What is Beta Testing?

Beta Testing is performed by real users of the software application in a real environment. Beta testing is one type of User Acceptance Testing. A pre-release version of the product is made available for testing to a chosen set of external users or customers during the second phase of software testing.

Key Points to remember:

Following are the key points related to Beta Testing:

• Actions Taken by Users: Customers or other users outside the development team participate in beta testing. The software is available to these users prior to its official release.
• Goal: The primary objective is to get input from actual users in order to find any bugs, usability difficulties, or areas that need to be improved before the product is formally released.
• Greater User Participation: In order to capture a variety of viewpoints, a larger number of users—including a varied range, can serve as beta testers.
• Environment: Real-world settings are used for beta testing to simulate how users will interact with the program while performing daily duties.

Alpha Testing and Beta Testing are part of software development life cycle. Alpha and Beta testing are types of User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Alpha Testing happens in the early stages of SDLC and is performed internally by the development team while Beta testing happens later in the SDLC, just before product release, and is performed by potential customers, industry experts, or public beta testers.