User Acceptance Testing: What It Is, and How to Do It


Whenever software is released, it undergoes various types of software tests. The software testing process starts with the smoke test, unit test, integration test, system test, and end with the user acceptance test (UAT). User acceptance testing is a verification activity that helps to gain approval from the client/end-user regarding the release of the software. 

What is user acceptance testing?

User  acceptance  testing is a software testing method that is conducted at the last stage of the software testing process. It is a kind of verification activity in which the product is tested by the end-user/client to ensure that the product meets all business requirements and is as per the specification mentioned in the SRS and FDD document.

Why is user acceptance testing required?

Below mentioned are some of the reasons why user acceptance test/end-user validation is needed:

·         User acceptance test helps to validate whether business requirements have been fulfilled or not as stated in the user stories

·         User acceptance test helps to identify bugs that left unnoticed during the integration test

·         Reduces the risk of finding defects post-production

·         User acceptance test ensures the developed application functions well and meets the defined business conditions as defined in the requirements document

·         Helps to identify the behavior of the developed application as visualized by the product owner or the end-user who uses the software

·         Helps to seek approval from end-user/client/product owner regarding the release of the product

How to do a user acceptance test?

The user acceptance test process contains the following phases:

·         Planning phase: Every testing method starts with a planning process. Therefore to start with the UAT first plan the test. Your planning should include concept planning, team planning, test duration planning, communication strategy planning, and a UAT checklist. 

·         Execution phase: Now comes the main part, i.e. execution of the test. The test is done by the end-user/client/product owner. It can either be done at the client’s location, or in a test lab or if the client is globally situated at different geography, it is conducted via video call.

·         Documentation phase: Documentation and execution of tests should happen in parallel. The report should clearly state the bug identified, resolved and feedback received from clients.

·         Evaluation phase: In this step, you need to evaluate actual goals with the pre-defined goals to ensure whether the predefined objectives have been met or not.

·         Reporting phase: In this step, the teams report their learning and give feedback, so that the learning can be further implemented in the next project. This helps in learning and also helps in building relations with testers.

Conclusion: UAT is an integral part of the software testing process that helps to determine the quality, reliability, and most importantly readiness of the software from the client or end-user perspective. Leverage User acceptance test from a next-gen QA and software testing services provider to achieve quality and reliable software.

About the author: I am a technical content writer and I write articles on various IT related topics. In this article, I have tried to share my views on what is user acceptance testing and how it is done.

 

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