Acceptance testing definitions

From Search CIO

Wikipedia describes acceptance testing as:

"... is black-box testing performed on a system (e.g. software, lots of manufactured mechanical parts, or batches of chemical products) prior to its delivery...

"In most environments, acceptance testing by the system provider is distinguished from acceptance testing by the customer (the user or client) prior to accepting transfer of ownership...

"A principal purpose of acceptance testing is that, once completed successfully, and provided certain additional (contractually agreed) acceptance criteria are met, the sponsors will then sign off on the system as satisfying the contract (previously agreed between sponsor and manufacturer), and deliver final payment."

This is consistent with the definition Cem Kaner uses throughout his books, courses, articles and talks, which collectively are some of the most highly referenced software testing material in the industry. The following definition is from his Black Box Software Testing course:

"Acceptance testing is done to check whether the customer should pay for the product. Usually acceptance testing is done as black box testing."

Another extremely well-referenced source of software testing terms is the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) Standard glossary of terms. Below is the definition from Version 1.3 (dd. May, 31, 2007):

"Formal testing with respect to user needs, requirements, and business processes conducted to determine whether or not a system satisfies the acceptance criteria and to enable the user, customers or other authorised entity to determine whether or not to accept the system."

I've chosen those three references because I've found that if Wikipedia, Cem Kaner and the ISTQB are on the same page related to a term or the definition of a concept, then the testing community at large will tend to use those terms in a manner that is consistent with these resources. Acceptance testing, however, is an exception.

There are several key points on which these definitions/descriptions agree:

1. In each case, acceptance testing is done to determine whether the application or product is acceptable to someone or some organisation and/or if the person or organisation should pay for the application or product AS IS.
2. "Finding defects" is not so much as mentioned in any of those definitions/descriptions, but each implies that defects jeopardise whether the application or product becomes "accepted."
3. Pre-determined, explicitly stated, mutually agreed-upon criteria (between the creator of the application or product and the person or group that is paying for or otherwise commissioned the software) are the basis for non-acceptance.
   
   Wikipedia refers to this agreement as a contract, and identifies that non-compliance with the terms of the contract as a reason for non-payment. And Kaner references the contract through the question of whether the customer should pay for the product.
   
   The ISTQB does not directly refer to either contract or payment but certainly implies the existence of a contract (an agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not doing of something specified).

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