Could you tell me what is the difference between acceptance test and validation?
Thanks very much!
2 Answers
In agile development, acceptance testing is the functional testing that is based on a user's stated needs. Functional tests are designed based on those needs. It's good that these tests are being done, but these are still more verification than validation.
What is Acceptance Testing?
Acceptance testing, a testing technique performed to determine whether or not the software system has met the requirement specifications. The main purpose of this test is to evaluate the system's compliance with the business requirements and verify if it is has met the required criteria for delivery to end users.
There are various forms of acceptance testing:
- User acceptance Testing
- Business acceptance Testing
- Alpha Testing
- Beta Testing
Validation testing
The process of evaluating software during the development process or at the end of the development process to determine whether it satisfies specified business requirements.
Validation Testing ensures that the product actually meets the client's needs. It can also be defined as to demonstrate that the product fulfills its intended use when deployed on appropriate environment.
Comments
Acceptance Testing implies a broader scope that is yet defined. The end user has the ability to accept or reject the code/configuration by citing any failure they deem unacceptable. This approach is used to gather or define more detailed requirements and should typically be done in alpha phases. This testing should allow the progession into additional development phases.
Validation Testing is applied to a set known of requirements. The end user is validating very specific behavior of the code/configuration. Validation testing should be done with predetermined test scripts and anticipated outcomes. This testing should allow the implementation of the code/configuration to go into a production system.
