This is a practical hands-on seminar to convey effective methods to plan and conduct user acceptance testing. This is one of the few UAT training courses available that teaches a non-technical and easily learned process for testing computer systems from a business process perspective. This course deals with testing issues from both the process and human perspectives. You will learn the terminology, the unique issues, and the process for performing user acceptance testing. As a result of attending this seminar, you should have a good working knowledge of what it takes to plan and conduct a very effective user acceptance test in your own organization.

This course takes about 16 hours to complete, including exercises. The narrated slide shows total about 8 hours.

Structured User Acceptance Testing will help you become more comfortable and confident in designing and performing a test that models how an organization will use a particular application to conduct business. You will emerge from this two-day session knowing how to develop test scenarios, test scripts and test cases. You will also have a working knowledge of how to coordinate all of the aspects of a user acceptance test into a smoothly flowing test.

Whether you are planning to test vendor-developed or in-house developed applications, the process and techniques covered in this course can enable you to identify the most effective tests and maintain a high level of test coverage.

User acceptance testing does not need to be overwhelming and intimidating. Learn the issues and processes for effectively testing business processes by attending this hands-on course.

Return on Investment

   * Learn how to find costly and embarrassing problems before your customers find them.
   * Learn a proven process for designing a test that models your business, not what's on paper.
   * Understand the key issues in dealing with the people issues of testing.
   * Learn how to design tests that adequately cover your business processes and the people and things you process through your business processes.
   * Get the most out of your existing investment in testing and how to leverage that investment for user acceptance testing.
   * Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
         o Plan an acceptance test for any size computer system
         o Identify test cases that will simulate real-life conditions
         o Determine if a system meets acceptance criteria
         o Track the progress of an acceptance test
         o Deal with the many issues and attitudes encountered during a typical acceptance test.
         o Write informative test reports
   * Advance your career by broadening your testing expertise.

Who Will Benefit

   * End-users and customers of software
   * QA/Test Managers
   * Test analysts
   * Testers
   * Developers
   * Software vendors

The program requires no IT knowledge or experience. Prior testing or QA knowledge is not a pre-requisite.

Program Information

This course can also be presented at your location. Contact us for information about how to bring this course into your organization.

Content and Structure

Module STBA - Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing

   *

     The Top 10 Challenges
         o Lack of Training
         o "Us" vs. "Them" Mentality
         o Lack of Test Tools
         o Lack of Management Understanding/Support of Testing
         o Lack of Customer and User Involvement
         o Not Enough Time for Testing
         o Over-reliance on Independent Testing
         o Rapid Change
         o Testers are in a "Lose/Lose" Situation
         o Having to Say "No"
   *

      Solutions to Each Challenge

Module STBB - Testing Terminology

   * Deming Workbench Model
   * Software Life Cycle
   * Test Terminology

Module UATA - Introduction to User Acceptance Testing

   * What is Structured User Acceptance Testing?
   * The Expectation Gap
   * Methods of User Acceptance Testing
   * When User Acceptance Testing Occurs
   * The Challenges
   * Management's Role in Testing
   * Where Defects Originate
   * Where Testing Resources are Used
   * The Relative Cost of Fixing Defects
   * The User’s Role in Testing

Module UATB - User Acceptance Test Planning Process

   * User Acceptance Testing Process Overview
   * Definitions
   * Structured User Acceptance Testing Relationships
   * The Structured User Acceptance Testing Process
         o Phase 1 - Plan Tests
         o Phase 2 - Execute Tests
         o Phase 3 - Evaluate Tests
   * Phase 1 - User Acceptance Test Planning
         o Step 1 - Define test strategy
         o Step 2 - Set test objectives
         o Step 3 - Define acceptance criteria
         o Step 4 - Develop test scenarios
         o Step 5 - Develop test scripts
         o Step 6 - Define business cases
         o Step 7 - Build test matrix
         o Step 8 - Estimate time and resources
         o Step 9 - Finalize the test plan
   * What to Look for in Team Members
   * Set Acceptance Test Objectives
   * How to Determine Test Objectives
   * The Relationship Between Process and Data
   * Business Cases
   * Functional Test Cases
   * The Test/Cycle Matrix
   * Test/Function Matrix

Module UATC - User Acceptance Test Execution Process

   * Step 1 - Select tools
   * Step 2 - Train team members
   * Step 3 - Execute test plan
   * Step 4 - Track progress
   * Step 5 - Perform regression testing
   * Step 6 - Document test results

Module STBH - Regression Testing

   * What is Regression Testing?
   * No Regression Testing: Hidden Defects
   * Regression Testing: No Hidden Defects
   * Regression Testing - The Process
   * Regression Testing - What’s Needed?
   * Regression Testing Issues
   * Regression Testing - How Much is Enough?
   * Tips for Performing Regression Testing

Module UATD - User Acceptance Test Risk Assessment

   * Building the Risk Assessment Team
   * Presenting the Risk Assessment Tutorial
   * Completing the Risk Questionnaires
   * Scoring the Risk Assessment
   * Reporting the Risk Assessment Results
   * Summarizing the Risk Findings
   * Presenting the Risk Findings

Module STBI  - Test Evaluation and Reporting

   * Prerequisites for Test Evaluation
   * Test Evaluation and Reporting Process
   * Test Reporting Attributes
   * Types of Test Reporting
         o Defect reports
         o Status reports
         o Final report
   * System Test Evaluation - Defect Reporting
   * Paper-based
   * Defect tracking tools
   * The role of the defect administrator
   * The Defect Life Cycle
   * Defect Tracking - Things You Need to Know
   * Sample Defect Categories
   * Sample Defect Priorities
   * Status Reporting
   * Final Reporting
   * Test Summary Report
   * How Can This Data be Used?

Module UATE - Designing Process-Driven Tests

   * Define Existing Processes
   * Design Tests Based on Processes
   * Deliverables
   * The Process
         o Step 1 - Inventory Processes
         o Step 2 - Prioritize Processes
         o Step 3 - Document Processes
         o Step 4 - Verify Documented Processes
         o Step 5 - Translate Business Processes to Test Scripts
   * Tools

Module UATF - Test Cases From Use Cases

   * What is a Use Case?
   * Use Case Components
   * Use Case Model
   * Sample Use Case
   * Translating Use Cases into Test Cases
   * Test Cases and Test Scripts
   * Sample Test Cases Derived From Use Cases
   * The Process

Module TTLH - People Issues in Testing

   * The Role of Testing in a Project
   * Working with Developers
   * Working with Users
   * Keeping Management Informed of Progress
   * Managing Expectations
   * What Can a Tester Reasonably Assess or Recommend?

Resources

   * Checklists and Templates
   * Glossary
   * Bibliography

Deliverables

   * Course notebook with slides, worksheets, checklists, complete examples and supporting text
   * You will have the basic information needed to plan and execute an effective user-oriented test.