Acceptance Criteria

Definition

Acceptance criteria are a set of predefined requirements or conditions that must be met for a product feature or user story to be considered complete and acceptable. They serve as a guide for developers, designers, and stakeholders, ensuring everyone understands the expectations and what constitutes 'done.' Acceptance criteria help in clarifying requirements, reducing misunderstandings, and providing a clear basis for testing and validation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Acceptance criteria are usually written in simple language to ensure clarity and avoid ambiguity for all team members.
2. They can include functional requirements, non-functional requirements, and specific scenarios or edge cases that need to be considered.
3. Effective acceptance criteria are testable, meaning they can be verified through testing methods to confirm the feature meets the defined requirements.
4. They help to prevent scope creep by providing a clear boundary of what is included in a feature or story.
5. In Agile methodologies, acceptance criteria are discussed and refined during backlog grooming sessions, fostering collaboration among team members.

Review Questions

• How do acceptance criteria influence the development process and ensure that features meet user needs?
  • Acceptance criteria play a crucial role in guiding the development process by clearly outlining what needs to be achieved for each feature or user story. They help ensure that developers understand user needs and expectations, which reduces the likelihood of miscommunication. By establishing these criteria early on, teams can focus their efforts on delivering what is required, making it easier to validate that the final product meets user satisfaction.
• Discuss how acceptance criteria can impact backlog management and prioritization within an Agile framework.
  • Acceptance criteria significantly impact backlog management by helping teams prioritize work based on well-defined requirements. When items in the backlog include clear acceptance criteria, it allows teams to evaluate their complexity and value more effectively. This clarity supports better decision-making regarding which features should be developed first, ensuring that high-value items with clear expectations are prioritized for development during sprints.
• Evaluate the importance of acceptance criteria in relation to design handoff and specifications during a project.
  • Acceptance criteria are vital during design handoff because they bridge the gap between design intentions and development execution. When designers provide clear acceptance criteria alongside their specifications, it ensures that developers fully understand how to implement design elements as intended. This collaboration minimizes misunderstandings and discrepancies in the final product, making sure that both design and functional requirements are met effectively.

Related terms

User Stories: User stories are short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of the end-user, focusing on what the user wants to achieve.

Definition of Done: The Definition of Done is a shared understanding within a team of what it means for work to be completed, encompassing quality and completeness criteria.

Sprint Review: A Sprint Review is a meeting at the end of a sprint where the team showcases their work to stakeholders, often assessing whether acceptance criteria were met.