What are acceptance criteria in the context of testing?

Acceptance criteria are standards that define the conditions under which a product or system is considered acceptable for delivery. These criteria serve as a checklist of requirements that must be fulfilled before the stakeholders or customers accept the product as meeting their needs. They provide clarity and shared understanding among the development team, testers, and stakeholders about what constitutes success for a particular feature or product.

By specifying the conditions that must be satisfied, acceptance criteria help ensure that the product aligns with the business goals and user needs. They are typically defined during the planning phase and serve as a basis for both functional and non-functional testing. This structured approach enables teams to establish clear expectations, which can reduce misunderstandings and improve overall product quality.

The other choices do not accurately capture the essence of acceptance criteria. While requirements may change during development, they are not inherently what acceptance criteria are about. General guidelines for user experience focus on user interaction rather than acceptance of specific product features. Specifications for software design and architecture pertain more to how the system is built rather than the conditions for its acceptance. Thus, the definition of acceptance criteria as predefined conditions that must be met for product acceptance is the most appropriate choice.