Description: Acceptance Criteria are specific conditions that a product or feature must meet to be considered acceptable by the customer or the development team. These criteria are fundamental in agile methodologies, such as Behavior Driven Development (BDD) and Test Driven Development (TDD), as they provide a clear basis for validating requirements. Acceptance Criteria help define what ‘done’ means in the development context, ensuring that all parties involved have a common understanding of what is expected. These criteria are usually written in simple, understandable language, allowing both developers and stakeholders to interpret them easily. Additionally, they are essential for test planning, as they guide the creation of test cases and ensure that all relevant aspects of the functionality are addressed. In summary, Acceptance Criteria are a key tool for ensuring quality and alignment between customer expectations and the final product.
History: Acceptance Criteria emerged with the rise of agile methodologies in the 2000s, particularly in the context of Scrum and Extreme Programming. These methodologies aimed to improve communication between development teams and clients, and Acceptance Criteria became an essential tool for achieving this. As agile development gained popularity, Acceptance Criteria were standardized and integrated into practices such as Behavior Driven Development (BDD), which emphasizes collaboration between developers and non-developers.
Uses: Acceptance Criteria are primarily used in software development to clearly define the requirements of a feature before implementation. They are applied in sprint planning, in the creation of user stories, and in the development of test cases. Additionally, they serve as a reference during product reviews and demonstrations, ensuring that established expectations are met.
Examples: An example of Acceptance Criteria could be for a login feature in an application: ‘The user must be able to enter their username and password and be redirected to the homepage if the credentials are correct.’ Another example could be for a search function: ‘The system must return relevant results in less than 2 seconds and display a message if no results are found.’
