What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)? A Complete Guide

I see today’s digital terrain as fierce as a dragon! Something that you can do to persist is to deliver software applications that meet end-users’ expectations. One effective way to ensure the quality and usability of these applications is through User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

We will cover everything so you can incorporate UAT into your software development lifecycle and deliver reliable and user-friendly applications that meet your users’ expectations.

What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is an essential phase in software development, commonly known as beta or end-user testing. Software testing is done by the engaged audience or business representatives in real-world conditions. UAT ensures that the application meets the end users’ needs. It involves testing scenarios that accurately represent the actual usage of the software in the field.

Example of User Acceptance Testing

An example of user acceptance testing is when a group of end-users tests a new software application to ensure it meets their requirements and expectations. This can involve performing various tasks, providing feedback, and validating if the system functions as intended. The goal is to gain user approval before the software is officially deployed.

Types of User Acceptance Testing

Organizations can choose from different types of UAT, depending on their specific needs. These include:

1. Alpha Testing – The first phase of testing where the developers test the application in-house before it is released to the end-users. 

2. Beta Testing – A limited release of the product to a select group of end-users to discover bugs and issues not identified in the earlier testing phases.

Purpose of User Acceptance Testing

• Ensure the software or system meets the user’s requirements.
• To validate that all user interactions and workflows are working correctly.
• To gather feedback from end users and stakeholders to improve the software’s usability and user experience.
• To assess the software’s quality, reliability, and performance according to users.
• To mitigate risks associated with deploying faulty or incomplete software to production.
• To provide confidence to stakeholders that the software is ready for release.

When to do UAT?

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) typically occurs in the later stages of a software development lifecycle, just before the software is deployed into production. Specifically, UAT is conducted after the completion of system testing and often after any necessary regression testing.

The timing of UAT can vary depending on the project timeline, but it usually takes place after the following milestones:

1. System Testing: This phase involves comprehensive software testing to ensure it meets the specified requirements and functions correctly. System testing may include functional testing, integration testing, and performance testing.
2. Regression Testing: If any changes or enhancements have been made to the software since the last round of testing, regression testing is performed to ensure that these changes have not introduced any new defects or adversely affected existing functionality.

Once system testing and regression testing are complete and any identified issues are resolved, UAT can commence. UAT is conducted by end-users or stakeholders who will ultimately use the software in real-world scenarios. It serves as the final validation that the software meets their requirements and expectations.

After UAT is completed and any remaining issues are addressed, the software can be considered ready for deployment into the production environment. Therefore, UAT acts as a critical gatekeeper before the software is released to end-users, helping to ensure its quality and suitability for use.

UAT Best Practices

To optimize your UAT tests, and extract the most insightful, comprehensive, and accurate results, consider the following best practices:

Narrow down your target audience

Start by identifying the target audience for your app. You cannot run user acceptance tests without finding the right users.

For instance, if you’re creating e-commerce platforms, the users would be potential online buyers. To conduct UATs, these are the users to approach. Their pain points and demands are the priority in designing test cases and scenarios.

Additionally, run some market research to determine the preferences and activity patterns of potential users. This reveals additional information about the audience’s needs, preferences, and expectations.

Build these metrics into the tests, as it helps attain accurate results related to the app’s real-world usability.

Build a test plan

To design a comprehensive test, QAs must include all relevant functionalities and requirements. This is only possible if all metrics and methods are established in a test plan.

• Start by defining all requirements in collaboration with the dev team and all other stakeholders.
• Include all functionalities, use cases, and conceivable test scenarios.
• Define the scope of testing and document expected outcomes.
• Prioritize test scenarios based on criticality, dependencies, and system impact.
• Describe the testing approach by outlining strategies and techniques.
• Pin down the timeline for testing.
• Allocation of relevant resources— hardware, software, testing tools —- needed to cover all defined test scenarios.

Build detailed test cases

When creating test cases, keep the following pointers in mind:

• Fractionate requirements into smaller, manageable components for testing.
• Dedicate each test to a single feature, function, or scenario for easy execution.
• Make test cases simple enough to be understood by users with no technical expertise.
• Create test cases with a structured format with consecutive steps laid out for users.
• Prioritize and execute tests based on their impact on their system impact.

Create standards to communicate information about bugs

Once bugs are detected, they will have to be explained and communicated to developers. To do so, a few established standards are necessary.

