What Is User Acceptance Testing in Software Testing? Process & Examples

Software testing is more than determining whether software features function as intended. Software testing examines if actual users can use the software with no challenges or confusion. This last layer of testing is referred to as user acceptance testing.

User acceptance testing avoids a situation where a software product passes all technical tests, but the users do not know how to use the software and do not use it, resulting in the product failing. User acceptance testing will ensure the software delivers on real needs and can be used in real scenarios.

In this blog, we will explain user acceptance testing as part of software testing. We will discuss the process of user acceptance testing, its types, provide examples, its advantages, and challenges. The purpose of sufficiently understanding user acceptance testing is to ensure that your software is ready to be launched.

What is User Acceptance Testing?

User acceptance testing is described as testing done by end users or clients to further validate that the software can be accepted. This name lends itself to explaining what user acceptance testing is. Users will test your application and will decide if it is accepted or not.

User acceptance testing is the last phase of the software development life cycle. Real users will test the software to make sure it meets business requirements. The testing also follows that the software can be used in the real-world environment and is not used on a controlled test environment.

This stage of testing is focused on validation instead of verification. You are not checking to see if the code functions properly. You are verifying if the software meets the requirements to solve the customer’s needs. 

Real-World UAT Examples

Banking Software

A bank is testing a feature to allow a new customer to open an account online. The bank’s customer representative is testing the feature by opening new accounts as a user would. The representative is validating if the steps are user-friendly & efficient.

SaaS Product

A Software as a Service (SaaS) project management platform tests features for task creation and team collaboration. End users evaluate whether they can create a project, assign tasks, and share updates without any interruptions.

Who Performs User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

UAT is done by real users, either internal company staff or selected customers. These users provide feedback based on their real experience, not just the technical level of the software

What is the purpose of User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

1. Confirmation of Actual Business Requirements

Confirms the software supports real tasks and workflow.

2. Validation of Usability

Confirms that the users can navigate the software and perform each step without being confused.

3. Validation of End-to-End Processes

Tests users’ actual work process and experience, not just features.

4. Minimization of Post-Launch Risk

Identifying usability issues before product launch to potential customers.

5. Increased User Confidence

Users who have participated in testing are more likely to have confidence in a product.

Why User Acceptance Testing Matters?

A product is successful if users find it to be helpful and easy to use. UAT makes sure of this. UAT allows the testing team to discover issues that could be missed in earlier technical testing.

UAT and Real Business Needs

UAT allows the product manager to connect the software with business needs. UAT verifies if the product allows users to complete the work and not confuse them. UAT protects the software from failing once it has been released to the customer.

UAT and Software Development Lifecycle

The UAT phase occurs after unit testing, integration testing, and system testing have been completed. At this point in the SDLC process, the software is stable and complete. The purpose of UAT is to validate that the software is ready for its final form of testing before it is released.

What is UAT in testing?

User Acceptance Testing, or UAT, is the purpose of the final testing stage, which involves real users engaging in real-life situations with the software. The purpose is to evaluate how user-friendly the software is to the users and verify that it supports their actual work processes.

What is acceptance testing in software testing? 

Acceptance testing is the stage that verifies that the software meets the agreed specifications. It verifies that the software is ready to be used. If the software clears the acceptance test, it is fit to launch.

Does UAT Require Coding?

No Coding Needed for Users

UAT does not need coding on the part of the users. That is the whole reason for it. Real users test software by primarily applying skills that they use naturally. They do what they will do when it is put in production. UAT does not need programming skills to be effective.

End users or testers will confirm specific functions without knowing any details of the internal workings or code structure. They will test the software from their perspective as end users. They will not have to understand deeply how the software works internally, just that it works for them where they apply it in their tasks.

While there may be some UAT tools that require some (eventually) initial technical setup from IT teams, once the tools are set up, the users can use them without technical knowledge.

The tools provide simple interfaces for reporting issues, providing feedback, and any needed feedback interface. Everything is designed easily for non-technical users to quickly and easily operate it.

Technical Skills Sometimes Help

While programming skills are not needed, some awareness of the technology can be beneficial in some situations. Users with a little expertise may be able to see specific types of issues slightly more easily.

Users may offer a more detailed bug report. Users with some technical background may also test edge cases more thoroughly than completely non-technical users.

However, technical expertise should never be a requirement to participate in UAT. The best UATs are based on regular users with regular skills. If your software requires some technical knowledge to use, that could be an indication of a UAT problem.

Software needs to work for its intended audience, and that audience shouldn’t matter if they have technical knowledge or not. The point of UAT is always verification in the actual use context by real users. Most users in the context of the world many of them are not programmers.

