User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Testing performed by end users or stakeholders to verify the software meets business requirements.
Full Definition
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the final phase of testing where actual users or stakeholders verify that the software meets their needs and is ready for production.
UAT characteristics:
- •Business-focused: Tests business requirements, not technical specs
- •User-driven: Executed by actual users or proxies
- •Acceptance criteria: Based on what users need
- •Sign-off gate: Approval required before release
UAT vs. other testing:
- •Unit/Integration: Tests technical correctness
- •System Testing: Tests complete system behavior
- •UAT: Tests business value and user needs
UAT process:
1. Define acceptance criteria with stakeholders
2. Create UAT test cases in business language
3. Set up UAT environment with realistic data
4. Users execute tests
5. Collect feedback and defects
6. Obtain formal sign-off
UAT success depends on stakeholder engagement throughout the project.
Examples
- 1.Finance team validates invoice calculations
- 2.HR reviews employee onboarding workflow
- 3.Customer service tests new ticket system
- 4.Compliance team verifies regulatory requirements
In BesTest
BesTest supports UAT with clear test documentation, requirements traceability to acceptance criteria, and stakeholder-friendly interfaces.
See User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in Action
Experience professional test management with BesTest. Free for up to 10 users.
Try BesTest Free