How is acceptance testing different from functional testing?

Acceptance testing is performed by users who are not part of the internal staff in many scenarios. They will be given the task to test the product in a real-time environment and thus user’s perspective becomes the focal point in this testing.

Functional testing is carried out by developers and testers, who will test the product in a lab environment and thus all the functionalities that make up the application become the focal point.

Functional testing is performed before acceptance testing and it is obvious that only when the product is fully functional will the user be able to test the product in a real-time environment. In this article, you will get to know the differences between acceptance testing and functional testing.

What is user acceptance testing?

It is a testing method that is performed by users/customers in a real-time environment and makes sure that it meets user and business requirements. User feedback also plays a pivotal role, as the feedback obtained helps in further enhancing the quality of the product.

Depending upon the project scope, acceptance testing might take the form of end-user testing, field testing, application testing and beta testing. It evaluates whether the system complies with the business requirements.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Regulation Acceptance Testing (RAT), Contract Acceptance Testing (CAT), Business Acceptance Testing (BAT) and Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) are the important types of acceptance testing. It is a black-box testing technique. This testing method tests the usability, user interface, user experience and performance of the software product or application.

Usually, this process is taken up as the last phase wherein intended users or rather the customer verify if the functionality as outlined in the user story or requirements documents exists. Specifically, the UAT process is taken up with a separate UAT test plan and in a separate testing environment with typically enabling production-like data set up to make the client/end-user clearly understand the developed software.

What is functional testing?

It is a testing method through which the software system is validated against the functional specifications/requirements. Each function of the software application is tested by providing input and the subsequent output is verified against the functional requirements.

It is not focused on the application’s source code, rather it is focused on testing the Client/Server communication, Security, Database, APIs, UI and other functionality of the Application Under Test. This testing method can be performed either manually or can be automated.

It is a black-box testing technique. This testing method also makes sure that the user shouldn’t have any difficulty while navigating freely through the screens. The system’s accessibility is checked for the user.

This form of testing helps to check if the system is fixed for release and is error-free. This testing does not depend on any assumptions about the structure of the system, however, it ensures to deliver high-quality product. Basically, this testing method is used to test usability features, specific error conditions, checks accessibility features along with testing other important functions of the software.

Specific testing techniques are used to check for error conditions. The actual result is compared with the expected result. Functional testing performs testing based on business scenarios or based on requirements or both depending upon the project requirements.

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing functional testing or acceptance testing or both for your specific project, then do get connected with a premium software testing services company that will provide you with a tactical end-to-end solutions roadmap that is in line with your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.