Your UAT should resemble that contrast. Ideally, you will have testers who resemble your actual user base. Their lack of technical coding expertise is a benefit to your UAT because it is an indicator of how your actual users would experience your software.

5 Key Challenges of User Acceptance Testing

1. Limited User Availability

Business users may have regular day-to-day work duties that limit their ability to test.

2. Unclear requirements

If the requirements have not been clearly documented and users are unsure what to test.

3. Environmental Issues

If the UAT environment is unstable or does not resemble production, testing may not reflect real use.

4. Communication Barriers

When developers and end-users try to explain the same issue, they may struggle to use the same terminology.

5. Test Scenarios Are Not Complete

An absence of realistic workflows from the field may allow issues to slip through the cracks.

When to Start UAT?

Timing certainly depends on the complexity of the software. In general, UAT can begin once the software is stable and has no major bugs. Other major testing, specifically unit, integration, and system testing, should already have been completed. There should also be a separate UAT environment in place with test data prepared.

5 Best Tools Used for UAT (With Brief Description)

1. Jira

Using Jira for UAT helps teams track tasks, manage issues, and monitor progress of the testing process.

2. Trello

Trello organizes a team’s UAT steps with boards and cards in a simple visual format.

3. TestRail 

TestRail allows teams to create tests and manage detailed test cases and results.

4. Zephyr

Zephyr provides integration with Jira by creating test cycles and tracking their execution.

5. BrowserStack

BrowserStack allows teams to test across multiple devices and browsers to review the accessibility and compatibility of the software.

10 Benefits of User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

1. Validates Real User Needs

User acceptance testing validates that the software works the way users actually work – more than a functional product, is it a real solution to a user need.

2. Improves User Experience

UAT improves user experience by identifying painful screens and confusing or inefficient steps in the workflows. The product ultimately performs quicker, smoother and more natural.

3. Reduces Costly Fixes After Going Live

It is less expensive to fix issues before the release than after.

UAT will help avoid unnecessary rework and negative customer experiences.

4. Boost User Confidence and Trust

UAT builds confidence and trust because users get to test it themselves rather than developers explaining how it works or showing it works. This builds user acceptance even with some resistance to the change.

5. Confirms Business Goals Are Being Met

UAT is used to confirm that the software supports real business workflows. UAT confirms the product meets the desired company goals.

6. Captures Real-World Failures

UAT builds real-life simulations rather than ideal cases. It will capture issues otherwise hidden in a technical testing environment.

7. Improves Product Usability

UAT explicitly calls out usability issues upfront to be fixed. Fixes to usability will provide a much more usable product.

8. Facilitates Smooth Launch and Rollout

Once UAT sign-off occurs, teams know that the system is ready to go. This reduces the stress of launching and increases confidence in the rollout.

9. Higher User Adoption Rates

When software feels straightforward and useful, users will adopt it more quickly. This drives success in the long run.

10. Improved Collaboration Across Teams

UAT pulls together business users, developers, and testers. This improves communication and understanding between teams.

Types Of UAT Testing 

Here are 6 types of UAT Testing:

1. Alpha Testing

Alpha testing is the first formal end-to-end testing conducted as part of the software development cycle. This takes place within your organization. You have internal people or a specified group of users conduct testing of the software before it goes to external users. This is important because you can discover major problems in the safe, controlled environment where mistakes are localized and less embarrassing.

Alpha testing means testing users before they actually get the product. This is like your safety net. You find big-ticket problems before they reach customers. The feedback you get during this type of testing helps you make your adjustments before you release your product. You have time to smooth out any rough edges.

Typically, alpha testing involves individuals who understand the technical aspect. The testers are in the best position to provide feedback about what works and what doesn’t. This testing phase will help you refine your software before you move towards wider testing. This is your first moment of reality testing against real users and testing the approaches you have taken to date.

2. Beta Testing

Beta testing occurs in another testing place with production-like data, where the application is tested in a natural environment. Beta testing opens your software up to more actual users. They participate in the testing in their own environment with their own data set. You see the software perform in multiple real-world conditions.

Beta testing exposes issues when you get to a certain scale that may not show up in individual testing. You learn how users, who are different from your development team, use the software. You may discover edge cases that no one on the team considered while developing the software. The beta users are your potential early adopters to the application. They can provide feedback more sincerely with being invested in you as the developer.

3. Contract Acceptance Testing

Contract Acceptance Testing occurs after the product is live. It shows the software is working against the actual criteria and specifications written in the project contract to test against. This level of testing is significant for custom products with contracts for specific clients. The contracts identified actual requirements of their unique product, and CAT is your proof you delivered what you promised.

