User Acceptance testing

Definition of user acceptance testing - uat

Formal testing conducted to enable a user, customer, or other authorised entity to determine whether to accept a system or component. Also known as Operational acceptance testing - OAT or Customer acceptance testing - CAT.

Commentary

User acceptance testing is frequently viewed as the single activity to confirm a system meets the business need for which it was intended. In practice this is equally often not the case and acceptance testing can become a meaningless milestone where the development project team push the system across to operations and support.