Re: UAT Test Scripts

[Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca>]

The great thing about having no templates to work from is that you are 
free to design a document that works for the audience. Often, that fresh 
look results in a better, more usable document. The research you've done 
about the users should give you an idea of what they'd be looking for in 
a test script. In your case, it sounds like it's actual users, not just 
representative users or SMEs. If you were going to test the product 
yourself, what would you want to see in the script? This is your 
opportunity to get inside your client's business head and find out what 
actual tasks they want to perform with the product.

User acceptance testing frequently includes a final usability review of 
the interface, as well as testing the product with real-world data. For 
example, if the program is designed to handle a mail merge of a million 
multi-page documents, test it with a few thousand documents of varying 
numbers of pages, not just three one-pagers. Does your client have a 
test environment with a substantial amount of data that they can run 
through the product? You might want to give them some specifications 
about the resources they'll need for the UAT. What are the client's 
expectations of this test? What are yours, of the client?

See 
<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22user+acceptance+testing%22+scripts&meta=>

Also have a look at what's involved in running a Beta test. Some 
companies merge their UAT into a more formal Beta, with a few carefully 
selected clients. What feedback procedure will you use for your client 
to report change requests, bugs, etc.? Ensure your company's change 
control policy is stated in the UAT materials sent to the client. You 
don't want the client thinking their changes will all be implemented 
immediately. The change control policy also details how clients should 
classify the changes or errors they find (Urgent, Important, Nice to 
Have, etc.) Similarly, include the point of contact -- who will be 
responsible for receiving client calls during the test, and how will any 
necessary technical support be provided to them?

Will you provide any product training to the client prior to them 
performing the UAT? Any documentation? Does your company have a UAT plan 
that shows the UAT has been thought through? If you're unsure about 
whether they've considered all the aspects of the UAT, perhaps taking 
the initiative to create a plan as well as test scripts would make sense.

Or you could just throw a few test scripts at the client and see how 
they make out. That's always fun, too. :-)
--Beth


Amy Branscome wrote: