1. Usability and User
Acceptance Testing
ISQA 8220: Brad Bass

2. Why is it important?
● Understanding the difference between usability and
user acceptance
● Testing is one of the most important disciplines
● Knowledge of when testing should be performed and
how to develop a plan

3. Usability Testing
● Scenario based testing performed by real
users. These users test functional use cases
provided by the system.
http://justincaseyouwerewondering.com/are-you-usability-testing-yourcampaigns-before-launch/

4. Usability Testing
What does it accomplish?
● Can users successfully complete tasks
● Identify errors and complaints from real users
● How do user’s actions differ from expected flow
● User satisfaction
● Do user’s need more/less information to successfully
complete tasks

5. Usability test plans
●
●
●
●
●
Goals are very flexible
Define scope - what use cases/features to test
Create test scenarios
Session length
Find desired users to adhere to testing goals
○
○
managers, customers, suppliers, etc.
"It takes only five users to uncover 80 percent of high-level usability
problems" Jakob Nielsen

6. User Acceptance Testing
● Testing performed by end business experts to ensure
the system meets the needs of the business
● Often interchangeable with beta testing
● Requires signoff by business experts before system
goes live

7. User Acceptance Testing
What does it accomplish?
● Decreases cost of development. Defining good test
plans early helps solidify requirements
● Proves the system work in the real business
environment
● Significantly reduces risk of project failure after rollout

8. When to test
Begin documenting user
acceptance signoff
requirements
Perform user
acceptance testing

9. What’s the difference?
Usability:
● Test effectiveness of the system through a
user’s experience
● Tests are performed as early as possible
and as often as necessary
● Verify system can perform certain tasks
● Results can lead to design changes
● Test plans created in each iteration
●
Typically goal or task driven - should not
be a system implemented beta test
User Acceptance:
● Business user and stakeholder sign off and
approval
● Only performed toward the end of a project
● Verify business requirements have been
met
● Results are typically only minor code
enhancements or bug fixes
● Test plans created early (Right after
requirements are fully defined)
●
Not intended to find system errors or verify
task level activities

10. Does it work?
Usability:
● Make tests objective by quantifying results
○ How long does it take to perform a
task?
○ On average how many clicks did a
user take to find a function.
● Use adequate number and diverse set of
users
●
●
User Acceptance:
● User acceptance test plan should be tightly
coupled with requirement documentation
● Signoff actors should be highly qualified
and have the following skills:
○ Background
○ Skill
○ Independence
○ Attitude
Compare metrics to other industry systems
Compare metrics to user expectations
http://www.develop.com/useracceptancetests

11. References
University of Texas, 26 Jul 2006. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <http://www.utexas.edu/learn/usability/planning.html>.
Bordo, Vince. Develop.com. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <http://www.develop.com/useracceptancetests>.
Usability.gov. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/usability-testing.html>.
technopedia.com. Web. 12 Nov 2013. <http://www.techopedia.com/definition/3887/user-acceptance-testing-uat>.
Nielsen, Jakob. nngroup.com, 26 Jun 2006. Web. 12 Nov 2013. <http://www.nngroup.com/articles/quantitative-studieshow-many-users/>.
coleyconsulting.co.ui. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <http://www.coleyconsulting.co.uk/whatuat.htm>.
Goldsborough, Justin. N.p., 7 Jun 2012. Web. 12 Nov 2013. <http://justincaseyouwerewondering.com/are-you-usabilitytesting-your-campaigns-before-launch/>.