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User Acceptance Testing Tools and Checklist | Quick Guide

Navdeep Singh Gill | 29 September 2023

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Types and Best Practices

What is User Acceptance Testing?

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a process to check whether the system accepts a user's requirements. It's performed at a time when actual users use the system. This testing comes after - Unit Test--->Integration Test, --->System Test, --->Acceptance Test in the process. Its testing process related to another analogy, such as manufacturing pens. While production of a ballpoint pen, the cap, the body, the tail, the clip, the ink cartridge, with the help of things mentioned above, a full ballpoint pen manufactured after that single pen was produced with a combination of every single item.

Each component specified above was tested to ensure that each component will make the pen in a working condition. When a complete pen is integrated, System Test is performed. Once it is over, perform the Acceptance test to confirm that each ball pen is in working condition and ready for customers. You can also explore more about Integration Test in this insight.

Evaluate your app's usability, functionality, and design by having real users try it and verify whether it is user-friendly and can handle tasks in real-world conditions. Source: Six Tips for User Acceptance Testing

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Who Performs UAT?

Usually, it is done by the client and the end-user to validate the requirements were both accurately communicated and executed.

  • Client – The Stakeholders of the software carry out this
  • End-users – It is carried out by the end-users of the software

The user is the person who uses the application, if no longer daily, a minimum of often. So, it's essential to shape customers in a phase of the complete excellent approach within the software development lifecycle.

When is it Performed?

It is carried out after the system test. It is the ultimate step before the software goes to the production environment or market and earlier than the stakeholders take delivery of the product. It Is the most potent and environment-friendly software testing technique that ensures that developed software is filling all requirements to flow into the market.

That's anywhere UAT comes in handy. This form of testing, pretty much the other, puts the users' wants in the center of the discussion. Some critical questions it'll help to reply to such as:

  • Are users ready to use the application?
  • Does the software work as expected?
  • Does the utility solve the user's problem?

At this point, you might be thinking about the following components:

"This total thing feels like it's vital, type of, however, can we clearly need it? I mean, we have a tendency to have already got a number of testing sorts implemented… aren't these sufficient?"

That is a decent question to arouse the table. The quick reply is "No." the marginally longer reply is within the next section. BDD helps secure the extra efforts, reduce the wastage of time and resources, and help prioritize what is essential.

BDD helps in securing the extra efforts and reduce the wastage of time and resources too and also help prioritize what is essential. Click to explore about our, Behavior Driven Development Framework

Automated UAT Testing Tools

There are a large number of tools in the market used to do User Acceptance Testing; some of them are mentioned below:

  • Fitness Tool - It is a valuable Java tool as a testing engine. It helps to create tests and record all their results for a test in a table. Users of the tool enter formatted input and tests created automatically. Then execute tests, and the output is returned to the user.
  • Watir - Watir is a toolkit to automate browser-based tests during a process of UAT. Ruby is a programming language for inter-process communication between Ruby and Internet Explorer.

What are the different types of User Acceptance Testing?

Below are the various types:

Alpha Testing

This is executed to identify all possible issues/bugs before releasing a product to every data user or public. It simulates real users by using Black Box and White Box testing techniques. The primary function is to carry out tasks executed by a typical user. This is carried out in a developed or lab environment where a product is developed. The user of a product is the internal team member of an organization.

Beta Testing

It is the type in which users of software or application are real users. This application is tested in a natural environment and is considered a form of the external User Acceptance test. The Beta version of the software was released to a limited number of users when tested in a Real-Time environment with the help of real users to obtain feedback on product quality. Beta test reduces failures and risks and improves product quality through customer validation. It is a final test before shipping a product to the customers. In this type of testing, getting direct feedback from users is a significant benefit. It is necessary to test a product finally in a Real-Time environment.

Parameters in an Acceptance Testing

The parameters mentioned below should be available are -

  • Report Identifier
  • Summary of Results
  • Variations
  • Recommendations
  • Summary of a To-do list
  • Approval decision

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The importance of UAT

  • Once software goes through Unit, Integration, and System test, Acceptance testing is necessary.
  • Helps identify bugs that may have been left during the development process.
  • There can be a condition that software developed by going through an SRS document is not according to the client. What the client wants is missing in the software. This is because requirement changes during a project may not be communicated effectively.
  • Once System Testing is completed, It is the customer's demand for satisfaction with the system's functionality and whether a system works according to a requirement.

How to adopt the User Acceptance Test?

