Interview Questions

What's the difference between Alpha, Beta and User Acceptance testing?

Software QA/Testing Technical FAQs


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What's the difference between Alpha, Beta and User Acceptance testing?

The focus in this question is somewhat wrong. You don't do Alpha testing, you do testing against the Alpha cycle of the software. The Alpha cycle is during the development phase. The product has many defects and is not suitable for users in a production environment to be using. Once the Show-Stopper, Critical and most Major defects have been resolved, and once the majority of planned functionality has been added to the product, a Beta release can occur. It is best to have someone coordinate the beta testers rather than just throw the software out to the general public--this way you can keep track of the defects generated by beta users in the field. User Acceptance testing occurs when you have to deliver your product to a customer based on contractual obligations. The User Acceptance test is usually written by the customer or an agent on their part. It is designed to verify, usually only with positive test cases, that the product is as described in the contract.

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