An essential step in the development of any program is acceptance testing. It assists in guaranteeing that the software system satisfies the specifications provided by the customer or end users. Even though acceptance testing seems simple, it takes careful preparation and execution to carry it successfully. We’ll go over five strategies in this post to help you perform acceptance testing like a pro.
1. Define Clear Acceptance Criteria
Determining the acceptance criteria precisely is the first and most crucial stage. The needs that the stakeholders have identified should be the direct source of these criteria. Ensure that the requirements are clear, measurable, and objective. A few instances of clearly specified acceptance criteria include
- After users click “Login,” the login page should allow them to input a valid username and password and get into their account in three seconds.
- 95% of consumers must finish the online purchase checkout procedure in 5 minutes or less.
- Product keyword search results must provide at least ten relevant results for every frequent search phrase on the first page.
It will be easier to make sure there is no confusion about what has to be tested and what passes or fails if there are explicit acceptance criteria in place. It will also assist the development team in concentrating their efforts on fulfilling the requirements.
2. Automate Where Possible
Manual testing is labor-intensive and prone to mistakes and omissions. Use a testing framework to automate the acceptance testing wherever it is practical. This makes it possible to run the tests frequently and identify regression problems early. It also aids in creating a repeatable, objective procedure.
Functionality that doesn’t need human judgment calls, such form validation, login/logout routines, simple computations, etc., are some test cases that are good candidates for automation. To validate the previously established major acceptance criteria, automated tests had to be built.
3. Plan Test Data Strategies
Representative test data are necessary for efficient testing. Make plans for the provisioning of the necessary test data.
- Random data generation using programming
- Keeping up test databases and data files
- including a test data management system
- Collaborating with business units to obtain authentic data akin to production
To guarantee comprehensive testing, all significant scenarios and edge/error situations must be exercised in the test data.
4. Involve Stakeholders
To participate in the testing, invite important stakeholders such as business analysts, product owners, and end users. This accomplishes several goals:
- If the system satisfies stakeholders’ needs and expectations, they may verify it.
- There may be recognized edge cases and further test concepts.
- There is more support for the testing procedure.
- Real-world end-user feedback may be quite beneficial.
Prior to final acceptance, their contributions should be recorded and any problems should be fixed.
5. Track and Trend Test Results
Keep thorough records of all test runs, including the dates, environments, cases tested, outcomes, problems encountered, etc. Examine the data to find patterns such as regression issues or regions that require more testing. Follow problems to their conclusion. This data promotes continuous development, demonstrates testing quality and rigor, and identifies reoccurring issues early.
Conclusion
These pointers will help you set up an efficient acceptance testing procedure that guarantees UAT testing quality and aids in the early detection of faults. Best practices include defined criteria, test automation, data methods, stakeholder participation, and results monitoring to help you conduct acceptance testing like a genuine expert. By using these procedures, manufacturing problems will decrease and customer satisfaction will increase.
