Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance Criteria are the clear rules and requirements that determine when a feature or product is considered complete and working correctly. Think of them as a checklist that everyone (developers, testers, and business people) agrees on before work starts. For example, if you're ordering a custom cake, the acceptance criteria would be things like "must be chocolate flavored," "needs to feed 20 people," and "decorated with blue flowers." In software testing, these criteria help testers know exactly what to check and help developers understand exactly what they need to build. They're often written in simple "Given/When/Then" format or as a list of must-have features.
Examples in Resumes
Created detailed Acceptance Criteria for 50+ user stories in collaboration with business analysts
Implemented test cases based on Acceptance Criteria for new product features
Led team meetings to define and review Acceptance Criteria with stakeholders
Typical job title: "Quality Assurance Engineers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Quality Assurance Engineers
Online Communities
Professional Networks
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you handle situations where acceptance criteria are unclear or conflicting?
Expected Answer: A senior QA professional should explain their process of organizing stakeholder meetings, using real examples to clarify requirements, and documenting decisions. They should mention how they help prevent such situations through early involvement in planning.
Q: How do you create acceptance criteria for complex features?
Expected Answer: Should discuss breaking down complex features into smaller, manageable pieces, involving different team members for different perspectives, and using templates or frameworks to ensure consistency and completeness.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What elements do you include when writing acceptance criteria?
Expected Answer: Should mention including user perspective, clear success conditions, specific numbers or measurements where applicable, and both positive and negative scenarios. Should also discuss making criteria testable and measurable.
Q: How do you ensure acceptance criteria are testable?
Expected Answer: Should explain how they make criteria specific and measurable, provide examples of good vs bad criteria, and discuss how they verify that different testers would interpret the criteria the same way.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is the purpose of acceptance criteria?
Expected Answer: Should explain that acceptance criteria help define when a feature is complete, ensure everyone understands the requirements, and provide a basis for testing. Should give a simple example.
Q: What's the difference between acceptance criteria and test cases?
Expected Answer: Should explain that acceptance criteria are the requirements that must be met, while test cases are the specific steps taken to verify those requirements have been met.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Understanding basic acceptance criteria formats
- Writing simple test cases from acceptance criteria
- Following established templates
- Basic documentation skills
Mid (2-5 years)
- Writing clear and comprehensive acceptance criteria
- Identifying missing or unclear requirements
- Collaborating with stakeholders
- Creating acceptance test plans
Senior (5+ years)
- Leading requirement gathering sessions
- Managing complex feature acceptance criteria
- Training teams on best practices
- Strategic test planning
Red Flags to Watch For
- Unable to explain the difference between acceptance criteria and test cases
- No experience working with business stakeholders
- Lack of documentation skills
- No understanding of user story format
- Cannot provide examples of well-written acceptance criteria
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