Acceptance testing determines what?

Acceptance testing is a critical phase in the software development life cycle, focusing specifically on evaluating a system against predefined acceptance criteria to ascertain its readiness for deployment. This testing process is typically conducted by end users or clients and serves to confirm that the software product meets their expectations and requirements before it goes live.

The acceptance criteria are established during the requirements gathering phase and can include various factors such as functionality, usability, compatibility, and compliance with regulatory standards. By performing acceptance testing, stakeholders ensure that the software not only operates according to the specifications provided but also provides a satisfactory user experience.

In contrast, the other options pertain to different aspects of software quality assurance. For instance, assessing whether the software is free of defects primarily relates to activities like system testing and debugging rather than acceptance testing. Unit testing focuses on individual components or modules of the software and is completed before acceptance testing begins, meaning it does not align with the scope of acceptance testing. Evaluating whether performance requirements are met falls under performance testing, which examines how the system behaves under load rather than confirming compliance with acceptance criteria. The focus of acceptance testing is exclusively on the overall readiness of the system for deployment as defined by user expectations.