The Role of Acceptance Criteria in Software Testing

As a software testing expert, I have encountered the term AC numerous times in my career. AC stands for Accepted Code and is commonly expressed as “Here is my AC Solution”, also known as “Here is my Accepted Code Solution”. Acceptance tests are an important aspect of software testing, as they ensure that the software aligns with user needs and business requirements. The primary purpose of this test is to evaluate the system's compliance with business requirements and to determine if its delivery is acceptable or not. The purpose of a CAST tool is to isolate the required functionality, test it and check for defects.

A CAST tool can be used in conjunction with manual testing and can also replace it in some cases. CAST tools are designed to be used as a complement to manual testing, not as an alternative. They can automate the tedious parts of manual testing and provide useful results for decision-making. For example, if you use the CAST software and discover a bug in your web application, you can start correcting it immediately and send the patched version to your customers. Acceptance tests are formal tests that verify if a system meets business requirements.

They require the entire application to be running during testing and are focused on replicating user behaviors. But they can also go further and measure system performance and reject changes if certain objectives are not met. The first type of test that is usually used when delivering a new user story is analytical tests. It is based on a systematic examination of the risks of the product or of the defined expected behavior. For example, each user story must contain the Acceptance Criteria (CA), that is, a list of requirements that summarize the operation of a given function.

It is essential to verify that every detail of the AC list has been implemented correctly. This is the absolute core of functional software testing and must be performed with great care. We need to ensure that all possible test cases for air conditioning and remote air conditioning control are covered to meet consumer requirements.