Consider these standards are specific guidelines on how to explain the bug’s emergence and impact on the system.

For more details on what standards to implement, have a look at: Bug Report Template | A Step-by-Step Guide to Reporting Issues in Software

Establish clear acceptance criteria.

Testers should know the criteria for determining if the tests have passed at acceptable levels.

A few examples of “clear acceptance criteria” would be:

E-commerce Website Checkout Process

• The user must be able to add items to the shopping cart.
• The system should display an order summary before proceeding to payment.
• Payment should be processed using credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay.
• After a successful payment, the user receives a confirmation email within 5 minutes.
• If payment fails, an appropriate error message should be displayed.

Login & Authentication System

• Users should be able to log in using valid credentials.
• If incorrect credentials are entered, a message saying “Invalid username or password” should be displayed.
• Users should be locked out after five unsuccessful login attempts.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) must be triggered if enabled in settings.
• After logging in, users should be redirected to the dashboard.

Mobile Banking App – Fund Transfer Feature

• Users should be able to transfer money between accounts.
• Transfers should be processed within 5 seconds.
• A confirmation message must be displayed after a successful transfer.
• If the transfer fails due to insufficient funds, the user should see an error message.
• The recipient should receive an SMS confirmation upon successful transfer.

SaaS Platform – User Registration

• Users should be able to register using their email and password.
• Password strength should be enforced (at least 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one number).
• A verification email must be sent after registration.
• Users should be able to log in only after email verification.
• If an email is already registered, the system should display an error message.

Who Performs UAT?

This is performed by:

1. End Users: The primary people who do UAT are the end users themselves. These are the individuals who will be using the system regularly once it is deployed. Their feedback and input during UAT ensure that the system meets their needs and expectations.

2. Business Analysts: Business analysts play a vital role in UAT as they deeply understand the business requirements and goals. They help define test scenarios and ensure the system meets these requirements.

3. Quality Assurance (QA) Team: The QA team coordinates and facilitates UAT. They work closely with end users to plan, execute, and track test cases and report any issues or defects found during testing. Read more on UAT Vs QA Key Differences.

4. Development Team: The development team may also be involved in UAT to address any technical issues or bugs during testing. They collaborate with end users and QA to resolve these issues before the final release.

5. Project Managers: Project managers oversee the UAT process, ensuring it stays on schedule and meets project objectives. They coordinate resources, provide guidance, and communicate progress to stakeholders.

6. Stakeholders: Stakeholders, such as senior management or clients, may also participate in UAT to validate that the system meets their expectations and requirements.

UAT is a cooperative effort involving individuals who collectively ensure the system is ready for deployment. They thoroughly test its usability, functionality, and adherence to business needs.

How to Perform UAT?

You must first gather a group of representative end-users to test the software in a real-world environment. 

• Start by defining test scenarios and scripts that cover all the functionalities of the software. 
• Next, provide the testers with the necessary training and tools to perform the tests effectively. 
• Monitor the testing progress, record any defects found, and prioritize them according to severity. 
• Finally, analyze the results, address the defects, and obtain sign-off from the end-users before releasing the software. 

After users do the testing, if certain test cases emerge that you’d like to include in your regular testing cycles, that should be done. These test cases could then be included in your automated test suite, which can be executed every time before deployment. 

Use a test automation tool that easily integrates with your CICD pipeline, making automating your tests easier.

Pre-requisites for User Acceptance Testing

Ensure that the following conditions are met before executing user acceptance tests.

• Document all business requirements and corresponding acceptance criteria.
• Ensure that system tests and QA tests are already complete. This includes unit tests, integration tests, system tests, and regression tests.
• Ensure that a dedicated UAT environment that mimics the real-world production system.
• Keep user roles and permissions configured according to business workflows.
• Ensure that the tests are conducted by real business users or end-users rather than developers or QA professionals.
• When choosing testers, include key stakeholders like business analysts, product owners, and end-users.
• Clear define entry and exit criteria. For example,

 Entry Criteria (Before UAT Starts):

✅ Functional and system testing completed.

✅ No major open defects that impact core business functions.

✅ UAT environment and test data are set up.

✅ UAT test plan and cases are prepared.

✅ Business users are trained.

 Exit Criteria (When UAT Ends):

✅ All critical defects are fixed and retested.

✅ Key business workflows pass acceptance criteria.

✅ UAT sign-off is obtained from stakeholders.

✅ The system is ready for production deployment.

UAT Advantages

Here are the advantages of UAT: 

1. User Feedback: Direct insights from end-users improve the product.
2. Improved Quality: Early detection of defects enhances overall quality.
3. Enhanced User Satisfaction: Usually, end-users tend to be happier with the end-product once UAT is done on the product.
4. Reduced Risk: Aligns the product with business needs, minimizing project failure.
5. Better Requirements Understanding: Clarifies requirements through user engagement.
6. Training Opportunity: Familiarize users with the system for smoother adoption.
7. Validation of Business Processes: Ensures the system effectively supports intended processes.

UAT Challenges

Here are the major challenges in the UAT process:

1. Lack of training and guidance:

UAT users may need help understanding the software’s features and functionalities or how to perform testing. This can lead to incorrect or incomplete testing, leaving issues undetected.

2. Complex scenarios:

The software may have complex scenarios that require specific testing conditions, which may require more work for UAT users to execute adequately.

3. Different user requirements:

UAT users may have different user requirements, and it can be challenging to determine which requirements to test and how to test them thoroughly.

4. Time constraints:

UAT users may face time constraints that limit the number of test scenarios they can execute, resulting in incomplete testing and unvalidated software.

5. Communication gaps:

Communication gaps between the development team and UAT users may lead to confusion about requirements, how to test them, or how to report issues effectively. This can lead to inaccurate feedback and a longer product development cycle.

Automate UI Test Cases with Testsigma

Testsigma is a cloud-based test automation platform that provides a unique AI-powered approach to user acceptance testing. It offers features such as codeless test creation, cross-browser testing, integration with popular tools, and AI-powered testing, making it a powerful and efficient tool for testing complex software applications.

Use Testsigma to automate the end-to-end UI test cases for your web, mobile, and desktop applications that you know will be useful to execute even after the UAT phase is completed.

Features Of Testsigma

• Automate easily in simple English
• Start test automation in minutes
• Automate for web, mobile & APIs from the same place
• Save time on your test maintenance with AI-supported built-in features
• Easy and efficient test execution on the cloud
• Debug with the help of screenshots, videos, and logs easily
• Get reports that you can customize according to your needs
• Setup all your review and collaboration processes on the cloud
• Easily integrate with CI/CD tools
• Access your tests from anywhere, anytime
• Helpful support that is there for you 24×7

What are Some Tools that help Successfully Perform UAT?

To accomplish comprehensive and accurate user acceptance tests, QA teams require access to the right tools for the job. A few examples of tools that can successfully perform UAT would be:

• HotJar
• UserBrain
• Zephyr
• Amplitude
• Maze
• UserReport
• UserTesting
• UsabilityHub
• Crazy Egg

For a detailed breakdown of the features, pros, and cons of using these tools, have a look at: 10 Best User Acceptance Testing Tools (UAT)

Can You Automate User Acceptance Testing?

As mentioned in the previous section, we discussed automation, and it is clear that we can automate this testing. Here are some key points to do when:

• Repetitive Tests: If you have test cases that are executed frequently, automation can save time and effort.
• Stable Features: Automation can be beneficial for features that are well-defined and unlikely to change.
• Regression Testing: Automating UAT can be effective for regression tests to ensure new changes don’t break existing functionality.

For example, UI testing tools like Testsigma or Selenium can automate functional testing in UAT and simulate user interactions for Usability Testing. These tools can check if the software functions as intended and whether the user interface meets the usability standards.

Conclusion

The User Acceptance Testing is like the giant final show! It’s important because it ensures the system is easy for users to use, meets their expectations, and gives them what they need. If you plan out the UAT properly, everybody gets relaxed when the product is about to be released. 

It’s better to strategize and finish the testing beforehand so the development team can fix any mistakes and performance issues before the big launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UAT testing in Agile?

UAT in Agile will be similar to what is done in waterfall methodology, just that the same process will have to repeat every sprint. And here, advanced planning, preparation, and quick execution of UAT will be necessary.

What are UAT activities?

User Acceptance Testing involves a series of tests that end-users or subject matter experts conduct to validate the software’s functionality, usability, and overall performance. These activities typically include creating test scenarios, executing test cases, and recording any issues or defects found during User Acceptance Testing.