Acceptance Criteria
DE: Akzeptanzkriterien
A set of conditions that must be met before deliverables are accepted.
Detailed Explanation
Acceptance criteria define the specific, measurable conditions that a project deliverable must satisfy to be formally accepted by the customer or sponsor. They serve as the bridge between what was promised and what is delivered, ensuring everyone agrees on the definition of 'done' before work begins.
In the PMBOK Guide 7th Edition, acceptance criteria are central to the Delivery performance domain. They provide objective benchmarks against which deliverables are measured, reducing ambiguity and minimizing disputes during project handoff. Without clear acceptance criteria, teams risk delivering work that technically meets specifications but fails to satisfy stakeholder expectations.
Effective acceptance criteria follow the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. In agile environments, they are often written as part of user stories using the Given-When-Then format, making them directly testable and unambiguous.
Key Points
- Must be defined before work begins, not after delivery
- Should be specific, measurable, and testable
- Serve as the basis for formal acceptance or rejection of deliverables
- Reduce scope ambiguity and prevent disputes during handoff
- In Agile, often written in Given-When-Then format
- Must be agreed upon by both the project team and stakeholders
Practical Example
A software team is building a login page. The acceptance criteria state: (1) Users can log in with email and password, (2) Failed login shows an error within 2 seconds, (3) After 5 failed attempts the account locks for 15 minutes, (4) Page loads in under 3 seconds on 3G. The QA team tests each criterion before the Product Owner accepts the feature.
Tips for Learning and Applying
Write acceptance criteria during requirements gathering, not during testing
Involve stakeholders in defining criteria to ensure alignment from day one
Use the Given-When-Then format: Given [context], When [action], Then [result]
Review and update criteria as requirements evolve through progressive elaboration
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