ReferenceIntermediate4-6 min reference
UAT Quick Reference
User Acceptance Testing is the final check that the software does what the business needs — run by or for real users, not QA validating its own work. It answers "should we ship?" not "does the code work?". This sheet is the quick reference for roles, criteria, and evidence; for sign-off mechanics see the release resources linked below.
UAT vs the rest
| UAT | System/QA testing | |
|---|---|---|
| Asks | Does it meet business needs? | Does it work as specified? |
| Run by | Business users / product / client | QA / engineering |
| Against | Acceptance criteria, real scenarios | Requirements, test cases |
| Environment | UAT/staging, production-like data | Test environments |
| Outcome | Go / no-go sign-off | Bug reports |
Entry criteria (before UAT starts)
- System/regression testing complete; no open criticals/blockers.
- UAT environment ready with production-like data.
- Acceptance criteria and UAT scenarios agreed.
- Participants identified and available.
Exit criteria (to sign off)
- All planned UAT scenarios executed.
- No open critical/high defects (or each has an agreed waiver).
- Acceptance criteria demonstrably met.
- Formal sign-off recorded by the business owner.
Evidence to capture
Executed scenarios + results, screenshots/recordings, the defect list with severities and decisions, and the signed-off acceptance record (who, when, what version).
Common mistakes
- QA doing UAT for the users — it's the business's acceptance, not ours.
- Starting UAT with criticals still open (it becomes re-testing).
- No agreed acceptance criteria, so "done" is subjective.
- Verbal sign-off with no recorded evidence or version.
- UAT on unrealistic data, missing real-world cases.
// Related resources