures the software development meets the contractual requirements and specifications outlined in the project contract.[2][4] - **Regulatory Acceptance Testing (RAT)**: Verifies that the software complies with relevant industry-specific regulations, standards, or legal requirements.[2][4] - **Alpha and Beta Testing**: Conducted by internal teams (alpha) and a limited set of external users (beta) to identify issues before a broader release.[2]
Citations: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptance_testing [2] https://testsigma.com/guides/acceptance-testing/ [3] https://autify.com/blog/what-is-acceptance-testing/ [4] https://www.browserstack.com/guide/acceptance-testing [5] https://airfocus.com/glossary/what-is-an-acceptance-test/
2016
- (Wikipedia, 2016) ⇒ http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptance_testing Retrieved:2016-2-22.
- In engineering and its various subdisciplines, acceptance testing is a test conducted to determine if the requirements of a specification or contract are met. It may involve chemical tests, physical tests, or performance tests.
In systems engineering it may involve black-box testing performed on a system (for example: a piece of software, lots of manufactured mechanical parts, or batches of chemical products) prior to its delivery. In software testing the ISTQB defines acceptance as: formal testing with respect to user needs, requirements, and business processes conducted to determine whether a system satisfies the acceptance criteria and to enable the user, customers or other authorized entity to determine whether or not to accept the system. Acceptance testing is also known as user acceptance testing (UAT), end-user testing, operational acceptance testing (OAT) or field (acceptance) testing.
A smoke test may be used as an acceptance test prior to introducing a build of software to the main testing process.
- In engineering and its various subdisciplines, acceptance testing is a test conducted to determine if the requirements of a specification or contract are met. It may involve chemical tests, physical tests, or performance tests.