Clients evaluate set criteria during CAT. They verify that the functionality aligns with specifications. They validate that performance meets the established criteria. This holds both parties accountable for ensuring the work is done properly, and in the event a question arises in the future, the documentation will serve to protect each party taking the CAT.

4. Operational Acceptance Testing

Operational acceptance testing is meant to verify that workflow can be accomplished including any backups, supplemental documentation, guides, or training for the software. Operational acceptance testing looks at whether the software is ready to be used operationally and not if the features function or other elements. Can your team support the software? Do you have documentation for the software? Are backups in place?

OAT examines the administrative function of the software to ensure it can operate properly. It ensures disaster recovery procedures will function as designed. It validates that satisfying monitoring will detect issues. It guarantees support teams have the tools to do their work. Think of OAT as testing the infrastructure around the software.

5. Regulatory Acceptance Testing

Regulatory acceptance testing verifies whether the product meets all applicable rules and regulations governing the product in any country of release because jurisdictions vary in standards and rules. For example, the healthcare software must meet HIPAA. The financial software will meet bank regulations. The RAT ensures the software meets all governing rules.

6. Black Box Testing

In black box testing, end users or testers assess specific features of software without any knowledge base of the internal function or code structure. User acceptance testing is considered to be a form of black box testing that incorporates two or more end users. Users ignore internal functions and focus on inputs and outputs. They click buttons, enter data, and review results. If the software works as expected, it passes the test from the user’s perspective.

Black box testing replicates actual usage patterns. Actual users usually do not know what the code behind an application is, nor do they care. They want software that works. Validating the user acceptance experience does not require any technical knowledge. It shows how the software works for a typical user.

UAT vs QA Testing Comparison

Aspect	UAT Testing	QA Testing
Performed By	End users and business stakeholders	QA engineers and testing professionals
Focus	Technical functionality and finding defects	Business value and user satisfaction
When	Final phase before production release	Throughout the development cycle
Purpose	Validate software meets user needs	Verify software works correctly
Environment	Production-like environment	Test or staging environment
Test Cases	Real-world business scenarios	Technical specifications and requirements
Knowledge Required	Domain and business process knowledge	Technical and testing expertise
Scope	End-to-end business workflows	Individual features and system integration
Outcome	Acceptance or rejection decision	Bug reports and technical issues
Tools	User feedback tools and test management platforms	Automated testing frameworks and bug trackers

7 Steps Of the UAT Process

User acceptance testing does have a process that can be considered a series of steps to ensure a structured process with meaningful outcomes.

Step 1: Understanding the Requirements

The UAT team needs to understand what the software is supposed to do. Requirements need to be simple and clear, and can be used as a checklist for testing.

Step 2: Plan the UAT Session

The team needs to identify who will complete the testing on the software, and when it will be completed. It also assigns timeframes and responsibilities to help reduce confusion during testing,

Step 3: Draft Test Scenarios 

Test scenarios illustrate actual tasks the user would perform. They are expressed in everyday language. It shows how users would engage with the product. 

Step 4: Set up the UAT Environment 

UAT should occur in a dedicated testing environment.  The environment should look and feel like the live system. A separate testing ground allows for realistic testing. 

Step 5: Perform Test Scenarios 

Users perform the tasks, deciding between system functionality and end-user experience which works and which does not. They submit feedback after directly performing a task, the steps to provide feedback will be simple reporting steps. ever direct user engagement can be leveraged to make your product better. 

Step 6: Fix Issues and Retest 

The developer will fix the reported item, and the user will perform the same task and check to see the severity of the outcome before claiming the item is repaired. 

Step 7: Sign Off and Approve Release 

Once the user is satisfied that the product meets their level of specifications, the team will sign off. This is an indication that the product is ready for launch. It is the final approval stage.

Conclusion

User acceptance testing ensures that your software is ready for real users. It verifies the product is usable, understandable, and capable of supporting actual tasks. Delivering effective UAT will make your software launch easier and more successful.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is user acceptance testing?

User acceptance testing is the phase during which actual users interact with the software to ensure it meets their work expectations.

2. What is UAT testing with an example?

For instance, shoppers will test an online checkout process to determine if they can complete a purchase comfortably.

3. What are the types of UAT testing?

The types of UAT testing are alpha, beta, business acceptance, contract acceptance, operational acceptance, and regulatory acceptance.

4. What is acceptance testing in software testing?

Acceptance testing is testing that is performed to confirm that the software behaves according to the requirements that were outlined or expected.

5. What is UAT in testing?

UAT stands for user acceptance testing, and it specifically indicates that the testing is being performed by real users to observe expected behaviour.

6. What is UAT vs QA testing?

QA testing is about the technical performance of your product, while user acceptance is about how that product satisfies a user(s) and the flow of work through it.