Business analysis glossary
UAT (User Acceptance Testing)
What it is
User acceptance testing is the final testing stage, in which the business users who will use the solution check that it supports their real work and meets the agreed requirements before release. It is usually performed by business users or their representatives, using realistic scenarios and data, and it ends with a decision to accept or reject the release.
Why it matters
Developers and testers confirm the software works; UAT confirms it is the right thing. Finding a mismatch at UAT is expensive but far cheaper than finding it after go-live. Analysts often prepare the scenarios from the acceptance criteria and help users record results and report any defects clearly.
Example
Before go-live at Cedar Credit Union, three loan officers run ten scripted scenarios in the test environment, such as approving a standard loan and rejecting an incomplete application, and record pass or fail for each. Any failed scenario is logged as a defect and triaged, and the head of lending decides whether the system is ready to go live.