SIT vs. UAT
By: Hussein Baashen
Tags: QA, Testing, Quality Assurance, Uat, Sit

Conversely, UAT (User Acceptance Testing) is a validation testing performed from the user end where user requirements and business-related processes are checked to find whether the system can be accepted or not.

UAT: User Acceptance Testing Best Practices

User Acceptance Testing is the final stage of testing before the system is accepted by the operational user. End users perform UAT based on the user requirements specifications to confirm whether an application is meeting requirements.

UAT (User Acceptance Testing) is conducted at the end of the whole testing process when the product is ready to deliver. The main aim of software development is to develop software that is capable of satisfying the user needs, rather than just fulfilling the system specifications.

UAT is conducted when the product is ready to deliver it is also called at the end of the whole testing process. UAT is used to validate that the system is acceptable or not.

UAT validates that:

The developed system fulfills the system requirement specifications

The system has achieved the performance as documented in the system requirement statement.

It could vary as defined in the contract.

Types of UAT:

There are two major types of User Acceptance Testing: Alpha Testing and Beta Testing.

Alpha Testing: Alpha testing is performed at the developer’s site by the customer. The testing is performed under a developer’s control. Alpha Testing is performed once the system testing is completed. Beta Testing: Beta testing is performed at one or more customer’s sites by the end-user of the software. For the beta testing of an application, it is given to a trusted customer. Here the testing is not under the developer’s control. Beta testing is performed only after alpha testing is done.

Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criteria are defined as exit criteria that a system must satiate in order to be accepted by the end-user. The three acceptance criteria are shown below:

Product acceptance — It specifies that as the product requirement changes the acceptance criteria also must be modified and defined as desired.

— It specifies that as the product requirement changes the acceptance criteria also must be modified and defined as desired. Procedure acceptance — The acceptance criteria could be defined according to the procedure followed for delivery.

— The acceptance criteria could be defined according to the procedure followed for delivery. Service level agreements — SLAs are simply a part of the contract signed by customer and product organization which helps in verifying the software as a part of acceptance testing.

SIT: System Integration Testing Best Practices

System Integration Testing is performed to confirm whether the modules tested individually can work together to deliver the required functionality. Modules tested individually may work fine, but when they are integrated together some issues may occur. System integration testing is performed to test the dependency between modules through the transfer of data from one module to another.

For a better understanding of what is SIT first, we must understand what is System integration? so basically as the name itself suggest system integration refers as a set of phases where various components are incorporated in a single unit, and these units go for integration testing, the group of interaction between component is referred as integration and testing these interaction and modules interaction is known as integration testing.

From some other point of view, the SIT (system integration testing) is considered as the combination of integration testing and system testing. At this point, we know what integration testing is. Now, we need to understand what system testing is? The testing performed on the absolute integrated products to check system compliance with specified requirements on functional and non-functional elements is referred to as system testing.

SIT is also considered as a combination of integration testing and system testing.

System integration starts at the module level where units are integrated together forming to form a subsystem and eventually a system.

Types of SIT:

There are two major approaches to System Integration Testing: top-down integration approach and a bottom-up integration approach.

Top-down Integration Approach: Here modules are integrated by moving downwards in the hierarchy, where the main module is at the top. In a top-down approach if lower modules are not ready dummy modules called a stub are used for testing. A stub acts as the module during the test. Stubs have the minimum functionality required to be used while testing the ‘above’ module. Bottom-up Integration Approach: Here modules are combined and started to test at a very low level. If the top-level modules are not ready then drivers are used for testing. A driver is a program specially used for testing.

Types of interfaces

There are two kinds of interfaces — Internal and External.

Internal interfaces facilitate the interaction between the two modules within a project that is internal to the project.

facilitate the interaction between the two modules within a project that is internal to the project. External interfaces are tangible outside the product to the third-party developers.

Comparison between UAT vs. SIT:

SIT- System Integration Testing

The testing interface between modules

The purpose of testing is to see the interface

Performed by Developers and Testers.

Issues will be with data flow, control flow.

UAT- User Acceptance Testing

Testing with respect to user requirements

The purpose is to test the functionality from the end user’s point of view.

Performed by Customers and End Users.

Not as per User Requirements.

Key Differences Between SIT and UAT