The Criteria required to be specified for UAT:

  • Business Requirements must be available.
  • Application code for the functionality of an application developed according to requirement.
  • It is necessary to complete the Unit, Integration, and System Test before adopting UAT

Before adopting UAT fulfill the following conditions -

  • The only Cosmetic error should be acceptable before this test.
  • Execute Regression Test successfully without any significant defects.
  • If there is any defect, they should fix and test it before the process.
  • The environment should be ready.
  • They should be permitted from a System Testing in the team in Sign Off mail or in any other written format that the system is ready for a UAT Execution.

What are the entry criteria for testing?

Prerequisites are the following:

  • Accepted business requirements must be available.
  • Fully developed application
  • Unit, Integration & System test must be completed.
  • System integration tests can be accomplished with no showstoppers, excessive severity, and medium severity defects.
  • Regression testing ought to be carried out with no essential bugs open.
  • Cosmetic errors can be acceptable.
  • All the bugs which are mentioned need to be fixed and tested.
  • The requirement traceability matrix needs to be performed and up-to-date.
  • UAT environment with applicable take a look at data
  • Confirmation mail (sign-off) from the device tester team that the application is prepared for it.

Exit Criteria (Post requisites) of UAT

Following are the exit standards for it:

  • No short top, open with severe, moderate defects.
  • Smooth flow of the business process.
  • UAT sign-off meeting with stakeholders.

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Benefits of effective User Acceptance Testing

Below are the benefits of User Acceptance Testing.

  • If internal it is executed before delivery to the customer, it ensures that the system works according to requirements and that all the functions are correctly defined.
  • It satisfies an end product.
  • It helps to identify that the end product works according to expectations.
  • Helps to deliver the end product without any bugs.
  • To deliver the end product in a proper working condition to a user.
  • To satisfy all the functionalities that an end product should possess.

How does it work?

It is executed by users of a system or a system. It mainly happens at a client location and is referred to as Beta testing. Once a System or application is ready for it, then the following tasks are necessary to perform -

  • Analysis of Business Requirements.
  • Creation of test plan.
  • Identify Test Scenarios.
  • Create UAT Test Cases.
  • Preparation of Test Data(Production-like data).
  • Run the Test cases.
  • Record Results.
  • Confirm Business objectives.
  • Analysis of Business requirements.

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Steps that UAT follows

The number of steps for performing user acceptance tests may range; however, every team aims to perform every step in the procedure. These steps include;

  • The method consists of a designing section each time the enterprise techniques for UAT are required to be made public.
  • In the 2nd step, chances need to test for identifications to implement enterprise strategies. Different chances of meaningful instances are required to check that quit customers can face.
  • In the third step, specific groups for testing are needed to choose. Developers choose some end-users to try out product packages or grant free trials for some time to any person that prefers to use them.
  • After the trying out documentation area is furnished to file specific potential bugs and unique issues that can arise for the testing procedure.
  • After the documentation phase fix phase is applied to resolve any bugs or problems raised throughout the software testing procedure.

User Acceptance Testing Checklist

A Checklist for User Acceptance Testing Best Practices

  • Preparation of UAT plan early in the project life cycle.
  • Prepare checklists before it starts.
  • Conduct a Pre-UAT session during the system testing phase.
  • Set an expectation and define the scope of it clearly.
  • Test a system or an application with a real-world scenario and data.
  • Start thinking of an unknown user while testing the system.
  • Perform Usability Test.
  • Conduct feedback sessions and meetings before moving to production.

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Challenges in User Acceptance Testing

  • The first challenge is to define who will be included in this procedure from the team. I want to consider many roles, like the owner, project sponsor, and team. The UAT will manage the complete technique and make final decisions with the team.
  • The type of testing (in-person or self-paced) is defined by determining the region of crew participants and whether or not you need a couple of shifts for a check. It can either be carried out in person or remotely, or both.
  • The process by which the software functional testing team sets up and deploys the environment creates the actual use case. Some tests, such as performance tests, cannot be run in an environment with incomplete test data. You need to set up a separate production environment for each.
  • The user usually needs to set a placeholder for the UAT standard time frame that an organization can expect.
  • It's also a task to ensure documentation is created and maintained in the complete project.
  • It can't be considered a "one-size fits all" exercise because some customers have the motivation, skills, and time to perform a correct check, and some cannot.
  • Test plans can have mistakes, so check plans are usually required to be reviewed by the Quality Assurance team, mission manager, or by using any other human beings that understand software testing.
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Conclusion

As companies adopt agile practices for delivering software services and solutions, business users are getting more involved. The user or Tester performs UAT to certify the system concerning the properly working requirements.