What type of testing assesses whether a software product meets user needs?

Acceptance testing is a type of testing specifically designed to determine whether a software product meets the requirements and expectations of the end users. This testing involves evaluating the software against the user needs and business requirements to ensure that it functions correctly in a real-world environment. The primary goal is to confirm that the software fulfills its intended purpose before it is released to production.

Acceptance testing often includes scenarios that simulate actual user behavior and validate that the software behaves as expected, addressing the users’ needs appropriately. It is typically conducted at the end of the development process, just before deployment, and can include both user acceptance tests (UAT) and operational acceptance tests.

While the other testing types have their own focus—such as functional testing which verifies individual functions against specifications, performance testing that evaluates the responsiveness and stability under load, and regression testing that ensures existing features continue to work after changes—acceptance testing is the definitive step to ensure user satisfaction and alignment with user expectations. This emphasis on user requirements distinguishes acceptance testing as the correct choice in this context.